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.
