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July 2020 | REDONLINE.CO.UKAs flexible working
becomes a reality
for more of us, Red’s
consumer editors Joanne
Finney and Emilie Martin
explain the benefits
of job-shares, and
how they make
a success of theirsT
hese days, it’s less unusual to hear friends
say they work part-time or they work their
weekly hours in fewer than five days. On the
face of it, then, you might think that flexible
working is becoming more commonplace in
the UK – and to some extent, you’d be right.
Research shows that just over a third (34%) of employees
in this country took advantage of flexitime in 2018, and
before the coronavirus crisis, three in 10 workers said they
sometimes worked from home. Given that many of us
have been successfully working from home for the last
few months, these figures are likely to rise going forward.
However, these figures only tell part of the story. Over
the past decade, the take-up of other forms of flexible
working, including job-sharing, has remained stubbornly
flat. While over half of employees in the UK say the
option to job-share is available in their workplace, just
3% actually worked as part of a job-share in 2018*.
There are many reasons for the relatively small
number of people working in job-share roles, says
Claire McCartney of the Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development. There is still a misconception that
flexible working, including job sharing, is only for thoseSecrets of a
successful
job-share
with caring responsibilities. This is not true,’ McCartney
adds. ‘Some may even feel that their job could be at risk if
they seek to change their working pattern.’ Others might
worry that a job-share could stall long-term career prospects
and earnings, or that colleagues won’t think they’re giving
their best if they’re not present in the office every day.
However, the tide may be turning. A poll by Timewise,
a specialist recruitment company, suggests that two in five
employers would consider hiring candidates for a senior
role as part of a job-share. And McCartney points out
that this way of working has plenty of benefits. ‘People in
job-shares often describe it as the best kind of professional
development because they’re constantly getting feedback
from their job-share partner,’ she says. ‘They can also draw
on two networks and contact books, instead of just one.’
Now, the Government has set up a task force to promote
flexible working, including job-sharing. It acknowledges the
need to challenge attitudes towards flexible working within
organisations in order to help women who choose to work
reduced hours or work flexibly progress to more senior
levels, which will in turn help address the gender pay gap.
Here, Red’s two job-sharing consumer editors explain
how it’s worked for them...