To only work very part time?

This sort of thread is so frustrating. You seem to be repeating the same thing in every post. Why the repetition? Do you want practical advice or just a place to vent?

I think it’s more about them having to carry someone with much reduced hours,

You need to quit your job OP.

But in the OP’s case I don’t think it’s even the working overtime that’s the main issue. It’s that her direct reports have so little access to her.

Yes, but you were previously 1.0FTE and are now less than 0.4FTE, so surely they should be able to recruit for the over 0.6 FTE that they’ve lost through your change of hours - and it would be pretty cost neutral for them. You could work the role as a job share.

It’s not your fault but it’s unfair if they work over time.

I work alongside a job share. They split the full contracted hours and both arrive and leave at those times. However, the rest of us can’t help but do over time and find ourselves doing their work at times too. Neither of them ever work over time because of their hours. It’s not their fault but it’s unfair that we are expected to.

I’d be pissed off as a colleague, but I agree it’s not your fault. You’re just an easier target than ‘the system’. I presume in such an organisation you have targets and annual performance reviews - so your not available to support your staff the majority of the time (literally, based on the maths of how much you work) and likely have strong influence over their assessments.

It sounds like they should never have agreed it for your role, it’s totally unsuitable.

And as for the gossiping, presumably you have a workplace anti bullying and harassment policy? Start documenting your evidence and use it.

This is almost certainly the OP.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5408319-to-be-annoyed-that-my-employer-wont-let-me-go-part-time

Her management are absolutely at fault for the impact of this, but as it was clearly only agreed on appeal (despite the pitfalls being clearly outlined to OP) they haven’t agreed it willingly. My suspicion is that OP made it clear she would make a fuss and they decided that letting her prove them right would lead to an easier exit.

She is their line manager though and she is not doing anything about their workload. She is their first port of call and she is aware that they are now doing more but is reluctant to raise this herself with anyone else or to look at ways to address it such as redirecting workloads. Yes it is on her company to have thought about these problems when agreeing to the part time request, but as a senior leader she also needs to be involved in managing her team and looking at strategies to move forward, addressing the increased workload.

Her colleagues may also be doing admirable things outside of work or have difficult lives that she is unaware of. She doesn't actually seem very considerate of them as it was obvious it would cause conflict reducing her hours by so much (she works school hours term time only), leaving so many hours she presumably needed to do the job unfulfilled and as she is not there to do it, it falls on everyone else. I think all these people saying they wouldn't be moaning like her colleagues are if they were in this situation are very much deluded. To also say they say she isn't part of the team is also realistic, she is only there limited hours so isn't going to be fully on board with the work or in forming any bond with her colleagues. Having worked part time/school hours across the week I know it's very hard to actually get to know your team (as there are less opportunities to see them at lunch or on a break) and when you are there you are always on the back foot trying to catch up on things everyone else knows.

I’m flabbergasted at how the colleagues’ frustrations are being directed towards OP rather than management’s mismanagement of the situation. I mean, as the change of working pattern had been accepted, it should have been on management (OP’s LM or her LM’s LM) to ensure the workload could be covered, or to recruit another part timer if it couldn’t. Bitching about OP is just unprofessional.

@OneJadeSheephow long have you been working this pattern for? Could this just be teething issues and colleagues adjusting?

To those asking why OP isn’t doing more than 2 days school-hours only work, I can quite imagine that 4 kids in foster care probably bring a swathe of issues with them, which may impact things gong on at school, OP being pulled in for various meetings etc, not to mention liaison with social services and other professionals. Not easy to guarantee that school hours are going to be clear for OP to work in.

Good luck - you’ve done an amazing thing

@SparklyLimeHair had a less flexible employer.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/amibeingunreasonable/5453723-to-quit-my-job-and-lose-a-ton-of-moneysalary?page=1

It’s not even 2 days - it’s the equivalent of 1 7.5 hour day a week once you take out school hols and holidays.

What good are you as a manager on 2 days …absolutely none

Are you seriously still asking that? Really? You will be a net negative to the team, the time they have to spend bringing you up to speed or taking over your half finished jobs means it would be much easier for them to just do the work themselves. You don’t know the people you manage, you don’t see their daily work or empathise at all with their issues as this thread has shown. And that’s before taking into account the fact you’re taking up a space that could otherwise employ someone productive.

I can see their point

How long have you got the 4 children for Is it indefinitely?

if not what are you planning to do if when they leave

So if we assume that you’re not the same as the other green poster in the almost identical situation, @OneJadeSheep …

Who line manages your team in the school holidays?

There seem to be a lot of them moaning about it. Only a matter of time before someone realises it doesn’t work and seeks to restore you to 4/5 days a week and/or remove the post completely.

But your employer is making it your colleagues problem by giving them extra work. And in the long run it will end up being your problem when your employer realises the job isn’t being done and they need to increase your working hours again or make you redundant and get another full timer in. So most people are just saying be prepared for that. If you really think it’s not your problem and you’re only there 12 hours a week just ignore the moaning and carry on. Surely for 12 hours a week you can just ignore it?

But it is your fault as you are the one who reduced hours. You are the one who is saying that the company works on number of people, not whether the hours are filled, so this is the issue.
You are in a senior position yet seem reluctant to do anything about it other than post that others are mean and it upsets you.

It's understandable that you dislike their gossiping and complaining, but it's also understandable that they are frustrated that they are expected to pick up a heavier workload with no expectation of relief.

Would you actually be happier if they took you up on your suggestion that they complain to someone higher up, even if that resulted in you being fired? Just as they are free to raise a complaint about the situation, you are free to complain about their gossiping. However doing so may draw unwanted attention to the problem caused by your extremely reduced working hours.

This situation doesn't seem feasible for the long term. Unless you are able to put up with the unhappiness of your colleagues, you're probably better off finding a new job where the situation (very part time hours) will be defined from the beginning and therefore less likely to cause resentment regarding disparity in workload.