Job sharing is an idea that has been around a long time. I remember a lot of good ideas about transforming the workplace came up in the early 90s, which I think got cushed under the weight of next wave of Greed Culture. I haven't been up on the trends overall but it seems it never really got going again.
Re: new ways of working..
Yes, the greater economy seems to be in 'put the wagons in a circle' mode, but new ways of working are still very popular in more progressive information technology and scientific workplaces.
Its being done in the US, Europe, India, - in many high tech firms and organizations.. I think they are smart to try to work with skilled people even as those people's life prioroties shift and mature, and not lose them to job burnout. This is the best of both worlds.
They often end up with very loyal, fiercely hard working employees because THEY have been flexible and loyal WITH them.
Now with widespread availability of broadband, VOIP, etc. there is often very few reasons why people can't work at home or wherever. The pros often outweigh the cons..
Using commonly available tools, they can even appear to be in their 'office' wherever they physically are.
Some businesses these days don't even have a physical building, the employees are sometimes scattered all over the globe.. working at home.
That saves a lot of money on gas/transportation, as well as on wardrobe, lunch, etc.
When before, people were rushing to get in their cars so they could beat the rush hour, instead people can work a full day and often even more, and be far less stressed because they don't have to wrestle with the traffic, etc.
The downside is that people often find themselves putting in far more time that way, and so its important to keep the need for balance in mind.. which can mean having the discipline to keep regular hours, dress for 'work', sometimes take time off for lunch, get out a bit, take walks before and after work, eat a regular lunch away from the work, etc. In the long run, you are more productive that way.
Also, Ive always seen that participating in meetings is important to a group's success. Meetings can be virtual, but they should be held regularly and attended.
Nontraditional methods aren't always the best way. In some kinds of work, people do better when they can meet physically and see each others work (or even work on the same project, together, in the same room. Sometimes even on the same computer.)
(NASA) JPL has workgroups where its become obvious that they all need to work in the same room and even share large screens within which they can interact with each others work in realtime.. I've seen papers on how they do this, its really cool!
That is particularly useful, I understand, in hands on situations like planetary missions where things need to be monitored and if things go wrong, fixes need to be decided on and told to happen immediately. They don't have a safety net.
