Sharp is the mother of three children, 9, 6 and 3. Eza is the mother of a 2-year-old.
Sharp and Eza have known each other for over nine years, working for the same company, serving on some of the same boards together, and assisting in fundraising efforts for non-profit organizations as a team, so they decided to partner up and approach the New Britain YWCA with a unique idea that would allow them flexibility and more time with the family.
"We both have families, and we didn't want to work full-time," Sharp said. "We both wanted more time for our families. So when we heard about the director opportunity, we decided to package ourselves as a team. Initially the response was mixed; the board accepted our proposal - which speaks a lot for the board.
"And, I think being a woman's organization may also have been a factor in their decision."
A study by the Center for Work-Life Policy conducted in 2001 said that professional women have a much more difficult time balancing work and family.
The study also found that large numbers of highly qualified mothers opt out of the labor market completely, resulting in women having to choose between family and career.
According to the center, workplace policies make the difference.
And, Carol Evans, CEO and president of Working Mother Magazine, believes that jobshares are beginning to come back, benefiting the employer as well as the employee.
"This is a very interesting idea that's coming back now," Evans said. "The benefit to the employer is that they can get two brains dedicated to making the job work. You get two levels of expertise and, because there is overlap, the employer gets more work from them.
"The benefit for the employee is flexibility. To be able to work half of a week part-time is something many working mothers dream of, especially in what could be a significantly high level position, like in the case of the co-directors at the Y."
Evans says a successful jobshare is one in which partners need to be able to connect, intellectually and emotionally. She says the biggest pitfall to this type of position is that, because you are seen as one, you may not get promoted, or one person may quit, leaving the bulk of the weight on the other, or one person may not pull his weight.
This is an area that Sharp and Eza feel they are conquering as they continue to work together.
"We each bring something different to the job," Eza said. "Robin has a background in capital issues, and construction, whereas mine is in finance. So we are able to rely on each other. We talk daily. I think sharing the job like this has improved our quality of life as well."
Both Sharp and Eza say that the biggest benefit for both of them is that they get to spend more time at home with the children and see themselves as role models for their children.
"Balance is a challenge," Eza said. "But I figure out what I can do, and what I can't do. It's just important to find time for yourself."
Sharp says, "Your kids are only young once; you have a lot of years to work. So it's important to spend time with them."
For Lisa Carver, chief of staff for Mayor Timothy Stewart, sacrificing money for family was an easy decision.
Lisa Carver, chief of staff for Mayor Timothy Stewart, sacrificed moving up the corporate ladder to stay home with her son during his infancy.
"When I was working at a company in Hartford, you had to put in tons of overtime to move up the ladder, and I couldn't do it," Carver said. "I gave to my family instead. At the end of the day, you look at the choices you've made, and no one says, I wish I would've spent more time at work."
After the birth of her second child, Carver and her husband decided that she would continue to work, and he would stay home with the children.
"It was rough going back to work full-time. When it's an 8-week-old baby, it's pretty emotional. And there's always guilt involved," Carver said. "But I think the biggest plus is having a boss who understands about home, and when you need to get things done. I also have a job where I feel like I make a difference. If I had the choice, I'd spend more time with my kids. My kids are great."
Evans says that although many mothers feel like they miss the little moments, going back to work after children can help mothers lead a truly engaged life.
In her book, This Is How We Do It, The Working Mothers Manifesto, Evans addresses the creativity that working mothers have used to move forward in the workplace while maintaining balance in their home lives.
"This book is a support system for working mothers. To say, 'Hey you can bash us in the press all you want - But look at us...We're doing it'," Evans said.
"It includes the 100 best companies for working mothers. We used original research asking working mothers what they want. It includes 26 years of reader's stories, as well as personal stories from my own experiences.
"This book is here to provide balance for the working mother. And I want people to know that we have a new idea and example of mother now."
Franchone Fraser-Ben Reuben Bey can be reached at ffraser@newbritainherald.com or by calling (860) 225-4601, Ext. 306.