To think if you want to work pt you may as well burn your qualifications

[Metoodear]

Having a chat with dh in the car that whatever field your in barr social work and nurseing as a women if you want to go full time

You may as well bun your qualifications because your pretty much going to be unable to find somthing with out taking a demontion or to get the summer off

I have friends who have degrees in mandarin,physiology I had a friend who worked as a high flyer Manger who had to resign as they wouldn’t allow PT work none of my friends work in their degree field because they can’t get the work pt

I myself have had to turn two jobs down one paying 25k and the other paying 28k because they wouldn’t allow PT work

I now earn 700 per month and work 3 days a week

I worked PT (as a middle grade hospital doctor) for close to 10 years. However as a consultant it is harder to hold a senior, management position PT. I think 0.75 is possible but not really less than that.

I'm a teacher and have worked with PT teachers and TAs for 25 years. Both when returning from mat leave and later in life towards retirement. I know many professionals who work from home at least 1 day a week, or work flexi time. There was a report in the news just yesterday pointing out that there are now more part time GPS than full time.

I work for a massive global corporate.... working part time has prevented access to some positions, but no, not the same as burning my qualifications at all.

35 hours a week is standard in my industry, 37 and a half if you’re unlucky.

Agree that whilst you might be able to return to work part time, there’s no actual part-time jobs advertised.

I do think it helps to have your foot in the door first as a PP said. I’m very grateful for my workplaces emphasis on supporting flexible working requests; I’ve been pretty much given free reign regarding which hours I’d like to work after both bouts of maternity leave - however I started there full time.

I’m not sure a standard UK work week is the best balance - don’t we have some of the highest average working hours in Europe? I’m currently working mornings and plan to increase but condense into 4 days - I really struggle to fit everything in with any degree of success unless I am at least slightly part time.

My DH has between 10-15% of his lawyers who work part-time at his firm.

There are 350 lawyers so about 42 part-time. (Spread over 4 offices).

My work were brilliant when I asked to go part time.

However I did have problems afterwards - trouble filtering my full time job into a 0.6 role, really it should have become a job share. It got dumbed down and has become unfulfilling.

There's a few part time staff at my place and I notice that none get promoted despite being hard workers. I think it's cos employer wants staff to put in 60 hour weeks (paid for 37 though) and part time staff can't offer that.

I'm job hunting but struggling.

Not true in my experience.

I am a professional in a traditionally male field and worked 2 days a weeks for 16 years. Really generous annual leave and flexi time, made it all incredibly easy for me and I have progressed in my career at the same rate as if I had worked ft.

PT hospital consultant - not a problem for me

Another big 4 accountant here (EY), very flexible working arrangements and we would actively recruit the right person into a part time role.

I agree.

Not my experience either. I went back three days a week after maternity leave.

Like EdWinchester I too am in a male dominated industry, working as a Principal engineer. I have worked 3 days a week for 20yrs, one of those always at home, more if I needed to as DC were growing up.

I haven't progressed into management, but am not that way inclined so wouldn't have wanted such progression even if FT.

Many of the female professional staff, and some of the male professional staff, are PT, with all PT combinations represented, including one project manager who finishes early each day and then has a day off. She manages to travel to Clients when necessary, flexibility works both ways. I certainly do not want to burn my qualifications - they are key to my work!

I know several part time occupational therapists, physiotherapists, GPs, teachers (primary and secondary), lecturers, educational psychologists, executive PAs and researchers who all work part time. All are female. I lot of these jobs are what you might term 'caring professions' and are either female-dominated or have a large female workforce though. I think that at my GP surgery, every single female GP works part-time!

I’m in technology in Financial Services and there are lots of pt / flex roles for women and men. Some may not get advertised but once you are there, you can make a flex working request and, from what I’ve seen, it will usually get accommodated unless it’s entirely impractical.

A 35 hour week with a short commute and preferably an employer who allows flexible working leaves plenty of room for family life.

Most professional I know work 60 hours weeks and cut down to 3 days a week so they work 36 hours a week. I know part time consultants, GP and teachers although unless maths or physics these post can be few are far between in secondary.

Definitely lots of part timers and job shared in the civil service. I work FT but save my flexi and have almost all the school holidays off (I work 3 of the 6 weeks in the summer - as otherwise not fair on the rest of the team).

I don’t think you’re being unreasonable and I know of plenty of women in this situation but maybe it’s our industry.

I worked for a company for 12 years and had my request for part time working declined even though my line manager said they were perfectly happy for me to do it but upper management didn’t want to set a precedent so instead were happy for extensive department/company knowledge to leave. I returned after my first maternity leave on condensed full time hours but second time round I couldn’t get childcare for DC2 so had no option but to leave.

I’m applying for jobs but now realistically waiting it out until I can get both kids into before/after school care but it’s so over subscribed I could be another 3-4 years before I can get places which tbf I’d be in the same situation working or not and one friend has worked all through years 1-4 but might have to leave her job once her child goes to school as she has no before/after childcare.

Depends what field you are in. I teach FE and a fair few of my colleagues are part time. For example there are study skills tutors for the access courses and some of them only work three days a week. I also know a few supply teachers and that works well around their family.

A lot of academic and third sector jobs are p/t.
Even people who want f/t end up doing two p/t jobs.

Many people I know in financial services work p/t.

My wife is a part time GP. Her brother is also part time. In that profession, there seems to be pretty good flexibility. Salaried GP posts are available for anything from 3 half-day sessions up. It's pretty unheard of for anyone to do more than 8 sessions (but that's basically full time once paperwork is completed). Part time work is so normal that salaries are generally quoted per session (e.g. "£8,000 a session", meaning a three-day week gets you £48,000 per annum).

I teach in a secondary school, and my head of department is part time.

Try being a stay at home mum for 20 years due to two children with autism ,not in school having tutors s at home.....might as well not bothered to get a degree for all the good it's done me

My son is nearly 5 and it's taken me a few years to sort this out.

Was working in a senior management position, but was travelling across Europe and with the UK office 40 miles from home was no option after maternity leave.

After a very bad experience taking a new senior position more locally, and I was very unsupported (given dirty looks for going to collect my child at the end of the day!), I left and took a demotion and move into Finacial Services to get a 4 day per week role.

Whole situation really knocked my confidence and it's only in the past year I've been able to put myself out there again, and move to a role in a sector I'm more interested in. I'm still at a lower managerial level than I was pre kids, but will work my way back up over time.

Doesn't help that I work in a generally male dominated industry. I was told by a recruiter once, 'you're not a very appealing option, there will always be a man as good as you, that is willing to do full time and more!'

Whole thing is extremely depressing and seems very hit and miss what situation a woman may find themselves.

I worked in marketing for 4 years.

They refused me part time work after my first DC and wouldn't even let me drop hours from 9-6 down to 9-5

I had no choice but to not return as every nursery or other childcare option in this area were absolutely not flexible about closing by 6pm they all wanted pick up done by 5.50pm.