Equity Stage Management Committee takes action for job sharing

The session brought together members from across the union, including representatives from the Women's Committee, Deaf and Disabled Members Committee, Stage Actors' Committee and local Equity branches. Participants contributed a wide range of ideas and perspectives, reflecting the growing interest in flexible working across different sectors of the industry. 

Anna-Maria Casson, co-founder of the Job Share Working Party and member of Equity Stage Management Committee, said: 

“I started job sharing when I returned to work after having children and it has transformed my life. It has allowed me to continue working in producing theatre in a meaningful way and accommodate my responsibilities at home with my family. It allows me to work sustainably on a manageable schedule rather than working in intense bursts and then having to take time off to catch up. I want other people to benefit from this: I hear so many people saying that they struggle with the long hours and inflexible working patterns. 

“In the past there has been an unwritten rule in theatre: you have to be able to commit your whole life and energy to a project to allow you to participate and be creative (and to be honest this still exists in many places). This excludes so many people. Many people feel like they have to leave the theatre industry to accommodate their other needs: people with caring responsibilities, people with health needs, people who are just looking for better work/life balance. We have lost so many experienced and talented people. That is why we have formed the Job Share Working Party: to work together to identify barriers, find practical solutions and help ensure more people can build long, sustainable careers in our industry.” 

Hannah Plant, Equity’s West End Official, said: “'Better flexible working provisions in theatre, including more job shares, were a clear priority identified in our workforce survey conducted in advance of negotiations last summer, and these responses have since fed into our claims and negotiations.  

“It's high time for theatre to become more accessible and flexible in the way in which our members are empowered to work., and tThe Job Share Working Party is an excellent initiative to pool our union's collective resource and strength in advocating for this much-needed change” 

The Working Party was established following a motion submitted to Equity’s Council by the Stage Management Committee at the end of its previous term, urging. It urged action to support those working in job share arrangements and remove barriers preventing more people from accessing flexible working opportunities. Recognising the benefits that job sharing can offer, the motion proposed a programme of work to explore how opportunities could be expanded and how members working in job share arrangements could be supported for the long term.