Colleague trying to make me go FT!

[Urubu]

I am working part-time, 3.5 days a week.
This has been arranged when I was hired and I said from the beginning that I was only looking for 3 to 3.5 days, not more.

All good for a year, now a colleague who recently came back from ML have asked to switch to part-time and has been told no because of the workload.
We do the same kind of work, so to simplify, there is 8.5d worth of work to do, I do 3.5 so she has to do 5.

Her plan is now to convince me to go FT so she can go PT herself!
AIBU to say sorry but no?!
She brings it up every day, in front of other colleagues, argues that her DC are younger (mine are primary school aged), that I enjoyed being PT so now it is her turn etc.
So annoying!

She shouldn't be bringing it up every day, no way. But I don't blame her for asking in the first place.

Just tell her to stop bringing it up?

She’s not trying to make you, but she’s being very annoying and unprofessional.

Have a word and tell her she’s making you uncomfortable so she has to stop bringing it up all the time, especially in front of other people. That it’s not going to happen no matter how much she bangs on about it so that’s that.

Asking once on the off chance you would prefer to be FT instead of PT is fine. Pushing it every day is out of line. Tell her to look for different, part time job. Possibly say if she doesn’t, you will?

That’s tough luck. It’s your job. She will either have to stop harassing you or look for a new job!!

The next time she brings it up, fix her with a sunny smile and say 'I am not changing my hours. We've discussed this and it simply isn't happening. If you bring this up again, especially in front of people, I'll have to take things further.'

And if she brings it up again, complain to your boss. It's fine, as a pp has said, to ask once, but it's not fine to harp on and on about it.

Tell her full stop no you arnt changing. You negotiated it and it’s none of her business. Don’t suggest she gets another job or anything like that just state your position and if she brings it up just point blank ignore the convo.

I expect your work colleagues are fed up of it too.

Just don’t engage with her over this.

I have asked her to stop bringing it up but I think she believes that if she "proves" that she needs the time off more than me she will get it.
She doesn't always talk to me directly, but discuss it with colleagues from other teams when I am next to them.

Then you’re going to have to go to your manager.

And of course, fine to ask once.

Ok after your update I would warn her first and tel her ifthis continues she’s harassing you and you will escalate it to management.

She also sounds a bit thick.

YANBU to not want to go full time, and to want her to stop bringing it up.

YABU to be sneery towards her wanting to do the exact thing that you are already choosing to do. It's not fair that she can't choose to work part time. Everyone should have a chance if that's what they want to do. Your company should look at whether they need to rearrange their workforce, change roles around, or hire another part timer to fill the gap. Perhaps you two could work together to see how it could work to rearrange things so that you both can get what you want (eg 3 part timers doing 3 days per week each?). We had two staff wanting part time, and they got together, went to the boss with a well laid out plan for how it could work and got it approved.

Time to have a chat with your manager, methinks.

She needs to look for a part time job like you had to.

Its tantamount to bullying. Raise it with your manager/HR.

Midnite

Sorry, but the first part of your post is bonkers. Just because this woman wants a part time post doesn't mean the company are required to bend over backwards to make the opportunity for her. I am extremely flexible to work requests (I think there are very few people in our office who work standard hours, actually), but I wouldn't consider hiring an additional person just to make someone's hours work. That's an additional person to manage!

If two employees came to me with a cooperative plan to work better hours for both of them, that's different, but to be honest, can you imagine this woman cooperating? She just wants what OP has and is going about it in a very sneaky fashion.

Someone who sees their entitlement front and centre is almost never someone you want to bet on in business.

It's not fair that she can't choose to work part time. She can, just not at that place of work. Hardly fair to try and force, bully and cajole someone out of their own job

You looked for a part time job, applied for it and got it. She needs to do the same not try and take your job off you

You were employed to work part time and that’s what you do. She needs to stop bringing it up and speak to her manager. It’s not your problem. If she’s unhappy, then she needs to look for another part time role for herself, just as you did. I work part time too and wouldn’t appreciate this attitude either.

midnight

Where did you see the op as sneery?

Go to boss and HR and complain if she keeps doing it.
If she wants a part time job she can go find one

'I am not changing my hours. We've discussed this and it simply isn't happening. If you bring this up again, especially in front of people, I'll have to take things further.'

That sounds like a perfect response, because clearly she is incapable of being reasoned with, but why not give her a final chance to knock it off before reporting her.

This isn't your burden to bear. I can see why management are reluctant, if you do 3.5 days and she does 3.5 days that leaves a 1.5 day job. These low hours part time jobs can be very difficult to fill and job shares don't always work.

OP wasn’t the least bit sneery. Her appointment was predicated on a three day week, whereas CF is now seeking to vary the terms of hers. Employer must consider flexible working, but isn’t compelled to accommodate this woman. She asked; she didn’t get. She is now being tremendously annoying, and it’s time for her to stop. You’ve done bugger-all wrong, OP.