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Teachers and Job Sharing

Teachers and Job Sharing

Job sharing provides an opportunity where two or more employees share the responsibilities for one full-time role between them and be paid on a pro-rata basis for the portion (responsibilities and days worked) of the full-time job they are sharing.

Offering a job share can result in excellent outcomes for the employer as well as the workers who are job sharing. Job sharing is not meshing two part-time roles together but a split of one role between two people.

It can be a useful recruitment and retention tool that may attract a wider pool of suitable applicants by demonstrating a commitment to work/life balance and supporting flexible working arrangements.

What are some important considerations when using job shares?

Schools and kura offering job share opportunities must clearly define the role and associated responsibilities. Despite any prior or current working relationship the job sharers have had, ensuring clarity on the expectations of the role and how it and associated responsibilities will be divided is an absolute must. Employment Agreement concerns, including entitlements, must be clear from the outset.

When a job-sharing arrangement is in place, it is important to hold regular consultation sessions and assess the arrangement with the job sharers themselves, their direct reporting managers, and colleagues. Ultimately, this will ensure that the school’s objectives are met and that the educational achievement of akōnga is not compromised in any way.

What is the difference between job sharing and a flexible working arrangement?

Job sharing differs from a flexible working arrangement, which has its own legal framework, timeframes, and documentation requirements.

If the teachers holding the job share wish to cover sick leave/other leave for each other, they must know this is outside of the job share arrangement and paid as a day-to-day reliever rate.

Where are the provisions about job-shares in the teaching collective agreements?

If a school is considering a job-sharing arrangement, it is a critical part of the process to ensure the provisions from the Collective Agreement are discussed openly and made clear with the potential job-sharers, such as:

  • What happens when one of the job holders resigns?

  • What happens to the other role holder, and what options do they and the school have?

This is covered in:

What are the advertising requirements for a job-share?

There are two pathways that a job-sharing arrangement can take place under the Primary Teachers’ Collective Agreement:

  • On the joint application of two holders of positions who are both permanently appointed in the school, the employer may appoint the two applicants to a shared position without advertising a vacancy.

  • Any two teachers may jointly apply for appointment to an advertised position and be assessed as one applicant. On appointment the position would be a shared position.

Questions a principal could ask

  • Does our employment policy cover job share requests?

  • What is our process for considering job-sharing applications?

  • When could we consider using job sharing as an option in recruitment and advertising?

  • What are the factors we need to consider when making decisions?

  • Do applicants understand what happens should one of them resign/retire from the job share role?

  • Do the applicants understand the salary implications?

  • Is the division of tasks, duties, and responsibilities fair?

  • Are the expectations clearly understood of how the job share owners will collegially communicate with each other? For example, will they both be across the evaluation and reporting of student achievement?

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Collective Agreements