891 Vice President Margo McKenzie on Job Sharing

Job sharing in the motion picture industry has been happening under the radar for years. As International Women’s Day reminds us of the continued need to push for gender equality, learn why 891 Vice President Margo McKenzie says job sharing is one solution to creating equitable working conditions.

As coordinator of the Paint Department on IATSE 891 signed productions, Margo McKenzie is responsible for managing and scheduling dozens of crew members, while overseeing the budget of all paint-related work on a production.

Her passion for painting has taken her all over the world to work on big productions, including The Hobbit and the Outlander series, but it’s her passion for mentorship that has thrust her into positions of leadership.

With over 20 years of experience working in the motion picture industry, she was elected to serve as the Union’s Vice President from January 2020 to December 2022. As VP of 891, she’s been working to deliver on a key platform promise: offering members ways to find a better work-life balance. 

One way she’s delivering is by offering members opportunities for job sharing.

“I believe that for a society, for our companies, our business, to thrive, it is imperative that we improve the diversity of our workforce. Offering flexible working is one of the keys to going in that direction,” says Margo.

Job sharing involves two people jointly delivering a full-time role, with different job sharing models used across various industries. Benefits can include more flexible work hours, increased mentorship opportunities, protection against burnout, and an ability to retain top talent. 

For Margo it all started two decades ago when she was approached by a very good scenic artist on her crew who was about to resign.

“I was just about to lose a very talented person because she didn't have anybody to take her small son to school before she went to work,” Margo explains. The artist told Margo she couldn’t work five days a week.

“I was in desperate need for somebody with her skills.”

Not wanting to lose her, Margo worked with her to find a suitable partner with a similar skillset interested in sharing the position. It turned out there was a seasoned scenic artist ready for a bit of a slower pace – so the two artists agreed to try a job share, coming to set on different days of the week. 

Finding the right partnership is the key to success in job sharing, and in this case, it worked out so well that Margo decided to try it again.

“I kept adding more job share positions to my crew, and I found that productivity was actually up. People came rested to work,” she says.

“As soon as more people try it, they will see those benefits of having a happier crew.” 

“Happy crews are more productive, healthier people.”

The IATSE 891 Women’s Committee has been looking into ways job sharing is currently being used in the motion picture industry and how it could be expanded to more departments. Margo hopes sharing her experience will help further the conversation on the benefits of job sharing and inspire Department Heads and Department Coordinators to give it a try.

“It’s changed the way I work…”

Part-time work in the motion picture industry is a challenge, but it’s not impossible. 

The Union is bound by a collective agreement with major studios that stipulates a minimum eight-hour workday, with exceptions for four-hour workdays in certain circumstances. The reality is 10-hour, 12-hour, and sometimes longer workdays are common, depending on the demands of a production. 

“Too many people walk away from our industry because of the long hours,” Margo laments. 

As coordinator, Margo bears a lot of responsibility, and some creative freedom, on how to organize the work of the Paint Department on a production. When starting on a new production, she now begins her department meetings with a conversation about job sharing, offering the possibility of four part-time positions.

She’s offered job share positions for breastfeeding mothers, caregivers of elderly parents, and people furthering their education. She’s heard requests from people juggling childcare demands, struggling with mental health, and living with disabilities or recovering from injuries. 

Usually, two people divide up working on different days of the week. Other partnerships involve working alternative weeks or shooting blocks, and in some cases, Margo’s even arranged to have two people overlap for a few hours to allow for mentorship.

“We had some newer and less experienced people working for a few hours overlapping with a very skilled person every day,” says Margo.

“People become good friends and people share and people grow. A diverse group of people suddenly comes together because they have common skills, or they want to share their skills. It's a very positive thing to do.”

In mentorship cases, one person starts at 6 am and work until 2:30 pm, while the second person starts at 10 am and works until 6:30 pm, giving them a chance to overlap for four hours. 

There’s potential for more partnerships like this, she says, as the Union balances bringing in more people with high energy and an eagerness to learn alongside highly skilled members on the verge of retirement in five to ten years and looking to slow down. 

Given the pressures of production and the demands to build quickly, compassion, she says, is too often lacking when it comes to requests for more flexible hours, and people fear not getting called back for work for asking too much. But since seeing the benefits of job sharing firsthand, Margo hasn’t looked back. 

“It’s changed the way I work. People do appreciate it.”

“Work life balance is essential…”

A willing coordinator or manager is needed for job sharing to work in the motion picture industry.

“A lot of people don’t realize that they could be doing it, but it has been happening for years,” says Margo.

The Outlander series that Margo worked on in Scotland utilizes a job share program called Take 2. Margo has worked with a construction coordinator who enabled job sharing for carpenters. She also knows a costume designer who took part in a job share.

Acknowledging concerns about extra logistics or costs, Margo insists any added paperwork involved in trying out a job share is worth it. Overlapping crew may not end up costing much more, depending on how people are paired up, considering one person might be more efficient at certain tasks. 

Job sharing should be expanded in the industry, she says. 

“Life is changing, and I think our Union should have some kind of program for all those people that want to still contribute, but for different reasons, cannot do the full 12-hour days months on end.”

Building a directory or database within the Union that lists people interested and what their specific skills are could be a way for more members to start to experience the benefits of job sharing. She envisions a future where at least 20 per cent of her crew has access to a job share opportunity and describes it as self-preservation.

“Imagine having an exhausted crew on a TV series. Some of those series go ten months, and if you're working every day and you don't see your kids you start being resentful, and so you don't come to work as a happy person,” says Margo. “Work-life balance is essential to doing a good job, to having better, more respectful workplaces.”

“We are a creative field. We could be creative with the way we work as well.”