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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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:
thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 01/01/2021 21:31

@miserableannie

Being a mother isn't a disability
Wtf.

I work for myself now, not ft hours, I have 4 DC, 1 with SN. I'm far from lazy but I'm sure you think you can do more.

mummysherlock · 01/01/2021 21:32

I’ve never experienced any negativity working PT, however where I work there are more PT employees than FT employees so we are in the majority.
I’m not entitled to claim tax credits as DP’s income is too high

hammeringinmyhead · 01/01/2021 21:34

Hahaha. "Lazy". Do you really think my office days where I get my own personal space, a whole 30 minutes for lunch, a lovely quiet commute listening to music and some social contact are harder than 9 hours looking after a 2 year old Energizer bunny toddler by myself?

ItsIgginningtolookalotlikeXmas · 01/01/2021 21:35

@miserableannie

If I'm being honest, yes I think part time is lazy. Many of us have children and a house to run and many other things we have to do in live but can still work full time
I know others have commented on this already but really, what does it mean? On my "days off" I do a lot that makes weekends more pleasant for everyone. I can do clubs/swimming lessons after school for the dc and they enjoy not having wrap around childcare every single day of the week. I have a stressful job and would have little energy left if I had to do it full time as well as manage family work. Life, frankly, is too short. We have no support from family at all - should I call people who have family help with the dc lazy for not managing it all themselves?
MillieEpple · 01/01/2021 21:43

My dentist has tuesdays off to plays golf. He likes being part time as it keeps him fit.
My first boss finished at 11 every Friday to go to his country club for lunch and golf too. Stopped him being stressy.
My GP is part time as she wants to write a book.
Who cares if jts lazy. Its their life.

FestiveFruitloop · 01/01/2021 21:49

@miserableannie

If I'm being honest, yes I think part time is lazy. Many of us have children and a house to run and many other things we have to do in live but can still work full time
That's an apt username you've got there @miserableannie.

What the heck gives you the right to judge other people's life choices?

Fairyliz · 01/01/2021 21:50

I do think part timers work hard but as a manager it created a lot of extra work for me. So two members of staff to train and update. It was also difficult to keep up to date with what information I had passed on etc.

miserableannie · 01/01/2021 21:52

@festivefruitloop I can judge and have an opinion on anyone and anything I like love. I don't need anyone permission

LolaSmiles · 01/01/2021 21:53

In teaching I found that the usual complaint was that it made life awkward for the timetabler.
I've never been entirely convinced by this as I've had some terrible timetables and classes shared between 3 different colleagues, and all of us were full time!

iamyourequal · 01/01/2021 21:56

Sounds like sour grapes @miserableannie.
I managed to ‘run a house and raise kids’ perfectly well working FT too. It doesn’t make me lazy doing the same thing now on fewer hours. My ‘day off’ gives me time to take some exercise, batch cook healthy family meals and visit my elderly relatives. Your narrow mindedness is staggering.

BonnieDundee · 01/01/2021 21:57

The other PAs didn’t like the fact that my PA got to clock off at 2pm on the dot every day, she didn’t work one second more than was in her contract, whereas they, and in fact most people, were expected to do unpaid overtime in the busy periods.

If the company is expecting people to work unpaid overtime then the PA is not the one in the wrong

Re the lazy comment. It's called work life balance and working to live, not living to work. I'd do part time in a heartbeat if I could afford to. If you think work is more important than Anything else crack on but it isnt for me.

We all know.people who spend loads of time in the office, making endless.coffee.rounds, chatting at great length to everyone who.comes through the door while organising their social life and appointments all in work time, and telling everyone at great length how busy they are and tutting at people who leave on time.who have actually been working hard all day. That's lazy

problembottom · 01/01/2021 21:58

Bloody hell I work two days a week and wish I was lazy! Work is much less tiring than a day with my full on two-year-old. I've had no negativity at all but I don't job share, my new team were given me as an extra pair of hands so they love having the extra help on their busiest two days.

hammeringinmyhead · 01/01/2021 22:11

[quote miserableannie]@festivefruitloop I can judge and have an opinion on anyone and anything I like love. I don't need anyone permission [/quote]
You can. But your statement that part time workers are lazy being an "opinion" doesn't mean it's not incorrect.

Johan23 · 01/01/2021 22:12

@miserableannie. Oh dear, you are a miserable sod aren’t you?

I am contracted to work 30 hours a week: often work over that, and have a young son who I will soon have to juggle homeschooling with a fairly busy job. I really don’t think I’m lazy.

You are aware though, that life doesn’t revolve around work?

AcornAutumn · 01/01/2021 22:12

@MojoMoon

Having full time staff can be less work. Fewer annual appraisals, pay review meetings, holiday form approvals, training requests, HR meetings, etc etc.

Having to train two people rather than one is more expensive and time consuming - two people to send on courses, two people who need someone to show them what to do.

(I think part time work can also help retain good staff but you only asked why management did not like it)

I think this sums it up

Also I think it costs more in terms of insurance. Generally the feeling seems to be that 1 worker is attached to a lot of stuff, so if that 1 worker is part time, they get less of a financial value from them.

30+ hours almost is full time though.

Toptotoeunicolour · 01/01/2021 22:12

Where I work part time workers are not looked down on. Some very senior people do it and it's fine. I have noticed though that it is more difficult to arrange meetings etc. if part timers are not always around and people get miffed sometimes about that, and about the fact that deadlines have to be extended. But just ignore - it's part of modern life and people must accept you.

MintyMabel · 01/01/2021 22:14

they hold a meeting Monday morning, say, and person A can't make it as they're part time and don't work Mondays and it annoys them.

But when the full timers can’t make it because they have a meeting somewhere else, that, somehow, is ok.

greyinganddecaying · 01/01/2021 22:20

There's a lot of comments on this thread that show that some people think less of part time workers. I don't claim any benefits and will work additional hours if needed. I'm lucky that I can afford the pay cut to 4/5 & have no intention of working full time again.

LolaSmiles · 01/01/2021 22:38

I have noticed though that it is more difficult to arrange meetings etc. if part timers are not always around and people get miffed sometimes about that, and about the fact that deadlines have to be extended. But just ignore - it's part of modern life and people must accept you.
The deadlines thing is a management issue. They could say that the deadline is Thursday but because A doesn't work Thursdays she has to have her portion in by Wednesday (and adjust her workload accordingly) or they say she can hand it in by Friday. If the full timers are too dim to realise that A isn't working on Thursday so isn't getting extra time then they need to apply common sense.

Same for meetings. Why do people get miffed if B can't do a meeting on Wednesday but have no issue if a meeting takes place in 4 weeks time because full time colleagues have other items in their schedule?

Ohjustboreoff · 01/01/2021 22:40

I work in an industry that is shift work and there are time when it is necessary to work over your work hours to complete the task.
I work FT and have very young children, I can't afford to work PT and the juggling is exhausting. About 50% of my office is PT workers and most are lazy and use their PT status to cherry pick the easiest shifts and to pick up the easiest job cause the hard jobs might make them late off. I have bought this up with my supervisor but was only told they couldn't do anything as they were protected and to go PT myself if I felt so aggrieved. Some of the PTers even call themselves lazy and seem to wear it as a badge of honour.
I only know 1 PT that works her ass off and will regularly say I'll take the harder jobs as she understands it's fairer.

SnooperTrooper12345 · 01/01/2021 22:44

I used to work 28 hours because the other time I took care of my 100 year old grandfather and I was always getting comments from other members of staff because I would refuse overtime. Always getting comments of "Come on. You only work part time. You should be full time at your age" 😑

LolaSmiles · 01/01/2021 22:47

Ohjustboreoff
That's an issue with management then, not the fact people work part time.

If they've gone part time and don't want to be working endless overtime then that's up to them, and if they are required to work overtime then management need to direct this.
If there is an issue to do with task allocation, that's a management issue. Surely management can allocate tasks that are appropriate for the hours individuals work and give deadlines that account for flexible working. If not, why are they a manager?
If there is so much work for a team that it cannot be done by existing staff without everyone working excessive overtime then management need to hire additional staff for peak times or manage workload accordingly for staff.

Why should anyone have to take harder tasks and work their ass off (which I'm guessing means do the overtime) to prove to full time workers they aren't lazy?

CounsellorTroi · 01/01/2021 22:52

"Part timer" is an insult in the public sector, I've certainly heard it there from people who like to believe they are terribly necessary and experienced. Those who are full time might feel threatened because they feel they have to justify their larger pay with pro rata results.

I worked for a public sector organisation and it was virtually impossible to work part time in the main business departments unless you were very senior and had a lot of clout. Not so much in the estates/finance departments.

Designateddiver · 01/01/2021 22:52

My only issue is part time staff tend to want Fridays and /or Mondays off ( which management grant) and this causes problems when others want to take long weekends due to less cover

SnooperTrooper12345 · 01/01/2021 22:52

And to the people saying its lazy, if I can afford to pay all my bills on a part time wage, I'm not going to work full time just for some money i don't need. I'd rather have that time with my children

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