On 19 May, a new online job-share notice board, hosted on the Civil Service website, was launched at an event in HM Treasury. The launch was attended by Permanent Secretaries and current and future job-sharers, ranging from one half of one of the longest job-share partnerships in the Civil Service to a brand-new job-share partnership about to set out on their first post.
The job-share board grew from an idea successfully pitched to Lions’ Lair by HM Treasury civil servant Jonathan Lepper. As Lepper said at Lions’ Lair: ’If you can find the love of your life on the internet, why not the job-share of your life?.’
Lepper worked closely with the Cabinet Office to bring his idea to life. The new job-share board helps civil servants look for a potential job-share partner – whatever their grade, geographical location or department/agency. It is also a valuable source of advice and guidance on job-sharing for individuals and line managers.
Lepper opened the event by describing how he’d originally come up with the idea when he realised that one of the main barriers to job-sharing was finding the right job-share partner - particularly for people who work in a small department. He also showed the film of his pitch to the Lion’s Lair.
Then, Sir Gus O’Donnell spoke about the importance of the board, Dame Helen Ghosh, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, described what it was like to be a part of the Lion’s Lair that supported Jonathan’s idea, and Nick Macpherson from the Treasury, stressing how job-sharing supported its objectives.
In closing the event, Sue Owen, Director General of Welfare and Well-being at the Department for Work and Pensions highlighted the business case for flexible working, where the organisation gets to benefit from two brains doing one job.
Maggy Piggot, Chief Executive of the Judicial Studies Board, who is celebrating 21 years of successful job-sharing, also spoke passionately and amusingly about her experiences of job-sharing and the benefits it has brought. She said: ‘My career has demonstrated a win-win situation, both for job-sharers and the organisation.’
Her advice for successful job-sharing was:
having the right culture and visible support
good team working
having a similar outlook and leadership style
co-coaching
communication and commitment
flexibility
Speaking at the event, Gus O’Donnell said:
‘I am very pleased to be here today to celebrate the launch of a new initiative that will help people to work more flexibly and improve the diversity of the Civil Service. It is important that we continue to nurture ideas that grow from the grass roots, which is why I’m particularly glad to see an idea that was championed by the Lion’s Lair at Civil Service Live last year become a reality.
‘This board will fill a vital role in opening up more job opportunities for those people – men and women – who want to work flexibly.’
If you are thinking about job-sharing, or just want to find out more, see:
the job-share notice board
If you want to hear about Jonathan Lepper’s experiences, then why not look for him at this year’s Civil Service Live, when he will be available on the Lions’ Lair stand.
