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Best
Practice #10
Job
Share
What
is Job Sharing? Can law firms do it?
Job
sharing is a work arrangement that allows two attorneys to share
a single position. Corporate counsel
and government attorneys are already successfully job sharing,
and law firms have begun to try it out. According to the findings
from the 2005 NALP Workplace Questionnaire, 1.6% of private
law firms surveyed allow job-sharing and another 18.4% allow it
on a case-by-case basis. In total, 127 law firms of 637 offices
surveyed allow job-sharing on an affirmative or case-by-case basis.
In
a job sharing arrangement, two attorneys share the responsibilities
of one full-time position, each earning pro-rated salary and receiving
full or pro-rated benefits. There are two basic job share models:
the twins model and the islands model. Attorneys who use the twins
model essentially share everything - clients, projects, and responsibilities
- but work on different days of the week. This model requires
a high level of communication between the attorneys, but provides
the benefits of consistent client coverage, two heads thinking
about a legal matter for the price of one, and coverage during
vacation and other leave.
In
contrast, the islands model requires little reliance on the job
sharing partner, as both attorneys handle their own separate caseloads,
in essentially two separate jobs. The islands model provides flexibility
within a law department to cover different types of practice areas
that may not justify a full-time attorney, and also can be structured
to assure coverage during vacation.
Which
model is used will depend largely on the type of practice and
the specific client needs. Some clients may prefer to rely on
one attorney only, even if that means not being able to interact
with that attorney every day of the week. Other clients may prefer
to work with two attorneys, knowing one of them is always available
at the office.
Attorneys
who job share report a high level of satisfaction. Unlike part-time
attorneys, they are not bothered at home when a problem arises
on their day off. The collaborative aspects of job sharing are
also often appealing.
Job
sharing is one reduced schedule solution that may be particularly
effective in smaller law firms. Like many law departments, small
law firms often have limited financial resources and workload
pressures that limit the availability of part-time options. In
these smaller, more intimate environments where a high level of
communication among attorneys probably exists naturally, job sharing
can provide a viable and cost-effective solution to the attorneys'
needs for balance without compromising the workload needs and
finances of the firm.
According
to Linda Marks Director of Training and Consulting for the Center
for WorkLife Law and co-author with Karyn Feiden of Negotiating
time: New Scheduling Options in the Legal Profession, successful
job sharing requires both a team that can work well together and
a supportive employer. She emphasizes the essential three C's
of a job sharing partner: compatibility, communication and cooperation.
Marks also suggests that potential job sharers develop a written
proposal so both attorneys can clarify their ideas about how the
job will be shared and can present a clear and strong proposal
to firm management.
There
are few costs associated with job sharing, mainly benefits if
both job share partners have full benefits and malpractice insurance.
The benefits and savings attributable to job sharing can far outweigh
the costs, however. Job sharing can greatly reduce the high costs
of attrition, and that alone recoups any cost. In addition, reduced
absenteeism and increased efficiency result when job sharers do
not use their work time to attend to their personal affairs. In
Negotiating Time, Marks provides a chart and full discussion
of the cost analysis of job shared positions.
Can
law firms do it? Absolutely.
Check out the real-world example of job sharing below. Do attorneys
at your firm job share? Would attorneys at your firm like to?
Let us know your experiences, thoughts, and questions by sending
an email.
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