PRESENTER: People have the expression "two heads are better than one" and nowhere is that more appropriate than in the unique employment situation known as job sharing. Today on The World at Work, I'm talking to Ken Grant, a recruitment adviser for job sharers, and Flora Griffiths, Personnel Director with a major telecommunications company that implemented a job share scheme two years ago. Ken, first of all, tell us how employees can benefit from job sharing. KEN: Weil, not surprisingly, most of the individuals in job sharing positions are women; that's because, for employees who find it difficult to juggle family and work obligations, job sharing is an excellent solution. It allows them to continue to hold more responsible positions than are usually available to part-time workers, and to postpone personal responsibilities, such as doctor's appointments and so on, to the days they're not working. As a result, on the days when they do work, they are more likely to stay thoroughly focused on their professional responsibilities. FLORA: It's for this last reason that job sharing is also of benefit to employers. We recognised that we would have happier and more productive employees, more likely to stay in the job, and who might possibly return to a full-time position when their family responsibilities eased. KEN: Unfortunately, employees wishing to job-share are reluctant to broach the subject with their employers for fear of being perceived as not taking their job seriously. I say 'unfortunately', because the benefits to the employers are manifold. For a start, they get two sets of ideas and two sets of skills brought to a single job. They get two productive employees who are rarely absent, because they can juggle sick days and holidays with their partner, ensuring that the position is always covered. What's more, if you hire someone to share a position with an experienced employee, that employee can train the newcomer on the job, too. FLORA: Of course, there's more to it than that. In order for employers to benefit, they have to ensure that job-sharing partners are able to handle the position just as efficiently, or even more so, than when the position was filled by one person only. And once on the job, the transition between both partners has to be transparent to them and their colleagues. KEN: It's also imperative that partners get along and have similar working practices. I would never place an applicant with someone whose methods and attitudes are conflicting. Job sharing is almost like being married. You have to be able to compromise. FLORA: There has to be excellent communication between partners for the arrangement to work. That and flexibility are the key components to successful job sharing. PRESENTER: Well, we've talked at length about the advantages of job sharing for both parties. Now let's redress the balance by listing some of its disadvantages. FLORA: Well, as I've already mentioned, if there isn't good communication between partners, job sharing can easily degenerate into chaos. And, as in other relationships, there's often one partner who doesn't pull his weight, so unpopular jobs can get left to the other person's shift, creating resentment. Employers don't necessarily benefit financially, either. In some cases, depending on the position, employers may need to pay more than the equivalent of a full-time salary. KEN: Yes, but in most cases salaries are paid pro rata, as are holiday and sick pay, or on a part-time basis Pension and National Insurance Contributions are made according to the number of hours worked. Some health insurance policies cause problems, though, as some require employees to work a minimum of twenty-five hours a week to be eligible for cover. PRESENTER: Well, we'll have to leave it there. You've both put a pretty good case for job sharing, an option I'm sure is going to be taken up by more people in the future.