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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask why are part time workers disliked?

285 replies

CherryCocoa · 01/01/2021 19:08

I've recently returned to work but part time. It would appear that a lot of people higher than me are not keen on part time workers but I don't understand why? I work hard, I am conscientious, none of my work is passed to anyone else, but yet I'm still looked down on for being part time. Is it seen as lazy maybe? I work 30+ hours a week, I have a baby to look after and a house to run and obviously my pay is pro rata to account for less hours. I'm not a lazy person at all. I just don't get it, can anyone shed the light for me please?

OP posts:
Someone1987 · 01/01/2021 19:55

I think people are jelous that they have to be in work many more hours than they'd like to afford their lifestyle and they're jelous that someone else can work less and have a more work life balance than them and get to enjoy their time more and being able to earn enough on part time wage.

tappitytaptap · 01/01/2021 19:55

@StephenBelafonte

A huge proportion of women work part time just to receive tax credits in my experience. It's not the job they want, it's the tax credits and all other associated benefits that come with it. I'm not saying everyone, but a sizable majority.

It puts people like the OP at a disadvantage because inevitably, we all get tarred with the same brush.

Really? I work in a professional role where lots of women (and some men) work similar hours to the OP. I’m pretty sure not a single one of them qualifies for tax credits!
D4rwin · 01/01/2021 19:55

m0therofdragons

An insult is an insult. If "Part timer" is an insult what the fuck does that say about the attitudes of full time employees towards their part time colleagues. How can you not understand how that is problematic?

Hardbackwriter · 01/01/2021 19:56

@D4rwin

Hardbackwriter So ..... you haven't experienced it. Was there anything else you were going to say or add or was this an effort to discredit. In which case you should add the words "I don't believe you" or "You are wrong". I have not worked in a university for 12 years. But I have definitely heard part timer used as an insult in two universities.
I wasn't saying I don't believe you've experienced it, but I also don't think it's as universal as you seemed to be suggesting. I think the thread is becoming really quite dispiriting for part-time workers so I thought it would be nice to point out that this isn't a given or found in all workplaces.
C8H10N4O2 · 01/01/2021 19:56

A huge proportion of women work part time just to receive tax credits in my experience. It's not the job they want, it's the tax credits and all other associated benefits that come with it. I'm not saying everyone, but a sizable majority

Any shred of evidence for this claim that most part time women are glorified scroungers?

Covidpleasegoaway · 01/01/2021 19:57

I can only speak from my own experience -

Full time workers are often expected to work over and above their hours until the work gets done, but part time workers seem to stick to their hours 'because that's what they're paid for'.

There seems to be an attitude among some industries / employers that if you're full time, you're owned by your employer and jobs are rarely 9-5, and you're paid your salary whether you work 40 hours or 60 hours per week. But part time workers seem to have don't have that same expectation - if they're paid for 30 hours they only work 30 hours, or they may as well be full time.

The resentment is caused by the employer though.

Jangle33 · 01/01/2021 19:57

It’s because you are less available for meetings and if a question/new but about your work comes in you aren’t there. Assuming a professional job.

BackforGood · 01/01/2021 19:59

However, as MojoMoon , RandyGiles06 and others have said, there are barriers to work around, particularly if there are several PT staff to work round different working hours and days.

D4rwin · 01/01/2021 20:00

Hardbackwriter
Probably better to refer to your positive experiences of part time work then, as that wasn't very clear.

Girlyracer · 01/01/2021 20:00

Part-time workers can be good workers fir the hours they are there but it's everything else around them that's a nightmare for a manager. Who is doing what on what day? Who will cover the 2 days when the other person who usually covers is on holiday or leave?

Also there's a trend. I work over 3 offices. 2 offices are all full-time. 3rd office loads of part-time workers. New person starts in the 3rd office as full-time, there a while then a request comes in for part-time working. It's like there's something in the water. I know the details of why they're asking and I'm sometimes baffled.

If a more senior worker asks for part-time, in my opinion that's their chances of progression stuffed. They may not have wanted progression, but if they did, forget it.

And working part-time to top up on state benefits is shitty behaviour. Yeah, let the rest of us pay for you?!

Dreahil1 · 01/01/2021 20:01

[quote CherryCocoa]@Dreahil1 I just want to respond to your "some of us want to raise our children not be at work 40hours". I would love to be able to afford to stay at home or work less hours but it simply isn't possible. Some people can't choose that option. I'm not sure you meant it to come across the way it did though.[/quote]
Hi. No I didn’t I’m a little take back that you have tagged me. But you also stated that you don’t claim WTC (I know you didn’t mention WTC first btw). The same way you responded. I responded to a poster too.

Absolutely I hear you. I’m a single parent and I just have DS and I work part time because I have lack of childcare so I think people assume people’s circumstances it’s not always possible to work full time depending on your industry. My work place starts at 7am.

Im sure you didn’t mean to come across that way either OP

woodlands01 · 01/01/2021 20:02

Secondary teacher here in a core, busy department with a number of part time staff. In fact out boss is part time (0.8). Generally works well and our boss very accomodating as she understands the issues of raising children and childcare. Generally those who work part-time work above and beyond and are well respected for this. There is always the piss-taker though, who swans in to do a bit, takes no responsibility for split classes and planning. These people do not end up being with us on a permanent basis (just to fill gaps) and everyone knows it is the individual rather than the fact they are part time.

CherryCocoa · 01/01/2021 20:03

@BlueThistles "appear" upon discussions with my fellow PT colleagues. It's not just me.

@BlairCorneliaWaldorf I don't have clients. Management's role is to manage the organisation, not oversee my role. Like I have previously said it's like me stacking shelves. It's annoying that I'm not in but as the consumer you'll still get your oats and for management the oats are still on the shelves whether I'm there or not. I don't know how else to explain it.

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 01/01/2021 20:03

I work 30hours a week, I don't feel looked down on but then again I feel like I do more work than the full timers anyway ! We have a few working 3 days a week, it's annoying when they say they can't take a new referral as they aren't back for a few days, so they end up with less things to do, they always seem to use it as an excuse, so a referral will come in at 3pm on a monday and part timer will say " Oh i can't take that in case it needs following up and I'm not back until thursday ".

FoxyBadger · 01/01/2021 20:05

I've worked PT for over 10 years, since mat leave. My previous Team Manager was very good, respected my decision to work the hours I did and also respected and utilised my many years experience in our industry.
Have anew Team Manager now and suddenly PT is an issue. I'm clearly a PITA to her and just get overlooked now whilst she passes everything to my FT colleague.
She makes a huge issue over working out holiday allowances/ pro rata targets, scheduling meetings.
So for me, it's due directly to Manager not actually working PT.

HamishDent · 01/01/2021 20:05

The thing is, working part time is a lifestyle choice which has a direct impact on the business and colleagues. There are advantages of course e.g employee retention, but there is an impact.

OrangeGinLemonFanta · 01/01/2021 20:05

I honestly think some people forget that PT workers get paid less. I had a dig about it once and pointed out there was nothing stopping them applying to lose a third of their take-home salary and pension contributions each month. Cue jaw dropping and nothing more ever being said.

waydownwego · 01/01/2021 20:05

@Covidpleasegoaway

I can only speak from my own experience -

Full time workers are often expected to work over and above their hours until the work gets done, but part time workers seem to stick to their hours 'because that's what they're paid for'.

There seems to be an attitude among some industries / employers that if you're full time, you're owned by your employer and jobs are rarely 9-5, and you're paid your salary whether you work 40 hours or 60 hours per week. But part time workers seem to have don't have that same expectation - if they're paid for 30 hours they only work 30 hours, or they may as well be full time.

The resentment is caused by the employer though.

This.

If you work in a profession where people don't get paid for overtime, the amount of extra hours a full-time employee does vs a part-time employer is hugely disproportionate.

VienneseWhirligig · 01/01/2021 20:05

I manage two part time people (not job shares) and two full time people. One of the part timers is a pain in the arse. She rarely completes her (proportionally adjusted) workload on time, won't admit when she needs support so things build up and she panics, and is at risk of underperformance. She has no small children at home and genuinely believes she is managing.

The other part timer does the same hours, and is always on top of her game and wanting more to do. She started to cover for her colleague in the summer to minimise the fallout from the work building up, so I suggested that instead she buddy the other person rather than do their work. She undertakes loads of development opportunities and is as prolific as the full time staff despite her official workload being adjusted to her hours - she just works quicker and is very high performing.

For me, I am frustrated with one of my 4 direct reports, but not because she is part time. It's because she is not willing to improve her working practices or tackle the areas she is weaker - I suspect she dislikes the job but says she doesn't want to change role because she likes our team. I would feel equally frustrated if she were full time and acting in the same way.

I used to work part time myself so I definitely have no preconceptions.

BillMasheen · 01/01/2021 20:07

@AlexaShutUp

No, I don't think people consider part-time workers lazy.

If I'm totally honest (and it pains me to say this because I know how important flexible working is to keep women in the workplace), PT staff can be a bit of a pain in the arse for managers because it takes more time to manage multiple part timers than full timers - e.g. if someone is, say, 0.5FTE, they still need the same amount of regular 1:1s, appraisals etc. Having two 0.5FTE staff takes up twice as much of the manager's time as one 1FTE person. Then training tends to be less efficient, as the PT person still needs to attend as much training but proportionately, it takes far more time out of their working hours, and it costs twice as much to train two PT staff as it does one FT person. And there are actually very few part time roles in my experience where there is genuinely nothing for others to pick up on their days off, even if it's pretty minimal.

There are some advantages to having PT staff, too. There is less impact, for example, from one PT person going off sick if there are other PT staff in similar roles. Holiday cover is also less of a headache, and when PT are able to do additional hours to help in busy periods, that can be very helpful.

Of course, the biggest advantage of PT working is that you are able to retain the skills and contributions of valued members of staff who might otherwise seek employment elsewhere that better suits their work-life balance. As a feminist, I'm very keen to support women to stay in the workplace, and so I have always tried my very hardest to support requests for PT working - in fact, I don't think I have ever refused one yet - but if I'm totally honest, my heart often sinks a bit when people ask to reduce their hours. It's a pain that I'm wiling to suck up, because I value my team and want them to have a good work-life balance...but I know that it will create more work for me and push costs up in the longer term.

I came on to say exactly this tbh.

As a manager there upsides and downsides to my PT staff. I’m lucky in that my part timers are amazing and knowledgeable and I’d far rather have 0.5 of their time that none at all, but I’d be lying if it wasn’t an occasional PITA when something crops up on their days off and I think ‘Jean would have had this sorted in 10 minutes ... if only it Had been a Thursday‘

So yes, in order to hang on to Jean, I have double the appraisals and management stuff but on the other hand I have the formidable combined Knowledge of Jean and Heather for the Price of one person plus a Bit.

Burnthurst187 · 01/01/2021 20:08

Part time workers are seen by many as not being committed to the job

For context, I am part time

BlairCorneliaWaldorf · 01/01/2021 20:09

But what if there is a run on oats and the oat shelf needs restocking? Confused

Bit difficult to say more OP without knowing what you actually do.

wellthatsunusual · 01/01/2021 20:12

I've not experienced this personally but I've been astounded over the years by how many people think that if you go part time you still retain your full time salary. So they think that women (it's usually women) go part time and are being paid the same as full time staff for less work.

CherryCocoa · 01/01/2021 20:13

@Dreahil1 I apologise for the tag and subsequent one. I'm sure I misunderstood your point. I too start early and childcare is hard to organise.

OP posts:
BonnieDundee · 01/01/2021 20:15

I have been part time and full time. I think I got more done (per hour) when I worked till lunchtime then went home. I'm not lazy but there is definitely more down time in a full day than a half day. When part time I had to be really on the ball to keep on top of everything

Can definitely see how it would be PITA to managers though

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