Job Sharing

Employers

Organizations interested in implementing job sharing face various costs and benefits of program implementation. Several costs have been found to be consequences of the implementation of job-sharing programs: Job sharing has been identified to relate to increased training costs—in job-sharing situations, two employees, instead of one, have to be trained to fill a job. Usually, both employees receive benefits, which can lead to increased benefits costs if services such as health insurance have to be provided to more than one employee. Costs for personnel administration also rise if job sharing is in place. Again, this greater cost is caused by pay and benefits needing to be administered to two employees instead of one. Further costs can arise if the job-sharing employees communicate ineffectively. Miscommunication may lead to duplicated work or wasted time as employees try to establish what work has been finished. Conversely, employers can benefit substantially from having job-sharing programs: If two employees are trained to fill the same position, one can fill in if the other is absent. Thus, employee illness and vacation times are less disruptive if job-sharing programs are in place than if a single employee fills the same position. Further organizational benefits of job sharing include enhanced employee retention and enhanced productivity through potentially complementary employee strengths, abilities, and skills directed toward work objectives. From a recruitment perspective, job sharing can also lead to a competitive advantage for an organization—a position advertised as being available on a full-time or job-sharing basis exploits both full-time and part-time labor markets.

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