Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Colleague trying to make me go FT!

98 replies

Urubu · 22/06/2018 08:36

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!

OP posts:

dinosaurkisses · 22/06/2018 14:19

I’d open a Word document and makes notes of what interactions you’ve had with her, what was said and what you’ve overheard her saying to other colleagues about the situation, with times and dates if you can remember.

The follow up with an email to her as outlined above, stating your final position. Keep a record of it in your mailbox.

When you speak to your manager, make it clear that she’s made you feel uncomfortable and it’s embarrassing to have this aired in front of other colleagues, and that it’s essential that the manager makes it clear to CF that if she has any issues with her working pattern it’s to be addressed to him, not you.

3luckystars · 22/06/2018 14:19

Her contract is nothing to do with yours.

Email you manager confirming your own contract. Don't ask, just CONFIRM these are your hours and you wish them to stay the same.

She sounds really unprofessional and a bit stupid that she doesn't understand that you are not the Manager, you each have your own position and its not pie, you are not taking anything from her. Your contract is already agreed.

purplemunkey · 22/06/2018 14:32

the job clearly can be done part time

Again, such nonsense. I've had two part time jobs now, both times employed as part time staff. I had the same job title, job description and duties as FT staff in the same role - but with 60% of the workload as that was what I'd been contracted to. I wasn't doing a FT job in 3 days.

UghFletcher · 22/06/2018 14:37

Wow, what an utter twunt your colleague is.

Next time she asks, simply shut her down by reminding her that the discussion about her hours needs to take place with her manager not you. You are NOT AT ALL responsible for her working pattern.

As with every request for flexible working, she needs to submit this to HR and her manager and liaise with them.

An email to your boss summarising her actions so far is in order as this is harassment at the very least. She needs to stop and the manager needs to know what she has been doing

UtterlyRainbowed · 22/06/2018 14:58

Oh Jesus this sounds like something my friend would do! She is such a bulldozer. Best way to deal with her is just say "No. This is not a discussion. It's a no." Then refuse to talk about it again.

In a professional environment: explain to the manager what's happening and let them deal with it x

Original poster

Urubu · 22/06/2018 17:03

Why not do 4 days each?
Because I wouldn't have accepted the job initially on 4 days a week.
No news, hopefully this won't go further - at least not for me, I mean if she convinces Manager to hire someone else to allow her to go PT I would be happy for her.

OP posts:

flumposie · 22/06/2018 17:27

She is a C.F. She needs to find a new job part time instead of asking for yours.

PrincessCuntsuelaVaginaHammock · 22/06/2018 17:50

Two people doing 4 days each would also be a problem for the company, since there's 8.5 days work needing done.

ikeepaforkinmypurse · 22/06/2018 17:59

that's easily solved, the OP can do a few hours of unpaid overtime to make up for the difference

whilst we are on CF territory!

Iggi999 · 22/06/2018 19:39

@purplemunkey you misunderstand me. I mean the role is capable of being done by people working part time, obviously you’d need two people to make up the hours.
If the cost of recruiting was a knock down argument against granting flexible work then no one would ever get flexible working arrangements. But in fact loads of people do. There are costs to the employer every time someone goes on maternity leave, should we stop that too?

User467 · 22/06/2018 19:53

Your hours are nothing to do with hers and there's zero guarantee that even if you did decide to increase your hours that she would be allowed to reduce hers. She's being very unreasonable asking.

I work for the NHS where part time requests are often accommodated. After DC1 I was refused part time hours even though others in the dept worked part time. It was on the basis that the particular job I did couldn't be done part time. I appealed the decision but I would never have used other people's hours as a reason. After DC2 I moved jobs in order to work part time. This meant working full time for a year when I really didn't want to and then risking leaving a permanent contract for a temporary one to get the balance I needed. No chance would I be pressured into changing that so someone else could just be handed he hours the want

OnlyaMan · 22/06/2018 19:53

Urubu, your colleagues' behaviour sounds to me like "standard whinging", not bullying. I would not take the advice of some posters to treat this as a serious workplace issue-it gets a bit hysterical sometimes on this site. I think you have done all that you need to do by stating
"I thought about your offer to take some of your working days but I have decided against changing my agreed work pattern. If you want to re-negociate yours I think you need to talk to Manager"
When your colleague finds out from the boss that she cannot be given your job, I suspect her pleadings and complaints will then be directed to the boss-and perhaps your boss's boss. Or she might even give up.
Either way, you are out of it all.
Good luck!

CoughLaughFart · 22/06/2018 19:57

Iggi - It’s not about stopping people from going part-time; post-mat leave or not. It’s that this woman has been told ‘No’ and, rather than getting on with it, she’s trying to force the OP to change her pre-agreed hours.

BakedBeans47 · 22/06/2018 20:05

I would say the same to her as I do to my kids when they keep badgering me about something “the answer’s no, I’ve already told you, and don’t ask again”.

Presumably she’s already asked for flexible working if she’s been told no, so tough bloody shit, she can suck it up til she can make another request in a year or go and find another job that suits her better. Your working pattern is not her business. She’s a CF.

whiteroseredrose · 22/06/2018 20:10

You agreed to 3.5 days when recruited, she agreed to 5.0 days. If she wants to change her hours it's her problem not yours.

TantricTwist · 22/06/2018 20:11

She should only be dealing with the manager as her working hours have got nothing to do with yours or anyone else's for that matter.

Just tell her each time to take it up with the manager as everyone's hours at work and their wages are their own business.

TantricTwist · 22/06/2018 20:15

OP don't even get involved with talking to your manager about this other than asking him to politely ask her to refrain from discussing her hours and your hours in front of other colleagues as you feel harassed in the work place by it. And harassment is a sackable offence.

ForgetMeNotCat · 22/06/2018 20:16

I asked the company i worked for full time if i could go back part time after mat leave. (Others did work there part time.) They said "no only full time" so i got myself a part time job somewhere else. Didn't occur to me to go back full time and try and force a part time employee to swap with me

TantricTwist · 22/06/2018 20:19

Do not cave OP as they probably are hoping she will leave of her own accord as by the sounds of it she is a nightmare employee.

I am so angry for you that she is discussing this openly at work in front of you and other colleagues, she is being totally unprofessional.

lulu12345 · 22/06/2018 20:21

I'd pull her aside on her own after this next happens and have a serious word. Tell her you're finding it very inappropriate and not to mention it again. Don't make light of it or be sarcastic etc as others have suggested. Keep it serious and she will get the message.

StealthPolarBear · 22/06/2018 20:23

This is nothing to do with you, you just need to convince her!

dinosaurkisses · 22/06/2018 20:32

@OnlyaMan The colleague has already had her request declined by the business and has asked the OP on multiple occasions to swap working patterns.

She has shown she has no intention of backing down, which is why the OP has had the raise the issue with her manager. Hopefully yes, after the manager has a word this will stop, but it does no harm for OP to keep a record of what’s happened so far which is what precious posters are suggesting.

Sheldonoscopy · 29/06/2018 10:07

Any update op? She left it alone yet?

Flip

1 2 3 4

Swipe left for the next trending thread