Article 23
Job Sharing

In today's labor market, Local 12 and Management recognize that more flexible work schedules are necessary to attract and maintain a quality work force.

Job sharing is a way to permit employees to work part-time in positions where full-time coverage is required.

Section 1. Definition

Job sharing is a form of part-time employment in which the tours of duty of two (2) or more employees are arranged in such a way as to cover a single full-time position.

Section 2. Status

Although they share the duties of a full-time position, job sharers are considered to be individual part-time employees for purposes of appointment, tour of duty, pay, classification, leave, holidays, benefits, position change, service credit, recordkeeping, reduction in force, adverse actions, grievances, and personnel ceilings.

Section 3. Tour of Duty

Specific work schedules depend on the nature of the job and the needs of the office and the job-sharing team. Almost any reasonable arrangement is possible if it meets the needs of the supervisor and the job sharers. Scheduling should take advantage of the fact that two (2) people rather than one (1) are filling the job; these possibilities include overlapping time, split shifts, or working in different locations at the same time. Work schedules for job sharers can be from sixteen (16) to thirty-two (32) hours per week and can be varied in the same way as other part-time employees. The amount of scheduled overlap time depends on the needs of the particular position.

Section 4. Other

The annual survey described in Article 22, Section 1 will be expanded to determine interest in job-sharing opportunities.

A proposal can come from a full-time employee who wants to reduce work hours, from a team of job sharers, or from a supervisor who wants to consider filling a vacancy with job sharers. When an employee's request for part-time cannot be accommodated because of the need for full-time coverage, job sharing may well be an option. Any job-sharing arrangement is subject to Management approval based on workload and mission requirements.