According to research released by the University of New South Wales professor Rosalind Dixon, changing job models can also enhance women’s opportunities.

They reimagine traditional, horizontal job-sharing arrangements where work passes from one person to another based on a traditional division of working days.

“We need this type of job sharing to unlock leadership potential by allowing for a more flexible division of responsibility and working hours between professionals at different stages of their careers, and which can be used alone or in combination with other, traditional modes,” Professor Dixon said.

The professor believes changing the job models encourages older workers to reduce hours and engage in job sharing, enhancing career prospects of juniors while improving work/life balance for the senior executive.

The report finds non-traditional job sharing can set men and women on the pathway to career advancement without sacrifice to family responsibilities, as well as bridging the gap between the increasingly pronounced problems of underemployment and overemployment.

The study highlighted not only job sharing but the importance of flexible work to encourage quality staff to remain in a role.

Professor Dixon said the growing demand for flexibility and reduced hours also corresponds with evidence of a “work hours mismatch” between the work-hour preferences of many employees and the hours they actually work, and the success of job sharing is constrained by the scarcity of eligible participants — or the number of people seeking to work flexibly with similar skills and experience — and compatible schedules or flexibility demands.

“The need to retain valuable employees, especially those with non-work responsibilities such as caring for families, has compelled employers to introduce workplace arrangements that can accommodate different needs and attract skilled employees, and these models help overcome these challenges,” Professor Dixon said.

However, the UNSW modelling comes at a cost to businesses, with the results showing a 20 per cent increase in costs during the trial.

“This additional cost can be justified by looking to the way that access to flexible working opportunities can reduce the costs of lost productivity and overwork, low retention rates and high turnover,” she said.

“One important response to this is for employers to invest more heavily in advertising job-sharing opportunities, and ‘matching’ those interested in this kind of flexible work arrangement. The good news is that a number of commercial and government providers are currently rising to meet this demand by establishing online matching and job hunting services for interested participants.”

Three models UNSW advocates

Intergenerational sharing

Sharing between employees at different stages of their career to form a partnership between a senior and mid-career professional. This enables the senior partner to reduce their workload and for the junior partner to develop their skills and experience.

Flexible time-based sharing

Allocation of working hours in the job-sharing arrangement according to the circumstances of the partnership, not based on a traditional division of working days, with the hours ranging from 20 to 80 per cent to 50-50 per cent split. This provides both partners with more flexibility than a fixed calendar-based model.

Vertical sharing

Division of responsibility for the overall relationship resting with one “senior” job share partner. As opposed to a more traditional “horizontal” model of dividing responsibilities, certain “senior” decision-making is vested in one partner.

About the author

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

About the author

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

Cameron is a journalist for Momentum Media's nestegg and Smart Property Investment. He enjoys giving Aussies practical financial tips and tricks to help grow their wealth and achieve financial independence. As a self-confessed finance nerd, Cameron enjoys chatting with industry experts and commentators to leverage their insights to grow your portfolio.

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