Employer only ever offering full time posts

[mandybeesborough]

I work for a large employer. Over the last year or two I have been scanning the new jobs coming up. Within a particular department/specialty, no jobs have been offered on a part time basis. There have been over 10 posts come up, probably more like 20 but I couldn't be sure.

I know of one person who applied for a full time post but only wanted to work part time so was placed on a temporary contract.

Those higher up in seniority do work part time. Most negotiated this some time ago. Before changes in management and structure. Within the department. My sense is X part time people are harder to manage than Y full time people.

I understand there may be a business case which underlies this (although many other departments doing the same work within similar organisations offer part time roles.)

I'm guessing there is no law or legislation which covers this?

Just seems if for any reason you want to work part time I.e. Because of children, you couldn't do it for this employer. In this department.

[expatinscotland]

Legislation? For what? It is not discrimatory to only offer full-time positions. MOST people want FT.

[flowery]

There is no requirement for employers to create a certain number or percentage of part time posts, no.

[mandybeesborough]

But what about those with caring responsibilities or those that want flexible working? I can imagine that some jobs will need to be full time but some could be offered part time. Otherwise within a department you are potentially excluding a subset of individuals. There are plenty of people out there that want to work part time for various reasons.

[expatinscotland]

What about them? It's not the company's job to offer jobs to all, but to those who suit their needs in business, which is full time jobs. Plenty of people with children need or want to work FT.

[flowery]

What about them? An employer is not obliged to create part time posts so that those with caring responsibilities have jobs they can apply for.

Employers have to consider flexible working requests from employees who have been working continuously for 26 weeks, and this is how most part time positions are created ime.

Businesses make business decisions and some are more forward-thinking and flexible than others. Some will identify that a large portion of their target employee base will be those who also have caring responsibilities and therefore they need to attract these employees, and will be more open to part time, job sharing etc, and will indicate that in recruitment materials.

Most employers aren't particularly suffering from a lack of applicants for jobs at the moment, so there's not much incentive to offer flexibility as part of the package.

However there's nothing stopping people from applying for full time jobs and then requesting to reduce hours later, or work flexibly, and there's also nothing stopping people enquiring about whether part time is possible at offer stage, or even earlier, and putting forward a business case. Lots of people do it that way.

But there's no way the government could compel employers to offer part time posts.

[mandybeesborough]

Can see your points, thank you for responding. I guess I was thinking from an equality/discrimination standpoint. You potentially get a reduced pool of applicants/or potentially less diversity. Can't think how best to explain it, possibly not using the correct terminology.

[expatinscotland]

It is not discriminatory. PLENTY of people put their children in FT care and work FT, have kids in school, etc etc.

[flowery]

Employers are required to consider flexible working for existing employees, they are not obliged to do so for potential new recruits.

The fact that you potentially get a reduced pool of applicants is valid, but as I said earlier, that's a business problem which at the moment, isn't necessarily proving a big challenge for many employees.

[mandybeesborough]

I was reading something about it in relation to indirect discrimination and employment. Am sure plenty of people do choose to do it.

[BusinessUnusual]

I see what you are getting at, Mandy, because more people with caring responsibilities are women, but there's nothing intrinsic to sex (the protected characteristic) that makes that the case (unlike height restrictions in the police, which is the old chestnut of indirect discrimination).

Most jobs are advertised that way in the expectation that all will apply and some may negotiate - if they advertised part time no one full time would apply! There are agencies eg ten2two that specialise in part time work.

[Dappydongle]

Find a potential job share partner and apply for them together.

[susiegrapevine]

if its within the company you already work for can't you just ask when a position comes up if they would consider part time? that's what I do they generally say no but no harm in asking?