Transition from Full-time to Part-time Denied?!

[randall1967]

In short, my manager suggested that I transition to part time instead of resigning to find a PT job after I spoke with her about needing more time in my day to take care of my baby. So, we had a conversation yesterday and she told me that the department VP said it was company policy to offer a PT schedule to everyone else on the team and if she did that she knows certain people will definitely go for it and that would disrupt business needs. She then said the VP suggested I get a nanny because that’s what another team member did. So, in other words, no we won’t approve you for PT.

Has anyone else heard of management having a policy like this regarding transitioning to PT?

SN: The company offers PT schedules with and w/o benefits.

 

[moustafa]

@randall1967 It was inappropriate of her to say you should get a nanny, but it’s very common for a company to deny moving to part time. They want a full time employee, not a part time one. This isn’t unreasonable

 

[randall1967]

@moustafa I didn’t suggest going PT my manager did

 

[moustafa]

@randall1967 Sounds like your manager suggested this without getting necessary approvals. They made an error suggesting it

 

[randall1967]

@moustafa And the issue was not me working PT but rather having to offer PT to the other team members and she didn’t want to do that

 

[moustafa]

@randall1967 Sounds like she wants to be fair to people, but regardless it sounds like tHe company doesn’t want anyone to be part time

 

[randall1967]

@moustafa The company does offer PT schedules with and without benefits but I think it’s up to management to approve

 

[randall1967]

@moustafa Yeah she clearly spoke out of turn

 

[paparazi257]

@randall1967 Sounds like your manager messed up by even mentioning PT before actually checking if it was going to be doable. But yes, it's very common for companies to deny PT. I know that will never be an option in my current role.

And the VP has a point that if they offer it to you, other people may want it and if that disrupts the business, it makes sense to deny it completely.

 

[randall1967]

@paparazi257 I think she was trying to avoid me resigning as she said she didn’t want to lose me

 

[paparazi257]

@randall1967 Which is flattering but she should have definitely checked if it was actually possible before saying a word to you about it. So now your choices at this company seem to be stay FT or leave.

 

[amezyarak]

@paparazi257 I get what you are saying but OPs options were stay FT or leave before PT was ever mentioned. Other than wasting the time it took to have the request denied, nothing really changed.

 

[randall1967]

@paparazi257 Basically. The company offers PT schedules so it’s the department head saying no

 

[sherlockpwns]

@randall1967 Can you move to another team Pt?

 

[randall1967]

@sherlockpwns Not with my particular skills and credentials

 

[gbhar]

@paparazi257 I think that last sentence is bull. If you treat your employees like people, then people have different needs. One of my coworkers is dealing with a medical diagnosis and went to part time-no one complained. If OPs coworkers want PT, they can ask just like she did. I think having a policy that requires offering it to all is dumb and can easily be changed by just…not offering it.

 

[cins]

@gbhar Isn’t that what they’re basically saying though… that they’re just not going to offer PT in that department. It seems like the VP already knows that there are others on the team, who want to be PT, and they don’t want to grant it for them. So, they’re not going to be accused of playing favorites (or worse) by granting OP’s request and denying others. That makes sense.

 

[randall1967]

@gbhar I think that was just her way of saying we don’t want you going PT which is fine, now I know what my next move is

 

[gbhar]

@randall1967 I agree that is the result of the convo, but the reasoning is just not sound. Either that is the unchangeable policy and they are potentially losing a good employee because of a poorly thought out policy or it’s not a set in stone policy in which they are using it as an excuse to not say “no” directly. They can say no without a reason. It’s just silly is all I’m saying.

 

[globug54321]

@randall1967 It sounds like from your post that you were going to quit to look for PT initially? Just make that your plan A again and try not to get caught up in your managers mistake (even though it annoyingly gave you some false hope).