Job sharing

A job share is one full-time post split between two people, each on a part-time contract. Each sharer is paid pro rata for their hours, gets pro rata holiday and builds up pension on their own pay. The two of you share the responsibilities, the caseload or the class, and you need a reliable way of handing over between you. Job shares are common in the Civil Service, schools and councils, and less common (but possible) in the NHS.

How the split usually works

Most job shares divide the week. A 50/50 split might be two and a half days each, with the middle day shared or split by half days. Others are 60/40, or three days and two days. Some sharers each work a full week and then take a week off, which can suit project work but makes handover harder.

There are two broad models:

• Shared responsibility, where both sharers do the same whole job and pick up wherever the other left off. This is common for teachers sharing a class and for managers.
• Split responsibility, where the role is divided by task or area, with each sharer owning part of it. This is easier to run but means people need to know which sharer to contact for what.

Many shares combine the two: one person leads on certain areas, but both can cover anything in an emergency.

Pay, holiday and pension

Each sharer is a part-time employee and has the same rights as a comparable full-timer under the Part-time Workers Regulations. That means the same hourly rate, the same access to training and the same chance of pay progression.

Item	How it works for each sharer
Pay	Pro rata share of the full-time salary for the post
Pay progression	Same increments as full-time staff, on the same timetable
Holiday	Pro rata: statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks multiplied by days worked
Bank holidays	Usually pro rata, so sharers do not gain or lose depending on which days they work
Pension	Each sharer is in the scheme in their own right, on their own actual pay
Sick pay	Same occupational scheme as full-timers, based on your own service

Say a council job is on SCP 25 (£37,563 full-time from 1 April 2026) and two people share it 50/50. Each is paid £18,781.50 a year before tax. Holiday under the Green Book is at least 23 days basic plus 8 public holidays and 2 extra-statutory days for a full-timer, so each sharer gets half of that, usually worked out in hours. The pro rata salary guide and part-time holiday guide show the calculations.

Because the personal allowance is the same however much you earn, two sharers on half pay usually pay less tax between them than one person on the full salary. The take-home pay calculator will show your net pay.

Handovers

Handover is where job shares succeed or fail. A few practices make it work:

• a shared inbox or an agreed rule on copying each other into email
• a written handover note at the end of each working period
• a shared calendar and shared files, so either sharer can find anything
• a short overlap, in person or by phone, at least once a week
• one agreed answer for decisions, so colleagues cannot play you off against each other

Teachers sharing a class usually split subjects or days and keep a shared planning document. Parents and pupils need to know who to contact on which days.

Finding a partner and applying

Some employers keep a job share register where staff interested in sharing can find each other. The Civil Service has run a job share finder for staff across departments. In schools, most job shares start when an existing teacher asks to go part-time and the school recruits a partner, or when two teachers apply together.

If you are applying for a new post as a pair, each of you usually submits an application, and the employer may interview you separately and together. Show how you would divide the work, how you would hand over and how you would make joint decisions. A clear plan answers most of the employer’s doubts before they raise them.

If you already have the job and want to share it, make a flexible working request. In England, Scotland and Wales this is a day-one right, and the employer must consult you and give one of eight business reasons if it refuses. The flexible working guide covers the request process and what each sector usually agrees to.

When one sharer leaves

The contract should say what happens if your partner leaves, goes on long-term sick leave or takes maternity leave. Common approaches are:

1. The employer tries to recruit a new partner, usually within a set period.
2. The remaining sharer is offered the chance to increase their hours, sometimes to full-time.
3. If no partner is found, the employer looks for suitable alternative work.

Read this clause before you sign. A job share contract that leaves you exposed if your partner goes is a real risk, and it is easier to negotiate at the start than later.

Problems and how to raise them

Sharers do not always work at the same pace or to the same standards. If there is a clash, try to settle it between you first, then with your line manager. Each sharer has their own appraisal and objectives, though many managers review the share jointly as well. If a disagreement turns into a formal complaint, the normal grievance procedure applies, and you can be accompanied by a colleague or union rep at any formal hearing.