Job Share Employment Contract UK: Key Terms & Rules
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Part ofUK Employment Law Guide for Employers (2025)
Job sharing is one of the most underused flexible working arrangements in the UK, yet it can solve a real problem for employers who need a role covered in full but want to retain two talented people who can only commit part-time. Rather than forcing a choice between a full-time hire and losing skilled staff, a job share lets two employees divide the hours, the output and the responsibility of a single post between them.
Getting the paperwork right matters, because each partner is an employee in their own right, with their own contract, their own statutory rights and their own pay arrangements. This guide walks through how a Job Share Employment Contract works in practice, what it needs to cover, and the points that tend to trip people up when the arrangement is set up or when one partner eventually leaves.
What this document is
A Job Share Employment Contract is the written agreement that sets out the terms on which one employee will perform part of a role that is being shared with another person. Although the job is shared, the contracts are not joint.
Each job share partner signs their own agreement with the employer, and each person's pay, holiday, pension contributions and other benefits are calculated pro rata based on the hours they actually work. The contract typically deals with how the hours are split across the week, how the two partners hand over to each other, what happens during holidays or sickness, and how the arrangement will be managed if one partner resigns.
Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, any employee working under a contract of employment is entitled to a written statement of particulars on or before their first day of work, and a job share contract is the document most employers use to meet that obligation for each partner. A well-drafted agreement protects both the employer, who needs continuity of cover, and the employees, who need certainty about their own terms.
How to use this document
- Agree the working pattern before drafting. Decide how the hours will be split between the two partners. Common patterns include a straight 2.5 days each, a split week with a shared day, or alternating weeks. Think about which arrangement suits the role, the team and the customers or clients who rely on it, because the pattern shapes almost every other clause in the contract.
- Define each partner's pay and benefits on a pro rata basis. Each contract should state the partner's own salary, holiday entitlement, pension contributions and any other benefits, calculated by reference to the hours they work compared with a full-time equivalent. Avoid any wording that suggests the two employees share a single pay packet or a single pot of holiday, as this tends to cause disputes later.
- Set out handover and communication expectations. A job share only works if information passes cleanly between the two partners. The contract should make clear how handovers happen, whether a shared log, a weekly call or a short overlap on the shared day, and what each partner is expected to do to keep the other informed about ongoing work, decisions and deadlines.
- Plan for absence, holidays and resignation. The agreement should explain what cover looks like if one partner is off sick or on holiday, and whether the other partner may be asked to work additional hours and on what terms. It should also set out what happens if one partner leaves, including whether the remaining partner might be offered the full-time role or a new job share.
- Issue two signed contracts and keep the paperwork tidy. Each partner should receive and sign their own contract, and the employer should hold signed copies for both. Any later change to the working pattern, such as a shift in the days worked or a change to handover arrangements, should be recorded in writing and signed by the affected partner so that the written terms stay accurate.
Common questions
Q Is a job share the same as part-time work?
Not quite. A part-time employee simply works fewer hours than a full-time equivalent, often in a role that was designed to be part-time. A job share is a specific arrangement where two people together cover what would otherwise be a single full-time post, with deliberate handovers and shared responsibility for the output. Each job sharer is still legally a part-time employee, but the role itself is structured around the pairing.
Q Do both job share partners need separate contracts?
Yes. Each partner is an individual employee and should have their own written contract setting out their hours, pay, holiday and other terms. A single joint contract is a poor idea because it muddles individual statutory rights and creates practical problems if one partner leaves. Two parallel contracts, referring to the shared arrangement but standing on their own, is the cleaner approach.
Q How is holiday calculated for a job share?
Holiday entitlement is worked out pro rata, based on the hours each partner works compared with a full-time colleague. Statutory minimum holiday in the UK is 5.6 weeks a year for a full-time worker, so someone working half the hours would accrue half that entitlement. Each partner books and takes their own holiday, and the contract should explain how requests are handled when both partners want the same period off.
Q What happens if one job share partner resigns?
This is the question that catches most employers out. The contract should address it directly. Options include offering the remaining partner the role on a full-time basis, recruiting a replacement job sharer, or converting the role back into a single full-time post. The remaining partner does not automatically become full-time, and any change to their hours would need their agreement.
Q Can an employer refuse a request to move to a job share?
An employee can make a statutory flexible working request, and a job share is one form that request might take. Employers must consider requests in a reasonable manner and can only refuse on specific business grounds set out in the legislation, such as the burden of additional costs or an inability to reorganise work. The rules on flexible working have changed in recent years, so check gov.uk for the current position.
Q Are job share partners jointly responsible for the whole role?
They share responsibility for the output of the role, but each is individually accountable for the work they personally do during their own hours. The contract should avoid making one partner legally liable for the other's mistakes. A good agreement sets out shared expectations about handover and communication while keeping individual performance and conduct as matters for each partner separately.
Q Does a job share affect pension and other benefits?
Benefits that scale with hours or salary, such as pension contributions, sick pay above the statutory minimum and bonuses, are normally provided on a pro rata basis. Benefits that do not naturally scale, such as private medical insurance or a company phone, are usually offered to each partner in full or according to the employer's policy. The contract should spell out which benefits apply and how they are calculated.
Sources
This guide is based on primary UK law and official guidance.
- LegislationEmployment Rights Act 1996legislation.gov.uk
- Guidance · UK GovGov.uk: Job sharing and flexible workinggov.uk
- Guidance · UK GovGov.uk: Employment contractsgov.uk
- Official SourceAcas: Flexible workingacas.org.uk
Legal disclaimer
This article is for general information only. It is a tool to help you find your way — not legal advice, and not a substitute for speaking to a qualified adviser about your situation.