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What are the benefits
of job sharing?

Explore the many benefits of job sharing for individuals, teams and for the Civil Service as a whole.

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  • an improved work/life balance, helping you to manage caring responsibilities, health and wellbeing needs, and activities outside of work
  • a way to progress your career aspirations without needing to work full time
  • A way to stay in a role you love, even if your circumstances outside of work change
  • access to a wide range of roles, not just those that are part-time
  • Many opportunities to develop complementary knowledge and skills with a job share partner
  • the benefit of a partner to share ideas with and work creatively.
  • Increased colleague engagement
  • enhanced team creativity
  • maintained business continuity
  • Increased talented staff retention
  • a greater place to work for all.

Job sharing:

helping to promote equality for women

Job sharing can be an excellent choice for parents. It can help women especially stay in their desired role or field, whilst managing challenging factors such as caring responsibilities and menopause. The Civil Service, in its goal to becoming the most inclusive UK employer, recognises these challenges to gender equality in the workplace.

“We both have young children and found part-time working very challenging. Job sharing has allowed us to take on stretching, difficult roles that would have been very difficult to do part-time. Having someone at work on the days you are not there gives you a proper work-life balance and the opportunity to do a high profile job at the same time. Job sharing has brought other benefits too: no one will ever be as interested in hearing you talk about your job as it is theirs too! We coach, challenge and support each other.”

Read Sarah and Tessa’s full story

Sarah Maclean and Tessa Griffiths

Job sharers Ian Shepherd and Jenny Ashby

“I job share because it makes me happier and better at my job. I think it is really key that flexible working is there for people who have caring responsibilities, but I also think it’s important that it’s something everyone can benefit from. I use my extra time to learn new things (I’m doing a Psychology course at the moment), do some voluntary work (some tutoring/mentoring for a charity), look after my nieces and nephews, do some new hobbies, and some of the time I just relax and watch television!”

Read more about Ian and Jenny’s partnership

Ian Shepherd and Jenny Ashby

Department for International Trade Job share partners

See all Civil Service job vacancies