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?

The first one, I would have moved for if I could. The 2nd one was something I might well delegate, even if I was there.

in your shoes I wouldn’t consider last changing days for minute meetings but would change days for pre-organised events.

Was anyone bothered that you said no to the second one OP?

when looking at meeting dates be rigid with your days and book well ahead with others.

It didn't matter and the person doing it in my place is as well placed, if not better, to deal with it, but I don't think he liked being told no twice in close succession. I didn't like being asked twice in close succession (especially when at least one of them was completely unnecessary)

Stick to your guns, moving your days around with plenty of notice is one thing , short notice is quite another. Part time workers can get a difficult time so being senior and standing up for yourself helps others and sets the example. Well done.

This exact thread has been posted before. Right down to the 'that's what the pilates is for' comment.

I'm pretty sure last time it was posted someone else said this exact thread has been posted before.

This is so fucking weird!!

Well that is weird because new boss has only started this month and I've only been doing Pilates a few weeks 😆

Personally I think they should not have ANY expectation that you will work on your days off. When I was a part time director, on my day off I was working hard looking after a toddler. Not in a position to change my days, attend meetings etc. even if I wanted to. I did the occasional absolutely essential call and that was it.

That is not to say that, as a senior person, you cannot make a judgement call to do something on a typical non-working day. But seeing as they decided the role was part time, they need to work around that, not you. I’d stand firm and hold the boundary.

I will change my days about once or twice every few months. However, I also sometimes change my days to suit me. It has to work both ways. As you are near retirement and don’t want to progress further I would be tempted to be quite rigid.

I think it depends whether the other people are full time or not. If they are then you shouldn't need to be flexible, they should. If they are it works both ways.

They'll often be people from outside our organisation, people whose availability I absolutely would work around, if I was working.

Ie, I'd move an internal meeting to be able to meet with them according to their availability.

You are very well paid for 3 days a week. I think you could change your days the odd time but shouldn't be expected to do this regularly. If they want somebody in for for days they need to employ somebody full time.

I work PT in senior role in Local Government, 2.5 days per week.

I'm flexible to a point (I'll swap a day to attend a meeting if i have sufficient notice), however I'm very aware that I could pick up another role to fill my week which would curtail my flexibility. They only pay me for the hours I work, and they don't own me for remaining time, we agreed my work days at recruitment so I don't feel I need to be available on other days if I choose not to. I do have to regularly remind colleagues and senior management that only work part time hours and am not available on non work days.

No she doesn’t. She needs to have boundaries established at work otherwise they’ll take the piss. I have a 3 day per week contract and requested to work flexibly, but mine works both ways. I’ll generally be there any of the 5 days for meetings. Then because I don’t have fixed days I can work my private life around my work commitments. Its win win, but I’m only flexible with them because they’re also flexible with me.

I am on similar salary pro rata but went from 5 days to 1. And yes I get asked to do. "Urgent stuff" all the time. I charge overtime for anything more than a 5 min phone call /quick question.

It then all goes into my pension. I realise I am on a jammy deal so am flexible -but then I can also move my days around to cover any time off I want. Which generally means I have tons of unused holiday each year and get paid it out (well I take holiday then charge overtime)

You’re absolutely right to stand your ground. They offered you three days, and offered you remuneration based on that. Whether anyone thinks it’s a big salary is neither here nor there; presumably it’s a pro-rata salary on the basis that they only wanted to pay 3/5 of a full time role. If you are inclined, go to manager/HR and ask is it three agreed days or 60% over five days, as they can’t have it both ways, expecting full availability but only paying part. Hold your value!

I work 80% over five days, and that flexibility works for me. Otherwise pay me 100% 🤷🏼‍♀️

It's good to keep to your boundaries, presumably you're paid a decent wage because of the work you do within the agreed hours, it's not like you're paid to be 'on call' or to be fully flexible. I'd swap a day for something actually urgent and that unavoidably falls on a non working day, but not just because calendars won't align or whatever else and it would very much be the exception and not the rule. As a higher up role it's a good example to set to be honest that you have work/home boundaries so that the expectation to be always available doesn't flow down.

It looks to me like your new boss is deliberately testing your boundaries and seeing how much you will put up with.

Since you don’t care if they manage you out, I think you should rigidly stick to your scheduled days (even for meetings you would normally rearrange for) for at least the first few months to make the point.

If he’s pushing like this now, it will only get worse if you give the impression you’ll give in if pressured.

Very much this - the more you give the more they take. If you give in too often they feel entitled to flexibility, which means the end of the day you are always on call.

i think what you are doing is fine and are showing flex when it feel s important. it doesn’t matter what your plans are - Pilates, watching the grass grow, whatever - they are your plans and you are not on contracted time, so effectively a gift to the company even if time in lieu.

They made the decision to hire someone on 3 days a week, this was a cost-cutting exercise made by them and so they can’t have it both ways. As your manager wasn’t there for your recruitment, I would highlight that to him.

I think because you have no caring responsibilities, people think it’s OK to push and you should cancel plans but then that belief around non-working days creeps in for those with caring responsibilities. I would stand firm on your boundaries, change a non-working day so you cancel plans on your planned working day, if there is sufficient notice. Remind your manager, that senior leadership should be leading by example. Not everyone in junior positions may feel they can maintain strong boundaries.

You aren’t bothered about being managed out. So use that to your advantage and make sure anyone in the organisation isn’t feeling they need to work on non-working days. Whether that non-working day is for childcare, caring for an elderly relative, a spouse with a terminal illness, exercise, Pilates, getting on top of housework or catching up on Netflix.

Nah, no you don’t. I do Pilates at 8:15pm one evening a week. I am full time so it doesnt seem any different to the op being asked to make meetings on her day off. I make it entirely my decision whether I will cancel Pilates for work meetings, and say ‘I can’t make that time’ if I don’t want to.

It is probably not that malicious, or malicious at all, it is just the pressure of getting in diaries. I regularly ask people if they are available evenings or while on holidays especially when it’s c suite, because I know that they absolutely must be available many evenings and often do do meetings on holidays, and it’s so bloody hard to coordinate necessary meetings with multiple senior execs.