What is a job share? In its simplest form, a job share lets two employees split a work week. But answering the question, "what is job share" only takes the first step in implementing this unique flexible work schedule and succeeding with a job share.
In a job share, an employer uses two workers to handle the responsibilities of a single full-time position. When asking, "what is a job share," it helps to compare a job share to the other types of flexible work schedules: flexible hours, a compressed work week and a part-time job.
For hourly workers, what a job share gives is a part-time work week. For salaried employees, what a job share offers is the opportunity to pursue a high-pressure career without sacrificing your life to the company. Job sharing holds the most promise for work-life balance in demanding fields such as law, medicine, scientific research and the upper ranks of corporate America.
Job Share Questions
When considering a job share, here are some important questions to answer:
- What will the regular schedule be, and how will sick, vacation and maternity leave be handled?
- What benefits will each employee receive, and how do they compare to full time?
- How will after-hours work emergencies be handled?
- Is there a plan for promotion and advancement for each member of the job-share team?
- What happens if one job-share partner wants to end the arrangement?
