How-To: The job-sharing StarterKit for tandems and HR

When deciding on job sharing, questions often crop up in the beginning. This “StarterKit” is available to help the tandems and HR department with a smooth start.

The most important tandem information

How many hours do you actually work in the tandem? Is someone there every day? Are there two e-mail addresses or only one? And business cards? How do we reach agreements? How do we organize our appointments?

We have already written many articles about the perfect start to the everyday tandem experience and the organization of the job share.

Here you can download the tandem checklist “Job sharing made easy,” which has the most important questions, tips and tricks.

The most important HR facts

Additionally, some questions may arise on the HR side:

Which details must be discussed before starting work? What must be considered in a contract of employment? And what happens when a tandem partner gets sick or leaves the company?

• Job sharing does not mean that a complicated employment contract has to be created. As a rule, two part-time contracts are set up.
• Although it may appear so to some, job sharing is not new. The working model has been anchored in §13 of the TzBfG since the 1980s (see law on job sharing).
• Job sharing is more than 50/50; there are individual models and divisions (70/30, 60/60 …).
• The working hours and the work plan are determined by the job sharers themselves.
• If the tandem bears management responsibility, this is explicitly discussed and defined. Individual and shared responsibilities are defined.
• Target agreements can be made both jointly and individually. Distinguish between the common core task of the tandem and the individual tasks of the job sharers.
• The tandem can also be evaluated according to the agreed-upon assignment of tasks. Anything additional can be agreed on and split proportionally to the workload and seniority level.
• Holiday entitlement, holiday allowance, and holiday pay are based on the regulations for part-time employees.
• Continued pay in case of sickness or vacation depends on the agreed-upon work plan and your company standards.
• There is no automatic compulsory representation for tandems. However, it can be contractually agreed upon.
• If a tandem partner leaves, there is another tandem partner who can take over the tasks temporarily, in contrast to a classic full-time position. In this case, a new tandem partner may be hired, or a change notice may be made (e.g., a conversion to full-time employment).
• Job sharing does not cost more! On the contrary, companies save when they place positions in a job share (if you’d like a precise calculation, please contact us!).
• If there is a headcount rule in the company, a small policy change may be a helpful and pragmatic adjustment (if you have specific questions, feel free to contact us).

The HR checklist, “Job sharing made easy,” with the most important questions, tips and tricks, can be downloaded here.