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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you’re part time you should work on days off

222 replies

Parttimeprisoner · 18/12/2018 17:47

Having a slight disagreement with my boss today and wondered what other people thought.

I work PT (20 hours a week) my boss said today ‘when you work PArt time you’re expected to do work from home when you’re not in the office’

I disagree, I’m not paid for more than my hours. I have 3 children, on my days off I don’t have time to work! I get my work done on my days there. Anything that pops up can wait imo. I’m not paid incredibly generously either - just over minimum wage.

I don’t get sick pay or holiday pay (whole other story!) and thought it was bloody cheeky that he’d suggest I should be working on my days off. He said it would be expected at any other company and is the norm.

Opinions?

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 18/12/2018 17:48

He’s talking hillocks.

LyndaLaHughes · 18/12/2018 17:48

Your boss is a CF!

PurpleDaisies · 18/12/2018 17:48

Hillocks?!!! That should say “bollocks”.

TakeAChanseyOnMe · 18/12/2018 17:48

Shock definitely not. That wouldn’t be part time, that’d be working from home some of the week.

StealthPolarBear · 18/12/2018 17:49

Does everyone else work Saturday and Sunday

ADastardlyThing · 18/12/2018 17:49

Ask him if he expects the full timers to work on their days off.

MamaLovesMango · 18/12/2018 17:49

Um no...because then you’d be working full time. Tell him you’ll do it if he can get written confirmation you’ll be paid for your time working at home. Do you have a good HR department?

MIdgebabe · 18/12/2018 17:49

Not expected where I work

Believeitornot · 18/12/2018 17:50
Hmm

Does he work on annual leave?

Actually don’t answer - he probably does.

Taffeta · 18/12/2018 17:50

Nah he can do one

I work PT and often check emails on my days off

Sometimes I reply to them if they are urgent but often I don’t

I only do it as I work for a v small start up and I like my boss

Perhaps that’s the bit he’s not getting?!

Nomorechickens · 18/12/2018 17:50

Is he paying you overtime?

ikltownofboothlehem · 18/12/2018 17:50

Ask him where it says that in your contract.

FuckOffAndWriteYourOwnArticles · 18/12/2018 17:51

If he pays you for 20 hours, you work for 20 hours.

He wants you to work more hours, he pays you more. It’s very basic maths. I’m surprised he’s made it as far as he has without being able to do simple sums.

WidowTwonky · 18/12/2018 17:51

Not sure if it’s the norm, but I do it. Unfortunately. My job was FR and I dropped to PT and that was the issue - the workload never really reduced in line with my hours.

So it’s unfair but it’s the way it is at my place.

But your manager is BU to explicitly state it

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 18/12/2018 17:51

If you are only just over minimum wage then any unpaid overtime would tip it into being illegal. That was the problem with Sports Direct and the warehouse.

Annasgirl · 18/12/2018 17:51

No you should not, but often it is expected. I worked with a PR person who did a 4 day week for us and always worked on her day off - I thought she was a fool as she was effectively doing her previous job for 4/5 of the pay!!!

He is a CF - can you report him to HR?

I also worked in a large company where loads of people worked a 4 day week, part of a long term union agreement and not one of them ever worked on their day off.

TBH that is why I have decided to return to a non corporate environment and retrain, it seems that marketing and PR people are expected to be "on" 24/7 nowadays - not that you might even work in these areas.

SerenDippitty · 18/12/2018 17:51

He’s talking bollocks. Hasn’t a leg to stand on.

Satsumaeater · 18/12/2018 17:52

In well paid jobs you might be expected to keep an eye on things on your days off. So yes, sometimes full time 9-5ers do work weekends.

I once had a similar discussion with a colleague - I was working 4.5 days a week. I used to leave early on a Wednesday so I could collect my ds from school. Someone came in around 12.30 (I used to leave at 1) and said they needed something doing that afternoon. I said I was leaving at 1. They gave me a "look". I just said the same as you OP, I was not being paid (in my case for 4.5 days) and they couldn't have it both ways (I had asked to compress my hours and they said no because they said it would be unfair on those regularly working longer hours than the norm) and had to collect my son from school.

Starlight456 · 18/12/2018 17:52

Nope . You are paid to work 20 hours

Panicmode1 · 18/12/2018 17:52

I work 2 short days a week, but manage buildings so have to check that tenants haven't got broken pipes or problems, so I check my emails and take phone calls and log my time for anything I do outside of my 'work hours'. I then take off the time in lieu (which works really well for me as I tend to save up my 'overtime' for half term etc). If I didn't get this time in lieu for time worked, I wouldn't work over my paid hours.

hendal · 18/12/2018 17:54

No no and no again. He is wrong.
I work part time too, I don’t even check my emails on my non-work days. It’s taking one time to “train” some people to understand that, luckily my boss isn’t one of them. In fact none of the management or senior staff expect to hear from me on my days off.

If he wants you working 5 days PW (including WFH in that) then he needs to pay you a full time wage.

SerenDippitty · 18/12/2018 17:54

Not sure if it’s the norm, but I do it. Unfortunately. My job was FR and I dropped to PT and that was the issue - the workload never really reduced in line with my hours.

This why I don’t wan’t to work part time. Hi chance of the workload reducing. Unless the job really is part time it’s not worth it.

NewPapaGuinea · 18/12/2018 17:56

He needs to work on his material. That’s a shite joke.

Potplant · 18/12/2018 17:56

It's not expected but i do often say, if it's really important then text me and I do check my email if I'm waiting for something. There's nobody to pick up the slack when I'm not there and sometimes it won't wait.

FYI, I refer to it as a non-working day. 'Day off' suggests leave. I have told people many times that it's not a day off, I don't get paid so I don't work.

PebbleDashed · 18/12/2018 17:56

Part-time means part-time. I might have done the occasional extra out of good will, but expecting it is out of order. Sadly it looks as if this is the way the whole employment market is going now: maximised work for minimum wages paid.