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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think its strange someone single and child free wanting to work part time

161 replies

Oolva · 29/10/2015 18:04

Ive got someone on my team without any children and late 2o's. Wants to work part time. It will cause me a bit of effort as will need to get a new hire in to cover the other days and I'm a bit annoyed with all the investment ive made on custom equipment (several grand!) And training courses. I could refuse on buisness grounds but I probably won't.

Aibu to think its q bit odd? He's saying he will have to work forvever and can't afford a house but I think he's shot himself in the foot as if he worked harder could afford a pension and a house eventually.

OP posts:
SolidGoldBrass · 29/10/2015 22:50

If you had to buy specially adapted computer equipment for this employee that suggests to me that he has some kind of medical condition/disability. Which surely suggests that the reason he wants to work fewer hours is because he's not well enough to work full time. Are you aware of him having something like arthritis or fibromyalgia? If not, why did you buy the special computer stuff in the first place?

AliMonkey · 29/10/2015 23:06

I used to work in a role where about 70% of us were part time and most did not have kids. All joined FT then asked to reduce hours once they got to a certain level of seniority (ie a good salary). Reasons included voluntary work, college course, playing golf, health issues, practising an instrument and generally just a better work life balance. My current employer asked if I might go FT when my kids were older and my response was "why would I want to given I get paid plenty already?" I can't imagine ever going FT unless DH lost his job.

EBearhug · 29/10/2015 23:41

If he goes part time, he'll still be using the desk and so on when he is at work. He just wouldn't be using them as much.

maddening · 29/10/2015 23:50

One bonus of filling a full time post with two partime employees is that the risk of sickness, leaving etc is halved - if one is sick at least there is another person who may even step up hours to cover those you are losing for example.

BikeRunSki · 30/10/2015 00:02

He doesn't have to justify why he wants to work p/t; the employer has to justify why he can't.

Devora · 30/10/2015 00:04

I think it's really important that flexible working is for everyone. For as long as it's seen that only mothers will or should work PT, flexible working will be seen as basically a welfare provision for working mothers. And we'll be resented and denigrated. So good for him.

Kewcumber · 30/10/2015 00:06

I worked a 4 day week before children. It was lovely.

Shebangsthedrumsshedoes · 30/10/2015 00:35

You'll only be paying him for the hours he works. You'll not be doing him any favours. If he works 3 days. You'll only pay him for 3 days. The other days are his own.

Mehitabel6 · 30/10/2015 07:14

I think the choice of flexible working should be given to everyone and can't see why you need to give reasons or justify it.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 30/10/2015 07:34

You've made adjustments which suggest he has a disablity, which by the way you have to do by law. Working fewer hours is also a reasonable adjustment.

I'm in my thirties, single and childless, and only work 16 hours, I'm aspergers and the energy it takes me to be 'social' ie just around people even collagues is exhausting . I Often fall a sleep on the bus home or if I haven't I'll be asleep from 3.30 to 6. I'd love to work longer hours but I know I can't. Then there's my support time that I have to fit in, some days my support workers have been at my home at 7/8 o clock at night. When frankly I want to be alone and they should be at home with their families.
I may look physically ok but I'm really not!

Sorry people like me are such an inconvenience to you, this why it's so hard to get a job when your disabled.

Original poster
Oolva · 30/10/2015 08:07

He isnt disabled, so please dont label me like that.

He has a trapped nerve and a back issues from playing rugby.

OP posts:
BlackbirdsInaPie · 30/10/2015 08:15

Oh yes, let's categorise the single and the childless as "strange" - such a good management approach.

CuteAsaF0x · 30/10/2015 08:20

Do you not think the OP gets it now. She posted looking for an other perspective she has it.

I'm so sick of reading posts where the OP is ripped apart, mocked and belittled in a pile-on.

I work part-time by the way!

Toomuch2young · 30/10/2015 08:22

Back issues can still be debilitating!
Maybe he is in pain? Maybe it's worse than he wanted to admit to you.
Or maybe the back is nothing to do with it and he wants more free time to study or enjoy a hobby. Or see friends and family. Or do up his house. Or any number of other things they some people value just as much or more than working!
Part time work has changed my life so much for the better.

MotherOfFlagons · 30/10/2015 08:23

God, I wish I could go PT. I do a freelance thing outside work and it would be great to be able to spend more time on it. I'd happily take a pay cut and work fewer hours but my company doesn't believe in that kind of thing.

We don't have DCs.

RattieOfCatan · 30/10/2015 08:29

YABU. Whilst I'm not single I work part time. I've done full time and I enjoy having a life outside of work! I have got underlying health issues but even if I didn't, my work-life balance is so much better now. I do get quite ill when I work full time and I can't do a thing outside of work, including cooking/cleaning my own home. You wouldn't know it from seeing me at work though.

StillDrSethHazlittMD · 30/10/2015 08:37

What Spectre said with bells on. Childfree man here.

Trills · 30/10/2015 08:38

It is unusual.

I wish it wasn't.

NaughtToThreeSadOnions · 30/10/2015 08:47

Er he has a back injury - that is a disablity! And I actually know how disabling back injuries can be my mother had to stop work for 3 years because of a slipped disc. We have a herdrity degenerative spinal issue in the females in my family, again we all look fine, we're really not!

Believeitornot · 30/10/2015 08:50

I think more people should work part time if they can and want to.

lieselvontwat · 30/10/2015 09:03

If he could afford a property on his own and a pension if he worked full time, the role must be pretty well paid considering how much twentysomethings have to pay to access those these days. Well paid enough that he could live on the wage for doing it part time. So no, not odd at all. Unusual maybe, as there aren't many single twentysomethings who can afford to do that. But not odd for one of the ones who can to do it.

Original poster
Oolva · 30/10/2015 09:16

He hasn't that much of a back injory, he still manages to play rugby very often. Thats why Im not calling it a disability.

Anyway thanks for the oo I posted for another view and I got it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Oolva · 30/10/2015 09:18

No he can't afford a pension or a home. That's why I find it odd to be honest. If he owned his own home with a small debt I'd understand. Its kind of like he's giving up on ever owning a home or ever retiring.

OP posts:
RunRabbitRunRabbit · 30/10/2015 09:18

A great place I worked, years ago, had lots of 4 day weekers. It was brilliant. Most of them were men (I am in male dominated, grey suit industry). They had their own start up businesses, hobbies, music jobs, shared care of old mum, sports, kept a horse, property development, masters degrees, and yes childcare, all sorts of stuff.

The culture that it was completely normal to work 4 days if you wanted without elaborate jusitification or seeming weird meant women with children who chose to work part time were not sidelined.

OP please encourage good attitudes like this. Glad to see you are listening and checking your own prejudices. Good for you.

Hygellig · 30/10/2015 09:24

My sister says she'd like to work part-time if she could afford it and would spend the time horse-riding or doing other hobbies.

I had a part-time job at 29 but that was because I couldn't find a full-time one. I would say it is unusual to request it at that age, mainly for financial reasons, but someone could have elderly parents or a demanding hobby or be writing a novel.

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