Part time working and "flexibility"

[Redruns]

I have a senior job 3 days pw. I earn c. £70k, a not insignificant sum for PT and I do appreciate that I've fallen on my feet somewhat.

The job was advertised at 3 days pw, a decision the organisation took to save money following the retirement of the previous FT incumbent. I.e. it's not something I negotiated.

The workload is absolutely fine in the 3 days, I've no idea what the FT person did all day. What is trickier is being "there" when I'm needed. The role is such that I'm needed in meetings with people who have very busy calendars and I'm often asked to change my days because X can only make such and such a date.

If I consider it really important and/or I'm given enough notice I do change, but I work PT because I have other things I want to do with my time, I'm not sitting around "available" on my non working days.

I've recently got a new boss and I've said no to him twice in the last week. Once because I genuinely had unmovable plans once because frankly, I didn't think the request was important enough to cancel my pilates class and I'm setting some boundaries.

However, I am aware that I'm in a senior, well paid post, colleagues work outside their normal working hours. Should I be more flexible?

Fwiw, I'm nearing retirement and expect no further progression, which means I have nothing to gain from putting myself out, but maybe I should anyway?

Otoh, "they" took the decision that 3 days was enough, so they should work with that?

I think they work around you. As senior management, you need to be available for emergencies, but you also enforce your own boundaries for what you consider to be an emergency!

I also feel you get a lot more pressure to be available, because colleagues expect at your position you'll push back when necessary. Whereas they'll be more 'careful' with someone more junior so they don't feel bullied into it.

I thought you were going to say it was due to fixed childcare, but a pilates class when you are on 70k for a 3 day week...honestly, yes you need to be more flexible.

You're senior too and can't make such and such a date. Maintain your boundaries.

That's what the Pilates is for.

@ObliviousCoalmine 😂😂😂😂😂😂 absolutely cracking up

At that salary, the flexibility works both ways - you do need to be available when they need you, but as payback, equally there can be some things, perhaps when you've got a arragnement involving other people, that you can stand firm on.

If they find its no longer suiting the business then they need to start managing you out so that the job can be done to their satisfaction. You mention that you don't know what the full time person did the rest of the time, perhaps that's part of the problem the job may not have the full workload but it's just spread over the five days usually.

🤣🤣🤣

I'm in a similar position- small firm, management and senior role, 2 days a week. Was originally a full time role but cost cutting on their side and life changes on mine meant this change which we all agreed. I'm quite rigid on the 2 days- I'll do the odd thing outside that but they pay me 2 days and I'm not doing much more than that without pay. I'm flexible with enough notice and will do extra days periodically, ideally for TOIL because for tax reasons every extra day gives me less marginal benefit. I appreciate I'm lucky but they are also getting my skills and experience for far less than a full time pay packet. We usually agree my days a month or two in advance- accepting that occasionally there will be a short notice change. I try to accommodate as long as I can but am contracted and paid for certain days. Having done 4 days a week in another job where they basically expected me to be on call but not paid the 5th day I'm quite hard nosed on this!

I do change for "big" things , probably once a month or so. But I was asked twice in a week, at short notice, and I always have plans of some sort.

I'd be delighted if they managed me out. I've 15 years continuous service and would get an enhanced pension. This is probably part of the problem with motivating myself to care more, the worst that can happen is I leave and that would be OK.

Your employer made this decision to cut costs. Set your boundaries it isn't your problem. If they want you to work additional hours they can pay you for them.

I’m not on quite so much but also work part time in a senior role in my sector. I’ve been part time for 4 years out of 9 in this role and haven’t done a single minute on my non working day.

The more you give the more they will take. I’m also setting an example to those women in more junior roles that they don't have to take any shit for going part time.

I also have no progression goals as hope to retire “early” from this and do something else for last few working years. So I have no shits to give.

I don't want paying. I don't want to work on my non working days.

I think your position is totally reasonable. We have board and other meetings where I need to be there and if they are outside my working days I just shift them. I'm doing Christmas cover so my team can have a break. But short notice changes are difficult. If you have a new boss you should discuss schedules and things they really need you there for

Considering it was twice in the week I'd have said yes to the second one to show willing because you couldn't do the first one. If it's twice every single week then that's different. But even though 3 days was their choice, that wage clearly expects a fair level of flexibility. It's just finding a balance between flexibility and boundaries like you say.

Personally I’d be making myself available on that sort of pay but l may not be right in that. It depends on how important the job is to you

It’s ok for you to ask very demanding questions about whether or not you need to attend these things on your non-working days. Boundaries are important. But I would have a look at your contract for which hours constitute your 3 days as it might be that they can spread it over the week.

Frankly I’d expect some flex from any employee regardless of pay grade, you can’t always run big events on a day that suits everyone, and the higher up the scale the more flex I’d expect. At the same time I also make sure I only ask for it when it’s absolutely needed and I would always entertain a conversation about whether it was necessary.

But I would have a look at your contract for which hours constitute your 3 days as it might be that they can spread it over the week.

They probably could, but I wouldn't stay if they did.

Twice in a week at short notice is pretty tricky, it’s the same if you are asked to change a WFH day to an office day which isn’t always easy either. I would still have a conversation with my manager first before deciding how hard to be on position.

But if she makes herself available at any time required over a five day week, then even though it's not five days work, it's more responsibility than they're paying for. They could have advertised it as full time and had someone who could be available any time Monday to Friday. They didn't want that and they've saved money instead. The trade off is they have to operate within OP's slightly restricted availability. She's not selling them short, that was their choice.

I also wonder if a man on a three day contract would feel obliged to always make himself available on his non work days. Doubt it!

I also think you need to value your contribution. It doesn't matter what others think of your wage- your skills have a market value and the company clearly thinks you are worth it in the part time role. I think this is easier when you don't want to progress or take on more- so I'd stick to your guns!

There’s a difference though between “9-5, Monday, Wednesday and Friday with one hour for lunch”, and “21 hours per week”. One gives you more control than the other.

That was my DHs situation after various mergers and take overs. He kept getting transferred and ended up being part of a small group of older, highly experienced and highly paid staff that didn't really have a job but he was happy to do lesser work and take the money.

It depends on what is in the contract, because that’s what has been agreed between employer and employee. If you’ve agreed X hours in a 5 day week then you are contracted to do that. If you’re contracted to do 7 hours a day on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday you have a different conversation. Nothing to do with whether you’re male or female and everything to do with what you’ve agreed in the contract.