Or over sensitive re comments about PT work?

It is sad to see that this sort of 'culture' is still around. When I started work (late seventies) 'part-timer' was a sort of tongue-in-the-cheek insult thrown at anyone who left work a little early, did not work the full five days a week (or whatever the general shift pattern was). It was as if anyone who worked part-time hours really did not need to go out to work, and the attitude was prevalent amongst women, towards women.

Working patterns have changed. For example, many people will have several part time jobs, and , according to Carers UK, about 60% of unpaid carers are women. Many part-time employees are working (paid or unpaid) many more hours than an individual with just one full time position It is such a shame that attitudes towards part time staff have not kept pace with the times.

Ignore these people. Their comments show their lack of awareness.

The poster is the one hearing these comments and the context and the way they are said and what body language accompanies it. So she is best placed to know if they are snide and meant as being snide. IMO.

I’ve had people bully me in a workplace using nice words at the wrong time and in a not nice way.

oh is that you off home early then? This was back when I spent a week in a different office and a week at home, i arrived on time on Monday, worked late and early all week didn’t take endless lunches, didn’t indulge in workplace yoga which and left early afternoon on a Friday for the 6 hour drive home.

there was a concerted effort by the younger colleagues and the trendy boss to put me in my place for having the absolute audacity to take a senior job when I was disabled widow with two kids. It was relentless and the boss spurred them on. I ended up asking for a demotion and went back to my old job. It wasn’t just me they did it to, and what can you say, they were only saying nice things?

the words themselves don’t have to be abusive for the conversation. To be abusive

Well no, because I haven't claimed anything to be fact here. That was just you.

You need to change your mentality about your Thursday and Friday before you can change it of those around you...
You are not having a "day off" on Thursday and Friday any more than your colleagues have a "day off" on Saturday and Sunday.
They are not "days off" they are NON-WORKING DAYS.
(And also unpaid!)
I see you have already mentioned the pay... I got called out for being part time and I replied with "part time pay" which made them stop and think... [Although it is much more than 60% take home after tax etc... going from 0.5 to full time definitely did NOT double may take home pay!]
To be honest I found working part time was the worst of both worlds...

You can respond with a comment or you can ignore it. You should NOT let it get to you so much.

You have to tackle it first.
Just tell them to stop with the comments.
If it continues then escalate.
Tbh I doubt your LM will be thrilled to get involved in petty stuff like this.
I found a big smile and "aaaaah the weekend starts now" shut them up!!

I'd confront them: I don't know what your problem with pt is, and frankly I don't care. These comments have been made for x months and the next person who makes one will have an official complaint made against them.

Likewise!

Still can't see anything snide or shitty. Just tell us what they've said. Or is that it? Because you still just sound over sensitive to me.

I really don't think that I was aggressive in any way but hey ho.

I'm also in a senior leadership role in my organisation and I don't allow this to go on with my staff. No-one works over hours in my team and it isn't a 'culture' I would support in any way. I encourage my team to have strong boundaries between work and their actual life. If anyone on my team had to work longer hours to complete a project then that time would be given back to them in the form of flexi hours so they wouldn't lose out overall. If someone was choosing to work longer hours than they are contracted to do, I would be looking to see what support they require to prevent that.

What's lucky is having the choice. Being able to work full time and afford childcare isn't lucky if you want a part time job but can't get one. Being a SAHM isn't lucky if you've had to do it because your DC needs a full time carer. Being part time isn't lucky if you wanted a full time job but couldn't afford childcare.

I wonder if it's considered luck that childcare costs price many women out of full time work?

PP makes a good point. Do they say the same stuff to other pt staff?

I've worked in a lot of schools and am really struggling to imagine anything other than envious, good natured teasing about how lucky you are to be disappearing on Wednesday and missing the extra-long staff meeting on Thursday or whatever it is.

Can you give us some examples of the 'snide shitty' comments please?

Because in your op you say they refer to you as 'lucky' and that isn't particularly snide or shitty.

Do they come up and say these things without any context, because that would be odd?

Or in response to you saying that you're not in tomorrow, or that you won't be at the staff meeting, or whatever?

Because I guess their op might be 'I don't know how to respond when X is always reminding us that she's part time.'

It just sounds like nothing to me, absolutely nothing. You're supposed to enjoy the working arrangement you chose, and those who can't afford to do it are often going to be a bit jealous.

''@Sittinginmysunnygarden · Today 09:49
Mumsnet isn’t reflective of the real world. On here you’ll mostly get supportive comments from like minded women.

Unfortunately in the real world, part timers are carried by their full time colleagues mostly.

You’re very lucky to be able to work part time for whatever reasons - suck it up buttercup!''

Such an ignorant comment...

I'm wondering if the reason this has gone on for so long is less about the actual hours you work OP and more about how the others hate their jobs / workplace. If you're unhappy at work, being stuck there for 5 days means you're going to think someone who's only there for 3 days is pretty damn lucky. Regardless of what the part time person does the rest of the time or financial/personal circumstances etc. It could be this simple. It's not about you, it's about them being unhappy.

I’m also a part time teacher - do you have a job share? If so, are they saying the same thing to them?
Unfortunately, having worked in a toxic school in the past, escalating things may only make it worse.
Personally I wouldn’t be planning to go back to full time in the future to stop bullying, my advice would be to look for a new school where it isn’t so toxic, you have until the end of May to find somewhere else & then resign. I know easier said than done, but there are better workplaces out there, with part time roles. Good luck.

I’d also point out that many people make life long decisions about training and education at a young age.

those decisions have longer term consequences no one can really predict.

school friends who didn’t put in the effort, now working min wage jobs telling me I’m lucky when I battled through my disability got a degree and worked my way up.

but I was still horrifically luck to have picked a career that allowed me to continue working through being widowed and being ill. If I’d gone for one of my other options of veterinary medicine I’d have been fecked despite that seeing g like a better idea over English.

folks need to focus on their own lives, do the best they can, and work with the situation they’ve got. Anyone bullying someone else due to different choices can quite frankly stuff off. They must be deeply unhappy to make such a constant thing of it. And agree about telling them to take it up with your line a manger

I used to get comments about this, I used to breezing reply "if you have any issues with my working hours, please take it up with my line manager, Jane on extension x89453, shes here all week". We only worked in a tiny office and I always said it in front of my manager (who had approved my working hours). It didn't last long.

Obviously if the manager is part of the problem...... that wouldn't work.

It sounds like that's the right decision for you then. Personally I like to poke stupid with a stick so I'd have some fun with them, but I can see how you might not have the headspace for that if the job feels toxic already.

Working full time was not an option to me as I wasn't paid enough to cover childcare costs for two children so I don't think it's fair to assume it's some kind of privilege. Not all parents who work part time are doing it because they are well off or "lucky". There's plenty of low income families where one is part time for financial reasons

Your methodology sounds dead rigorous.