If an employee is unable to work full-time due to, for example, family commitments, the part-time model is usually the preferred option. These roles are designed from the outset to involve fewer hours per week, but generally involve a fixed timetable and set of duties. For example, the employee may be required to be present every day from 9 am to 2 pm. Even though fewer hours are scheduled, a fixed timetable can cause problems if something unexpected comes up. This might be a doctor’s appointment or their child’s school day finishing early. An effective alternative, which is particularly popular in the Scandinavian countries, is job-sharing, where two employees share a single post. At first glance, this sounds like part-time work, but it differs clearly from that model.
What is job-sharing?
As already mentioned, in job-sharing, a single post is filled by two (or more) employees. One might say that this is exactly the same as a part-time role, but unlike part-time work, the tasks and areas of responsibility are not determined by the employer but are agreed upon by the employees themselves. They therefore agree amongst themselves who comes into the office when and who is primarily responsible for which tasks. However, there are different models:
- Job splitting: This model is closer to the part-time model. Here, the employees have separate contracts and areas of responsibility. They work largely independently of one another.
- Job pairing: This is more in line with the basic concept of job sharing. As mentioned in the introduction, the employees work together, but at different times. Tasks and working hours are not dictated from above, but are divided up amongst the colleagues themselves. In most cases, however, the job sharers work on a single project. This requires a great deal of communication.
- Top Sharing: In this specific form, management positions are filled by two or more managers. Here, too, it is important to communicate frequently and, above all, to make decisions only by mutual agreement.
Top sharing demonstrates that part-time work and success are no longer necessarily mutually exclusive. Consequently, this working-time model is also suitable for employees who wish to balance family and career. Furthermore, employees who, for example, wish to continue their education by studying can make good use of job sharing for this purpose. In generally stressful professions, this model can provide relief and offer an important work-life balance.
Advantages and disadvantages of job-sharing
Job-sharing offers a number of advantages in terms of flexible working hours. This, in turn, keeps employees satisfied and makes them more productive. The company benefits from having two skilled staff members in one role and can make the most of their combined expertise. This also means that a replacement can be found quickly in the event of illness. The model is ideal for people who are strong in communication and (self-)organisation. Here, they can and should make the most of their strengths.
The choice of where to work can also be arranged flexibly. For example, one of the job-sharers can work from home whilst the other is in the office. Should the situation arise where both parties need to work at the same time but there isn’t enough space available, rented office space can also be used as an alternative. These are particularly popular with start-ups that do not yet require a larger office. The COLLECTION Business Centres offer fully equipped co-working spaces that are perfectly suited to precisely such situations.
However, alongside the advantages, there are also a few disadvantages that can undermine the arrangement. Lone wolves, for example, find it difficult in job-sharing roles, as coordination and frequent communication are the order of the day. Furthermore, the parties involved must be able to trust one another completely. Nothing is worse than a partner who doesn’t take certain tasks quite as seriously as they should. This causes resentment – not only amongst colleagues, but also at management level.
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