@randall1967 So it’s very lazy to say oh we don’t want everyone going PT. So, don’t approve it for everyone? Be a real manager and be ok with saying yes to top performers and no to others. Or make it something where you can only be PT for 1-2 years and then transition back to FT.
And yes your manager messed this up. Don’t suggest something unless you are darn sure it is going to be approved!!
@christianmentor1 No matter how great you perform or how loyal, business needs will always come first. That’s why people should always do what’s best for them!
@randall1967 This is a poorly managed company. I honestly don't think 'most' people would go to part-time if offered, assuming pay is also adjusted accordingly? I had a reduced schedule at my previous job (80%, so still eligible for full benefits), and dealt with griping from a few people - but it was always the ones who absolutely would NEVER take a 20% pay cut to work less. Personally, I think it's a good policy to offer to all, I just don't think the company is thinking this through. IME I probably got 80-90% of the same work done, but on 80% pay. I was happy, though, my boss was happy, etc. I left for unrelated reasons. Even if more people took the offer, that opens the budget to hire an additional team member or two. Happy employees generally tend to put in better effort and stay longer. Hiring new employees / onboarding / training is EXPENSIVE. It boggles my mind that more companies don't realize this.
@kasie My thoughts exactly. And there’s no guarantee that the new hires will perform as well after letting the proven top performers go over a change in schedule.
@randall1967 And who knows, maybe your part-time will be just 'as good' as someone else's full-time when you look at output? If you're a top performer, I'd imagine that's highly likely, actually. I'm plenty busy at work, but if they offered a reduced schedule in my current role I can GUARANTEE you I could get the same exact amount of work done, there would just be potentially a delay in response for those business hours I'm not working. Worth the trade off every time imo, but unfortunately I'm only a middle manager so I don't get to make these policies.
@randall1967 Yes, my job is like this as well. If someone gets it they have to offer it to everyone. They take it a step further, you have to share your part time with another person who will go in with you, so two people part time splitting one full time position. This doesn't actually happen though, they say they offer it but very rarely is it approved.
@cooldude12344 Lol right. Don’t suggest something if you aren’t going to contribute. And she’s a mother. This is why I think women/mothers are not always the best to advocate for the needs of women/mothers in the workplace.
@randall1967 I know this wasn’t the point of your post, but how / where do you plan to look for part time positions? At least within my industry, I can’t find any that are advertised!
When I left, they did offer me part time after I’d already become so burnt out from having a part time request denied. I also asked for more unpaid leave.
@wisper The industry I’m in always has part time positions available and some are extremely flexible meaning you can work any time on any day just as long as you get your work done. These are remote positions mind you
@wisper There’s also a lot of seasonal/contract positions if you only want to work a few months here and there however you have to pay for your own healthcare and other benefits you’ll get working FT. You’d be surprised how many people choose this style of work simply for the flexibility and time freedom.
@randall1967 We have a union where I work and it’s similar. Every open shift that becomes open or is created has to go through open bidding. The shift is then given to whoever has the highest seniority that wants it. It can suck but it’s brutally fair.
@randall1967 At a director level, I can share we have similar policies in place about department/division employment.
Essentially if one teammate is offered something deemed “different” and not part of a “protected” arrangement, it needs to be available to all teammates in similar job families.
Example: my teams wanted a 9x80 schedule (every other Friday off) so all my senior and frontline managers came together to present it to me with a united front and I approved it. It’s the same for wfh/hybrid options. Everyone in my division is given the same options. It would be really challenging for me to see the business case in allowing everyone in a department or division the option for part time.
I have approved new parents coming back to work part time however. This is usually a temporary arrangement to help bridge gaps in childcare or under FMLA protected situations and all new parents would be (and have been) offered support in similar ways. Could you propose some sort of program like this? It might be more palatable to your department head if they know there is a date in which you’d return full time.
@randall1967 I feel that. If I had to bet, the game they are playing is to have some way to distinguish why you should be offered part time (without otherwise being able to provide a reasonable accommodation request). That way, if a team member were to ask, they would be able to say she literally quit and this was part of a renegotiated deal package to keep her onboard.
They were also testing the waters to see whether you were bluffing or not. The faster you can follow up with resignation, the faster they would offer you PT. The slower you are the more likely they are to be searching for your replacement. So the clock is ticking anyway.
