Colleague seems angry at me since I've gone part time

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Recently come back from maternity leave and requested part time hours which were accepted. I expected the company would advertise a job share instead to my surprise the actually kept on my full time replacement. So we now have more staff (tbh we have been so busy this is needed).

My colleague who I use to get on very well with seems annoyed. I can just sense this weird vibe since I have come back. There are 5 of us now in total and she is kind of the senior one so she often heads meetings. She divides the work evenly between the 5 of us which obviously isn't right since I am the only one working 3 days. I have said a couple of times I will do my best but obviously I'm in less than everyone else. So sometimes I have to hand some work over which I try to do evenly. I actually think I get through a lot of the work so often there isn't much to hand over.

I don't know what I'm even asking I feel quite let down by her. We have a new manager starting so I really don't want to start raising it with one leaving and another starting it's not a good end/start for them.

Any advice/similar experiences?

Is it obvious that you do virtually the same amount of work as your colleagues? If so, then your new boss will likely notice, so I’d wait and see how it pans out before you address the issue.

If it’s not obvious, then refuse to take on as much.

id say it is driven by jealousy rather than anger.

I would mention - just once, in passing, and try and find an occasion where it feels natural - your reduced salary. A bizarrely large number of people think people get paid the same for working part-time (I worked with an absolute moron who thought that all mothers, and only mothers, had the right to work full-time for full pay) and so resent other people based on their own invention.

The dishing out of work is not fair, I manage a team of full timers, and a mix of various part timers, and work is allocated proportionally.

you need to have a word with her or your manager I’m afraid

I’ve had a couple of unexpected issues with colleagues since going part time, both turned out to be related to problems/ unhappiness in their own lives rather than anything to do with me - I would just be pleasant to her and wait it out if possible.
Presumably if you are working 3 usual days you are on 3/5th of the pay you would be on doing full time hours. Therefore it doesn’t seem right that your workload isn't also significantly reduced when it’s given to you rather than you having to hand stuff over.
I would wait for your new manager to be established and then bring this up with your senior colleague & the new manager?

I'd take the emotions out of it (easier said then done) and also stop talking in terms of negative connotations of your part time
Hours. You set the standard for how it is perceived. Its about 'available time' not 'working less'. Its about clear priorities and deadlines.

If i got given actions in a meeting in this scenario. I'd say 'happy to take on that piece, how does it prioritise against xyz which also needs to be completed this week?' I think i can do a and xy or a and z in the time available. But if (a) can wait until next week no issue?' Whats the steer? Or shall i get started with a and kick it off and then who am i handing over to? Clear authoritative and breezy

Talk about what you can do, and not what you can't.

I have reduced to four days a week and had no negative responses, occasionally someone forgets my non-work day and then is full of apologies. Sorry to read you have had a negative response.

Talk to the person concerned to begin with, the observation about reduced salary should be made. One for your manager if it persists.

I think people often see it as you "have it cushy" without seeing how much your pay packet is impacted.

I am also part time and also seem to be allocated the exact same amount of work. I also had to bring up that when we work over hours, everyone else is offered time back but somehow I'm still seen as "being off" even though I'm not paid for it.

I love part time for the work life balance but do think it comes with sacrifices. It annoys me that we are often seen as contributing less when we often represent much better value for money. I don't work any of the slack times of the week. No Monday morning catch up, not Friday afternoon discussion of weekend plans.

It could be that your colleague sees you as being less friendly as a result of the fact you just come in and get your head down in order to get through the workload?

Thanks everyone I agree I need to change how I word discussions around work load. I think I am almost apologetic at times.

There has definitely been comments which imply she thinks I have it cushy. Jokey comments about how it's 'aright for some having a 4 day weekend.' I joke back reminding her I have 2 children under 3 I don't get a minute off.

I think it's getting to me even more as nursery fees are crippling us at the minute and I am only staying in work as I don't want a gap in employment. I literally work for nothing. I didn't go back full time as the fees would be more than my salary. Anyway that's another issue which will improve when my first gets his 30 free hours.

Hi OP,
I’ve been in your position. Try not to feel guilty about working part time. And definitely don’t take on too much so that you always have to pass on the surplace work!
It will take time for colleagues to adjust, but I would mention it as soon as possible about the work overload. And ignore any comments about you being “on holiday” or “off” all the time!
Also think about all the benefits of working - you will be building up your pension contributions, getting your children used to being away from you for a few days a week, and also (hopefully) getting your partner used to taking responsibility for the kids, doing his share of drop offs and any other child related admin and mental load.
Your fees will massively reduce shortly, and then it will have all been worth it!

Its jealousy. I don’t know why though. As previous posters said people don’t seem to realise 3 days work = 3 days money.

It stopped at my work after someone commented about me being lucky as I wasn’t in the next day. I just said loudly with a big smile “You can be lucky too, you just have to take a 20% cut in your pay, pension and holidays.”

I think a new manager coming in is a perfect time to drop it into conversation and hopefully make the change in your case. It’s not sustainable to have the same workload on 3 days.

When I was part time I did come up against a lot of snide comments about it etc. You will get used to it is all I can say.

Just remind them that being part time means you are paid less and therefore yes it is totally expected that you will do less work. I always found that people were a bit dim and couldn't equate working less hours with earning less money and thought that they were somehow being hard done by.

In my workplace PT is open to anyone for any reason so I would just send them the link to applying for a change in working pattern if someone started being arsey with me.

I've reached the stage where I could afford to drop a day but was told at my interview it wouldn't be possible for me to go PT. We have a lot of part timers and I am a bit envious when they swan off (no small DC), especially in this lovely weather, but "it is what it is" and I love my job

But. We're taking on a new member of the team I'm in who will work Mon to Thurs. If she wants a long w/e she'll take Fri and Mon and then work the following Friday so she doesn't lose annual leave and because she's flexible. Having worked without a break for 40 years without any kind of break (other than a/l) and the fact that she has dictated her terms so easily has left me seething with resentment. I need to - and I promise I will - get over myself before she starts because she sounds lovely and it shouldn't affect me directly anyway.

But your manager sounds like an arse OP. Hope you work it out 😊

You need to pass the work back for your manager to re allocate.Hopefully they will learn to allocate fairly to start with. I think naturally people have feelings about someone doing fewer hours (they often forget less pay) you have to just be confident that you are doing what you are paid for when you are in. They've gained working hours for the team so nothing for you to apologise about.

But..... she'll be paid 20% less as her contract is for 4 days per week. I can understand it's annoying if you've been declined a flexible working request but she doesn't have it cushy, she'll be paid for the hours I work.

I have this too OP. I work 3 days per week and colleagues often mention my "long weekends"..... I'm looking after children, being at work is definitely more relaxing! I don't think they can get it into their heads that the benefits of working 3 days a week for my family life mean that I get 60% of my previous salary, pension contributions and annual leave. All I can say is once those 30 funded hours kick in it is all totally worth it. In September DD2 gets her funded hours and we'll be £400 a month better off. I cannot wait!

It doesn't seem like the work is being allocated fairly. Wait until your new manager starts, they may redress the balance without you having to say anything.

Don't talk about how you get paid less; it was your choice to ask to go part time, and it's unlikely to go down well with those who can't afford to cut their pay and working hours by a third.
Are you bothered by working less and the resulting decrease in your pay. Because it may be that you haven't realised and are projecting that onto her. Maybe your colleague is annoyed at being an unpaid supervisor with too much work to delgate, and it's not about you at all.

Above all else be professional and don't bring personal circumstances into it, on either side.

Exactly this. You are not passing the buck or complaining but stating facts “this sounds really interesting but only working 3/5 of a week means I won’t finish until date X. Will that be a problem?” Some people are not used to dealing with this - are you the first part timer in the team?

if she’s senior to you, you need to raise this with a manager. This isn’t acceptable.

But if you really don’t want to, then shut it down in a non-aggressive way. Next time she makes a shitty comment to you, either completely blank her, ask her to repeat it a few times ‘sorry, what? What do you mean? I don’t get what you mean by that?’ (This usually stops people when you keep doing this as they start to look stupid) or say to her ‘if you want a four day weekend you can go part time and take less money’. Shut her down, she’s jealous and clearly and idiot.

Don't talk about how you get paid less; it was your choice to ask to go part time, and it's unlikely to go down well with those who can't afford to cut their pay and working hours by a third.

It is absolutley fine to point out how you are paid less in circumstances when you are expected to do the same work as full timers but in less days.

But..... she'll be paid 20% less as her contract is for 4 days per week.

I know that. Hence I said I could afford to drop a day. I've already done the maths. 🙂

I get this, and I haven't actually reduced my hours - just switched from 30h/fives days to four full days.

The utter surprise that I don't check my inbox or phone on a Friday is baffling. But I am the one who enters payroll, and I am almost bottom of the heap due to PT. I'm also perfectly able to be flexible with notice - with NOTICE.

If you ask me a few days in advance, yes, I can do a half day on Friday instead. If you ask me on Thursday, no I can't.

I got a lot of comments about me 'swanning off' from one colleague when I worked mornings only. It's really annoying. I did point out to her that she was welcome to ask to do the same if she wanted to earn half her present salary, but it made no difference.

Instead of commenting back to her about the children comment back about having three fifths of a wage packet.

A surprising number of people don’t think about that angle when you go part time.

I had to be very blunt with a colleague once who kept insisting that work should be split equally between us. I worked half of the time, and got paid half. Therefore my work load should be less. Only when I pointed out I got paid half did the penny drop for her.

Get used to it. People are envious of psrt timers. Always speak up if you feel qork is unfairly allocated, and whenever someone makes a dig about you havubg an easy life or more time just remind they can go part time too if they want to take the pay cut.

next time she comments about long
weekends say "yes, it's
lovely. but it does mean i only
get 3 days pay - for the 3
days i work" saying "but oh i am busy all weekend" is just playing into her weird feeling she has a right to have feelings about it.

don't try to justify you being part time. just make it clear that you are working 3/5 of the time, for 3/5 pay and should be carrying 3/5 of the load. and repeat.