Job sharing solves staffing problems
By Bob Levoy

Chiropractic offices have a number of positions both clinical and clerical which lend themselves to job sharing, in which two employees split the responsibilities of a single position.

The key to this option is good communication between the two employees who become responsible for the total duties required, working out between themselves such details as coverage, vacation, and sickness arrangements.

Human resources managers agree that retaining skilled employees may be the major benefit of job sharing to employers. “But job sharers are also more loyal,” says Carol Sladek, a work/life consultant for Hewitt Associates in Lincolnshire, Illinois. “People are very grateful for this kind of flexibility and are willing to go the extra mile,” she says. (Hirschman C., “Share and Share Alike,” HR Magazine, September, 2005, 52-57).

Such loyalty can also translate into better coverage and productivity than one full-time employee can provide. When a job-sharer is out sick or on vacation, the other partner may be able to step in. And job sharers typically schedule medical appointments and other personal business on their own time.

The most preferred arrangement is a consecutive week of work, starting on Wednesday and continuing until the following Tuesday. That way, each person is at work every week, gets a nice break on weekends, and there isn’t the two-day lull with one person dropping everything on Friday, and the other having to pick everything up on Monday. It also breaks up the holiday schedule and means that one person doesn’t get all the Fridays off.

There are however, other ways to split a job. Some job sharers work three days each week with an overlap on Wednesday.

Others split right down the middle, overlapping during their Wednesday lunch hour to fill each other in on what’s been done and what’s still pending.

Yet another variation — even though it’s seldom used — has one person work mornings and the other afternoons. This schedule can have problems when one or both individuals have long commuting distances.

Regardless of how the job is split, most job sharers suggest some time of overlap, whether it be an hour or a day, to facilitate continuity.

From the success files: Job sharing is one way to create more flexibility, says Carol Gilchrist, an office manager in Chelmsford, Mass. “One of the things we recently did to fill a position with less than desirable hours (2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon) was to find two mothers of patients in our practice who together agreed to fill those spots. They work out their schedules and let us know who is working which days. This has turned out very well for us and for them.” (Krohn T., “Hiring and Keeping Good Clerical Staff,” Medical Economics, January 11, 2002, 51.)

Reality check: “Job sharers must have the same priorities, the same job standards, and be able to communicate and be committed to communicating,” says Jo Pierce, senior employee-relations manager at Steelcase Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich. “You must have a partner who is compatible. If you don’t have the same urgency to work, job sharing won’t work.” (Verespej M A., “The New Workweek,” Industry Week, November 6, 1999, 11-21.)

Bob Levoy is a seminar speaker and writer who focuses on the healthcare industry. His most recent book is 201 Secrets of a High Performance Dental Practice Elsevier/Mosby (January, 2005). He can be reached by e-mail at b.levoy@att.net.