When two or more part-time employees share on full time job it is called?

We have supported thousands of job seekers living with disability into meaningful employment with employers that understand their needs. Often, it’s a match made in heaven and the working relationship continues to thrive. However, there are times where employers and job seekers needs do not always match, meaning it can be difficult for people with disability to find their next opportunity.

An employer may be looking for someone full time, whereas the job seeker may have certain requirements meaning they can only work part-time with reduced hours. Employers are often stuck in the mindset that one employee must be able to do it all, and on the contrary, job seekers can only complete certain tasks, often limited by physical disabilities and mental health conditions.

So… employers want to hire someone full time, and job seekers only want to work part-time to meet their requirements. What is the solution?

Part-time job sharing.

A relatively new idea, part-time job-sharing means that two employees work reduced hours to fulfill the duties that typically one full-time employee can complete. For people with disability, having a coworker to share tasks can mean the difference between unemployment and thriving in the workforce. Having two employees that complement each other means for a productive, cohesive and successful working arrangement.

Acting Area Manager Joy Hancock has seen great outcomes from part-time job-sharing arrangements, asserting that COVID-19 has played a large role in the demand for part-time work.

“Since COVID-19, we are seeing a higher demand from job seekers for flexible working, including job sharing and options to work in the office or from home. Job sharing is usually more common in administrative roles and with return-to-work mums with disability who want to maintain some work-life balance, but also suits participants that come to us with certain requirements.”

Although it is designed to cater to the needs of job seekers, employers also benefit from part-time job-sharing arrangements.

“I hear from multiple businesses each week saying that they cannot find workers for various roles. They have production lines, manufacturing plants, warehouses and office roles vacant, and they cannot find people to fill the vacancy.

We work with them to break down the requirements and discuss whether job share is a possible option. Sharing a role broadens the talent pool to pick potential employees from and having flexibility within the workplace attracts more potential workers. Once the initial shock of doing things differently wears off, it is fantastic to see how a business can not only survive but thrive.”

Offering flexibility while promoting productivity, part-time job sharing is a solution to the traditional 9-5 requirements that some people living with disability cannot meet.

Reach out to AimBig Employment today and find out how part-time job sharing could be the right fit for you or for your businesses recruitment needs.

A job share arrangement is a full-time job split between two individuals, each with responsibility for the success of the total job. Job sharing allows two staff members to share the responsibilities of one full-time position, typically with prorated salary and paid time off. Creative and innovative schedules can be designed to meet the needs of the job sharers and the department. Job-sharing arrangements can be 50/50, 60/40 or any similar combination. The schedules may also overlap as needed or desired.

Successful job sharing arrangements usually place responsibility for a functional arrangement on the individuals sharing the job (job partners) rather than the supervisor. Both job partners should agree up front that if one of the job partners is not meeting the needs of the organization or decides to leave the job, the other will revert to a full-time schedule, permanently or until a replacement job partner is found within a reasonable time frame. If a new job partner cannot be found and the remaining job partner does not want a full-time job, he/she will agree to resign from the job to be replaced by a full-time employee. This is considered a voluntary resignation and does not qualify the individual for position discontinuation and staff transition benefits.

Advantages and Challenges

Job Sharing Example

Elizabeth began to consider job sharing when her mother became ill. She realized that because of personal responsibilities, she no longer wanted to work on a full time basis but still wanted to be able to preserve her career skills and status within her profession. With her supervisor, Elizabeth determined that a job sharing arrangement would be valuable in helping her create a sense of balance in her life. She now works Monday, Tuesday and until noon on Wednesday when her job sharing partner takes over to work the remainder of the workweek.

1. Finding a Job
2. Everything You Need To Know About Job Sharing

By Indeed Editorial Team

March 2, 2021

Job sharing work arrangements offer several benefits for employees who want to work part-time or want to have someone they can share the responsibilities of their workload with. These flexible work arrangements are a popular option for employees experiencing life changes that impact their availability for work, such as partial retirement or increased responsibilities that require their attention at home.

Understanding how a job share arrangement works and the benefits of job sharing can help you prepare to share your work responsibilities in a way that helps you, your job share partner and your employer succeed. In this article, we discuss everything you need to know about job sharing including the benefits it provides and tips to help you successfully implement a job-sharing arrangement at work.

What is job sharing?

Job sharing is a staffing practice that involves two people working in the same position on a part-time or reduced-time schedule and sharing the responsibilities that a full-time employee would normally fulfill on their own. While the employer's work expectations for the role remain the same, job sharing makes it possible for both businesses and their employees to divide the work and schedule requirements of a full-time position between two employees. The two employees who share a full-time position are job share partners.

Related: Glossary of 50 Jobs Terms You Need To Know

How job sharing works

The way a job-sharing program works varies based on the needs of the business and the preferences of the employees who are sharing the job. Deciding what hours and days each partner work and how they divide their duties and responsibilities are the most important factors to consider when determining how to make a job share arrangement work.

Here is a breakdown of how job sharing works:

The work schedule for each job share partner

To create an effective schedule for each job share partner, consider the needs of the position and the company. A company that doesn't require someone to be physically present or doesn't require the role's responsibilities during specific times can offer its employees more flexibility in choosing the shifts they want to work.

Here are the structures you can choose from when determining which hours each partner in a job share arrangement will work:

• Both partners work the same shift: In a same-shift job share arrangement, both partners work the same days and hours of the week. This arrangement works best for employers who can split the responsibilities of a position between two employees, do not need coverage for the position at different times and do not require more hours than each partner is working. For example, each partner may work Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  

• Each partner works a split day: In a split-day job share arrangement, each partner works on the same days but during different hours. This arrangement works best for employers who need coverage for the position for a full eight hours or more or for employees who prefer to work opposite schedules. For example, one job share partner may work Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. with the other job share partner working Monday through Friday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  

• Each partner works a split week: In a split-week job share arrangement, each partner works the same hours but on different days of the week. This arrangement works best for employees who want to work only a few days per week but can work a full-time shift on those days. For example, one job share partner may work Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. while the other job share partner works Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  

• Combination structure: Some job share arrangements combine various work hour structures to create a blended schedule for each job share partner. For example, one job share partner may work Monday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with the other job share partner working Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and both partners working Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. This example combines the split week structure with the same shift structure on Friday.

Read more: How Many Hours Per Week is Part-Time?

Division of duties and responsibilities

Dividing the duties and responsibilities of a full-time position between two employees requires consideration of the needs of the company and the skills and strengths of each employee.

Here are two options you can choose from when deciding how to divide the duties and responsibilities of a position between two employees:

• The twin model: When using the twin model, each job share partner performs the same tasks and has the same responsibilities. Both partners work together as a team to ensure all work gets done, and they complete projects and assignments on time. The twin model is great for maximizing efficiency and productivity within the role because both partners must work effectively as a team.
  

• The islands model: When using the islands model, each job share partner has a different set of responsibilities and performs different tasks. This model splits the work and responsibilities between job share partners based on each partner's skill level and strengths for performing in different areas of their role. This model allows each partner to specialize in specific areas to maximize the quality of their work. Because each partner has their own set of duties and responsibilities under the islands model, this model allows them to complete their work independently of one another.

When the needs of the employer and the work schedule of each job share partner allow it, many employers let their employees decide how they want to divide their duties and responsibilities with their job share partner.

Benefits of job sharing

Job-sharing roles can provide several benefits to both the employers using the job-share program and the employees taking part in it. Job-sharing benefits include:

Greater flexibility in work schedules

One of the greatest benefits job sharing provides to employees is the ability to create a flexible work schedule. Dividing job duties between two people allows you both to complete your work in less time. It also makes it easier for you to plan time off work because you know your partner can help cover your responsibilities while you are away and you can do the same for them. This is also a benefit for the employer because they know there is at least partial coverage available for the role at all times.

Related: 20 Examples of Alternative Work Schedules

Healthier work-life balance

Being able to create a flexible work schedule with reduced hours and less responsibility also makes it easier for employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Whether you need more time to attend appointments, run errands or spend time with your family, the flexibility you have when job sharing can help you accomplish your priorities at both work and home. Having a better work-life balance can also help employees experience greater job satisfaction.

Read more: Ultimate Guide To Work-Life Balance

Retention of top talent

Job share arrangements help employers retain highly skilled employees who may otherwise leave their position if they could not reduce their hours or workload to achieve their desired work-life balance. This also helps employers keep employees who are preparing to retire or who have too many responsibilities at home to remain committed to a full-time workload and schedule.

For example, a highly skilled employee approaching retirement age may desire to reduce their workload or to work only part-time. Their employer could use a job share arrangement to encourage them to stay in their position on a part-time basis. The employer could also use the experience of the employee approaching retirement to train and develop a newer employee during a job share partnership.

Related: Guide To Employee Training and Development: Types, Benefits and How To Do It Effectively

Increased efficiency and productivity

Having two people share the responsibilities of a role can help reduce work-related stress and prevent burnout, which makes it easier for each partner to perform at their maximum capacity. Job sharing also results in better quality control because each partner can devote more attention to each of their responsibilities and can support each other in finding and correcting errors. Having two employees with complementary skills and strengths also makes it easier to find solutions and complete challenging tasks in less time.

Read more: How To Calculate Productivity

Tips for implementing job sharing

Here are a few general tips to help you successfully implement a job-sharing arrangement at work:

• Build a positive working relationship with your job share partner. Whether you are sharing all the responsibilities of your role or you each are responsible for different responsibilities, you and your job share partner both need to work together to ensure you are successfully meeting or exceeding goals. Build a positive working relationship between you and your job share partner by sharing the praise and celebrating accomplishments together and combining strengths to find creative solutions for areas of your work that need improvement.
  

• Understand your role and responsibilities. A clear understanding of how you and your job share partner are dividing duties and responsibilities can help ensure you are each supporting one another in completing work efficiently and productively and are both contributing to the overall success of the role. Think about the strengths and weaknesses of both yourself and your job share partner when deciding who is responsible for specific tasks and how to support each other to achieve the best quality of work possible.
  

• Improve your communication skills. You and your job share partner need to communicate with each other effectively at all times to maximize your job performance. Common communication tools for job sharing include instant messenger, end-of-day reports and a shared email and voicemail. You also both need to communicate expectations to clients and colleagues to ensure they know who is responsible for different tasks and when and how to contact each of you if they need to.