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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think people who work part-time shouldn’t get the same promotion chances as full-timers?

206 replies

ThatCandidBear · 24/08/2025 21:10

If you’re only doing 3 days a week, how is it fair to expect the same career progression as someone putting in 5? AIBU to think promotion opportunities should be tied to hours worked?

OP posts:
Sunshineandgrapefruit · 25/08/2025 20:45

So able bodied men are top of the promotion pile?

Lovehascomeandgone · 25/08/2025 20:32

Ridiculous view and nothing more to be said really.

Whoopsmahoot · 25/08/2025 20:32

Gave up my chance of career advancement when I went part term- hard enough to get promoted past men in my industry when u work full time let alone part time. No regrets though.

fthisfthatfeverything · 25/08/2025 20:29

I went part time after I had children, 5 hours a day, 5 days a week and was never thought of for any thing any more.
it was like, part time weren’t really staff members and it was hurtful.
Some days I done more in my 5 hours than a full time employee done.
so I done my job & went home.
your only a number

TheNinkyNonkyIsATardis · 25/08/2025 20:20

tulippa · 24/08/2025 21:14

Surely it depends on the hours needed for the promotion job?

Yeah, when I ran a small business, we were really flexible with our approach to hours and roles. People could be promoted into roles with shorter hours and end up on the same take home pay, increase, decrease, buy more holiday, barter for more in lieu of a payrise.

We reaped the benefit in getting loyal and knowledgeable staff to fill niches and specialisms. It was great.

Moresettings1 · 25/08/2025 20:14

Haven’t RTFT but I was passed over for a promotion because I was part time. My friend (an employment lawyer) said that it was indirect sex discrimination since it’s mainly women who go part time. I didn’t pursue it (and got the promotion in the end) but I think you don’t have the law on your side, OP.

PrissyGalore · 25/08/2025 20:11

It depends on the role. I wouldn’t promote a part timer into a full time role unless they wanted to change the hours worked or a job share agreement can be found with appropriate holiday cover-eg your sharer agreed to work full time hours when you are on holiday. Otherwise, it really doesn’t matter.

AIBU5 · 25/08/2025 20:09

ThatCandidBear · 24/08/2025 21:10

If you’re only doing 3 days a week, how is it fair to expect the same career progression as someone putting in 5? AIBU to think promotion opportunities should be tied to hours worked?

Oh come on, some people do less work in 5 days than others do in a day

dEdiCatEdFeliNeEntHusiAst · 25/08/2025 20:06

Quality rather than quantity.

anon666 · 25/08/2025 20:04

It depends on the role. Most employers would pick someone capable of doing the senior job rather than quibble over hours. That person might be brilliant and the full timers might be useless.

It sounds like you think promotion is a rite of passage based on time served but sadly, it doesn't work that way. Unless its an operational job where the boss clearly needs to be there 5 days a week.

It is usually about commitment though, and in my experience full-time staff do get promoted usually. So I suspect youre not wrong about the usual way of things.

godmum56 · 25/08/2025 19:48

do we think the OP has eaten sour grapes?

SmudgeButt · 25/08/2025 19:42

Well that's one way of discriminating against women!!

godmum56 · 25/08/2025 19:37

ThatCandidBear · 24/08/2025 21:22

Skill matters, of course. My point is more about overall contribution. If two people are equally good, the one doing 5 days inevitably delivers more simply by being there. So I wonder if it’s realistic to expect totally equal progression opportunities without factoring that in.

"inevitably" on what planet?

BananaBreadWithCustard · 25/08/2025 19:31

🍿 🍿 🍿

RawBloomers · 25/08/2025 19:27

People who are full time have more opportunity to develop their skills and gain experience (within a set time frame). If they fail to do that as well as someone working part time, they shouldn’t get promoted over the part timer.

AgnesX · 25/08/2025 19:23

Promotion should be based on capabilities and talent. End of story.

Promotions just because someone has worked in a place for umpteen years and has kept their nose clean isn't really fair.

PS and it's what someone achieves not the number of hours works that should count too.

redsky223 · 25/08/2025 19:18

So basically what you’re saying is that it’s okay for people to be discriminated against at work? There are plenty of reasons why someone might work part-time like having a disability, caring for someone with a disability, looking after dependants or easing into retirement.

Denying someone a promotion just because they’re part-time is discrimination and completely unfair no matter how you look at it. The person who has the most skills, knowledge, experience and the required competences should get the role, it really is that simple.

I’m agree with previous posters that the best person for the job should get the promotion regardless of whether they’re part-time (as long as the role can realistically be done that way). The truth is someone working three days a week can add more value than someone doing five. Hours on the clock don’t always equal impact or quality.

NapoleonOfNottingHill · 25/08/2025 19:14

Wow! I got my first promotion at my current workplace when I was part time (3 days a week). I was deemed to have more ability than my colleagues. It is not just about time served.

taxguru · 25/08/2025 19:11

Surely it depends on experience. A full timer will have more work experience under their belt than a part timer whose worked for the same number of years. Obviously, for some jobs, that won't matter, i.e. someone doing the same work day in day out, year in year out, i.e. repetition. But if the work is experience building, i.e. more days mean they do more "different" things, then they have more experience and therefore may well be better suited for a promotion.

LittlleMy · 25/08/2025 19:02

PamIsAVolleyballChamp · 24/08/2025 21:20

Yanbu. Why are people going in about 'time served'?
Its about what happens if urgent managerial tasks need to be made in their absence? Eg. They work mon-wed and something comes in Thurs am? Who picks up the slack? Staff on a lower wage 'doing it for the team and praise'...

No, OP is being unreasonable.

It’s women who are more likely to be part time due to them usually being mothers and carers of dependants. So why should they be exempt from equality of opportunity if the employer believes it can be done PT. Sometimes it’s a job share between two and sometimes it’s just one person who does compressed hours or only 4 days per week. Any ‘emergencies’ that may come up are likely to be able to be mitigated by being escalated upwards. Others get managed through team work same as if that or any other person was sick or on leave.

Islandgirl68 · 25/08/2025 19:00

@ThatCandidBear but surely, if you are part time and are interested in a promotion, but the new job is a full time role and yiu apply, then surely you woukd be expected to change to full time. If yiu aren't ready to up yiur hours yiu maybe should apply for the job.

Russiandollsaresofullofthemselves · 25/08/2025 18:53

my work has a high turnover of employees but mainly employee full time people. I was initially full time but reduced my hours after having children. i’ve done the job for 15 years. you can bet your arse that i’m way more skilled for promotion that the full timer that has worked there for less than a year.

Labamba78 · 25/08/2025 18:52

Most corporate roles can be done part time (I say this as someone who is full time and senior), and pointless meetings and BS is added in to make up to the hours “needed”. The podcast Bullshit Jobs demonstrates how we just make work for ourselves in many professions. Part time workers can absolutely be promoted and contribute the same. Their progression shouldn’t suffer

Catsandcannedbeans · 25/08/2025 18:22

Back when I used to promote people I would promote promising part timers to try and lure them to do more hours. This was in a pub though so it’s probably different in other industries.

starsinthedarksky · 25/08/2025 17:59

This discussion just recently came up at work (private nursery). I work part time doing 24 hours a week and a coworker does 40 hours. A room lead position came up in our room and we both interviewed for it and I got it. She