Re attitude towards working part time

[shebird]

I am a bit just fed up with the attitude of some people when I say I work part time. I sometimes get sarcastic comments from clients or people at work saying 'oh I tried to call this morning but you I believe you don't start until 930' with a tone at implies I'm a complete slacker or comments like 'Oh that must be nice' or ' semi retired then' or ' half day again is it'. Arghhhhhh perhaps I'm being a bit sensitive but there is just no need for these comments.

[breatheslowly]

Most people I deal with are fine about me working PT. I try to make it clear from the outset so that they can plan around it and will rearrange my hours to meet work requirements very occasionally. I did have a comment "it must be nice leaving at 3 everyday" in a rather aggressive tone of voice. My response was "maybe you could try it if you'd like to take a 30% pay cut".

I know that I am lucky to be in a position to work PT, but it does mean that I am paid on a pro rata basis and this can be forgotten.

[BusinessUnusual]

Look sympathetic and ask if they appealed when work turned down their flexible working request.

[PansOnFire]

This is an issue I'm currently dealing with, I can't afford to work part time hours so I work 4 days out of 5 as a compromise. I'm constantly being referred to as the 'part time one' like it's something to be ashamed of. I've also experienced colleagues who now treat me like I'm never there and don't get me started on the amount of information that isn't passed on to me because I was 'off'. I'm really offended by it all!

Basically, working anything less than full time hours is seen as a piss take, despite the fact that no one has to justify how many hours they work or the reasons for it. I'm developing my smug responses and my thick skin, all whilst trying to squeeze 5 days work into 4 days and with the salary to match. It's not easy but I'm more productive because of it. Keep working on the responses OP and know that you're not the only one, I know that's not much help but feeling like others get the same shit might make you feel better :). I'm truly amazed by the bad attitudes that people have, I've never given anyone else's working hours a second thought, I never thought for a second anyone would notice that I wasn't there one day a week.

[shebird]

Mostly people are ok about it and those that aren't are usually male or don't have children.

[Dubjackeen]

Would love it but it's impossible to get where I am working. To hell with people commenting, it's none of their business. I would use the line about swopping pay packets, and also make sure to look really happy swaggering out the door.

[DoJo]

I work from home, self emplyed and part-ish time (depending on my workload) - anyone who asks is told 'I barely have a job at all - it's brilliant!' and if they are foolish enough to comment further then I offer them a job with me. Still work alone so far...

[Breadrollsbuns]

I get annoyed with 'enjoy your day off' comments. I make a point of correcting this to 'non-working day' each time a colleague says it to me, and pointing out that non-working days are unpaid. I'm sure they find this constant correction deeply irritating, but I feel the need to keep plugging away to change people's perceptions.

I actually do emails and calls on my non-working days, but I'm constantly fighting for this to be seen as me going above and beyond, rather than a given.

[mummytowillow]

I work 9.30 to 2.30 five days a week. When I leave people say 'see you skiver'!

I just respond yes and I get paid part time wages!

[Callani]

I don't get why people bother to work part time - I work full time and my colleague who works part time does almost the exact same amount of work as the rest of us but in 3 week days.

She frequently stays past her contracted hours to complete all her work so she's probably doing far more hours than she's getting paid for (we all are in fairness, but at least we're getting paid full wages). It just seems to be such a rough deal.

[NachoAddict]

I love working part time, best work/home life balance I have ever had. Drop the kids at breakfast club at 8, start work at 8.15 then leave at 2.45 to collect them from school at 3. I take a twenty min lunch so do a 30 hour week and still get to be around most of the time that my children are. Cant imagine doing anything else now!

[breatheslowly]

I think that saying "enjoy your day off" is pretty much the same as "have a nice weekend". It certainly wouldn't bother me if someone said it to me.

[TheGreatHunt]

I've taken to calling my "day off" my non-working day because of this.

I also don't detail when I am and aren't available because, to some, that is a red rag and reminder I'm part time. I just put my out of office on on my days off. I figure, in my line of work, it is no different to not being able to get hold of me if I was in back to back meetings all day which does happen.

[JupiterGentlefly]

'Enjoy your days off' No i got paid for annual leave. They were days I did not work nor salaried for.

[DipMeInChocolate]

I'm too smug about my pt hours to be annoyed about it. I didn't think there was a chance I'd be granted 3 days after working ft for years so I feel so lucky to have these hours. I happily work ft to cover holidays (at time and half) but I'm much happier to return to pt afterwards. My issue is trying to conceal my pleasure of my working hours to not piss off my colleagues too much. It's hard working ft. Not many would choose to if they didn't have to.

[LoveBeingCantThinkOfAName]

Never bother me and I loved walking past them on a Wednesday when I was off for my long weekend

[Blueberry234]

I struggle with this on a day to day basis as well as now being pregnant and given grief for taking mat leave as they 'only got 12 weeks and their children are fine'

[AdventColander]

The best thing about being part time is being able to say "Have a nice weekend" at 2pm on a Thursday

[shebird]

I know I am lucky to work PT but doing a full time job in half the working week is quite stressful and after 8 years of snide comments I think it's just finally got to me.

[BusinessUnusual]

Why are you trying to get a full week's work done in half the week?

[manchestermummy]

Because in most cases, the hours get reduced but the workload does not business [stressed emoticon]

[BusinessUnusual]

I understand that to an extent but if OP is actually trying to do 5 days in 2.5 days then it's completely unsustainable and really uneconomic. I work 4 days per week and probably end up doing an additional half a day per week if busy, per fortnight if less busy.

[manchestermummy]

I do the work of 4 full-timers in 3 days. And yet my colleagues think I am lazy. I am not the only one with children but I am the only one who works part-time with children.

[StealthPolarBear]

" I don't get why people bother to work part time - I work full time and my colleague who works part time does almost the exact same amount of work as the rest of us but in 3 week days.

She frequently stays past her contracted hours to complete all her work so she's probably doing far more hours than she's getting paid for (we all are in fairness, but at least we're getting paid full wages). It just seems to be such a rough deal."

That doesn't make sense - she works over on pt hours, you all work over on ft hours and yet you get the same amount of work done?
And working over on a full time wage is no easier to bear than working over on a ft wage really

[StealthPolarBear]

Manchester are you really saying you cram 20 days work into 3? Your colleagues need some performance management

[GeoffLeopard]

I would reiterate much of the comments on here. Though will add that angrily whispering really awful swearwords in the toilets helps me wind down after such comments...