That's what they did three years ago, submitting a proposal to share the demanding full-time job of associate director of the MBA program at UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School in Chapel Hill.

It paid off. The school approved the arrangement, and since then, they have more family time and are still able to nurture their careers.

"We talk about our job share with our students," said Gosk, who, with Millar, is lobbying the state to expand benefits for part-time workers. "We are educating future business leaders."

Job-sharing is not as common as other flexibility choices, such as part-time work, working from home or compressed weeks. However, some employers are seeing the benefit of offering options that help employees fit work more comfortably into their lives.

That's because flexible work schedules are in demand and relatively inexpensive to offer, said Maryanne Perrin, a partner in Balancing Professionals, a Cary company that places workers in part-time positions.

Hiring part timers can save companies money, because health and retirement benefits are typically offered only to full-time employees.

Perrin's firm helped conduct a survey for Carolina Parent in conjunction with the magazine's annual list of 40 family-friendly companies in the state, released in September.

Of 1,016 people surveyed, 93.5 percent said the option of a flexible schedule is a "must have" for a family-friendly workplace. Many ranked the importance of flexibility above child-care programs and 401(k) retirement savings plans.

"Glaringly, at the top of the list was flexibility," Perrin said. "Some of those higher-cost benefits, like on-site day care, ended up coming in lower."

Typically, small- to medium-size businesses are more willing to embrace alternative work schedules, Perrin said. They typically have fewer layers of management, and flex time can be a painless way to build loyalty and job satisfaction.

'Keeps people here'

Most of the 300 employees at Chapel Hill contract research firm Rho Inc. can set their own work schedules, said Asila Calhoun, director of human resources.

"People are happier to have that flexibility, and it's one of the factors that keeps people here instead of going to competitors," she said. "It eliminates a lot of stress."

That's how the management of SciQuest sees it. Though the Cary company offers health benefits, disability coverage and perks such as tuition and health-club reimbursement, it relies on flexibility to help keep its 132 employees smiling.

SciQuest, which handles purchasing for universities and life-science companies, offers telecommuting and part-time and flex-time schedules based on the demands of each position and needs of the employee .

Big companies can solve problems by spending money on amenities such as on-site child care, said Steve Wiehe, SciQuest's president and chief executive officer. That's not reasonable for many small companies.

"I can't afford that," Wiehe said. "We solve the problem of employee satisfaction with our strengths: by being flexible."

SciQuest holds quarterly family-friendly parties, and Wiehe periodically invites the staff to his house for pizza and playtime, making his collection of vintage pinball machines available.

"It's a philosophy of respect," he said, that measures results, instead of time spent behind a desk.

Renny Johnson can vouch for that. The SciQuest project manager began working from home early this year when his wife, Karen, was battling terminal cancer. During his wife's final months, SciQuest paid Johnson's salary and offered benefits while he cared for her full time. His colleagues stepped in to handle his clients.

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