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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think part time staff can't get promoted?

30 replies

Olivia789 · 20/05/2021 22:26

I work for a very big well known company and I work 32hrs a week. I love my job and have been approached a couple of times about a promotion to executive manager level however I have to commit to working 50 hours a week as they won't accept less.
I'm not one to stamp my feet about workers rights etc but AIBU to think that there is really some kind of discrimination to part time staff?
Won't be offended either way, genuinely interested to hear people's thoughts.

OP posts:
ceeveebee · 20/05/2021 22:28

I’m on the leadership team of a FTSE100 business and work part time. In fact there are 3 of us that work part time out of 12, including one man. Sounds like the company you work for is not very progressive

FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop · 20/05/2021 22:29

I got a promotion last year as a PT worker. Could you maybe ask about a job share?

LouiseTrees · 20/05/2021 22:29

Surely if there are two of you eligible you could job share.

Nataliafalka · 20/05/2021 22:31

50 hours a week? That doesn’t sound right

I am at director level working 30 hours a week currently looking for a new job. I’ve been upfront with recruiters that I won’t even consider jobs which won’t accommodate 4 days a week and I’m not struggling to get interviews. All at senior well paid jobs

Justajot · 20/05/2021 22:32

I've been promoted as a pt worker, but I probably wouldn't have been on less than 4 days a week.

LBOCS2 · 20/05/2021 22:33

I was working very part time (3 days a week, term time only) and applied for and got a promotion to a role which required me to work 4 days a week (30hrs) in a traditional working pattern.

My next step is director level and my line manager (who is in one of those roles already) also works a 4 day week. I think it very much depends on the company you work for.

BuffySummersReportingforSanity · 20/05/2021 22:33

We have a country CEO doing 4 days where I work.

I'm 4 days and I have a promotion in my sights. I've been promoted twice since having my first and going to .8. I'm not super senior, and never will be because I'm not wired for it and don't really want it, but promotion certainly isn't impossible.

badpuma · 20/05/2021 22:34

Yabu. I work a 4 day week and recently became a partner at my law firm without any demands for additional hours.

Original poster
Olivia789 · 20/05/2021 22:35

50 hours is a lot isn't it. It's well paid (£76,000) but I have a DC and am just not willing or able to do 50 hours. They don't allow anyone any less at that level, not even 40 or 45 hours.
They're allowed to flex their hours as long as its 50 per week.
At the level below where I am now they're very open to part time. It baffles me really

OP posts:
Roonerspismed · 20/05/2021 22:36

My company is the same OP

PegasusReturns · 20/05/2021 22:36

@ceeveebee when you say the leadership team, do you mean the leadership team as in C-suite or a leadership team in an affiliate?

I’ve not heard of anyone permanently working PT in c-suite of a FTSE100 so that’s brilliant.

ceeveebee · 20/05/2021 22:37

I’m not sure I’d want to work anywhere that was so focused on hours worked rather than results. Do they make people clock in and out?

Theforest · 20/05/2021 22:37

A major contributor to the gender pay gap unfortunately.

Original poster
Olivia789 · 20/05/2021 22:39

@ceeveebee funnily enough... pre covid yes! We had to scan our id cards to get in and out of the building which was used to monitor our time keeping. They've removed that while we are partially WFH!

OP posts:
NotAnotherPushyMum · 20/05/2021 22:40

@Olivia789

50 hours is a lot isn't it. It's well paid (£76,000) but I have a DC and am just not willing or able to do 50 hours. They don't allow anyone any less at that level, not even 40 or 45 hours. They're allowed to flex their hours as long as its 50 per week. At the level below where I am now they're very open to part time. It baffles me really
Is it not just the case that they feel those jobs require that many hours? If it’s based on business need.
BuffySummersReportingforSanity · 20/05/2021 22:40

If they're a big company they should have someone formally responsible for D, E & I. Ask some pointed questions about their representation of women, Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff at that level and what they intend to do about improving it.

While you're at it, write a clear, factual and lucid Glassdoor review naming the issue. Any large well-known company will have somebody monitoring Glassdoor.

Nataliafalka · 20/05/2021 22:42

What kind of Job is it though where the contracted hours are 50 hours. I’ve never ever heard of that. Essentially it’s an extra 2 days a week expected over normal full time. Of course senior jobs often end up being about 50 hours a week but never have I seen it as part of a core contract.

Goldendinoroar · 20/05/2021 22:46

I worked YANBU
However I have been promoted as a PT 3 day a week worker....
But, I had to push for it and make it clear that they had made an error in not considering me just because I was part time as I could prove my productivity was nearly double of other full time staff

That being said, since my promotion I should have been able to move into the top position but they hired for it externally without even telling me a position had become open whilst I was off on maternity leave

Instead, I fought for a considerable pay rise.
This has probably worked out better for me as I’m not being pressured to do the 45 hour week and have the stresses of director level but have the pay and bonuses to reflect the work i produce

I shouldn’t have had to fight so hard for both the promotion and then the pay rise a few years later because other than being part time I was the best person for that position

ceeveebee · 20/05/2021 22:46

[quote PegasusReturns]@ceeveebee when you say the leadership team, do you mean the leadership team as in C-suite or a leadership team in an affiliate?

I’ve not heard of anyone permanently working PT in c-suite of a FTSE100 so that’s brilliant.[/quote]
I’m on the executive committee - one level below plc board. One of our plc executive directors is part time though so yes perfectly possible in the c-suite too.

BackforGood · 20/05/2021 22:47

AYBU to think part time staff can't be promoted ? - Yes, YABU
AYBU to think this (your particular situation) is discrimination - Yes, YABU

I've been promoted more than once as a PT worker.
It's going to depend a lot on the culture of your organisation.

Goldendinoroar · 20/05/2021 22:48

@Nataliafalka

What kind of Job is it though where the contracted hours are 50 hours. I’ve never ever heard of that. Essentially it’s an extra 2 days a week expected over normal full time. Of course senior jobs often end up being about 50 hours a week but never have I seen it as part of a core contract.
Core hours here are 45 hours but you are paid for all breaks so it’s day is normally 8-5, but most people do unpaid overtime which could easily get to a regular 50-55 hours if not careful

Since lockdown some staff have made a real conscious effort to stick to base hours because anymore than 8-5 in the office wouldn’t be great work life balance if regular occurrence

MilduraS · 20/05/2021 22:49

I think it really depends on the company. Where I work, I've seen two exceptional part-time employees get a promotion. They just advertised the same jobs as part time to fill in the missed hours because both posts were full time. One actually got her promotion two months before going on maternity leave. They had someone seconded into her role until she returned.

Purpleweeks · 20/05/2021 22:51

Yes I've also been told not to bother applying for promotion if I can't work full time. Whilst my work well accept flexible working requests for senior staff once they are established in the post, asking for it from the outset is not accepted.

covetingthepreciousthings · 20/05/2021 22:53

This has been my experience, I was told I couldn't even be considered for a promotion until I could commit to full time hours (which was only 1 day more).

SmokedDuck · 20/05/2021 22:55

I really think it depends on the job, and it may also, unfortunately, depend on hw competitive the positions are. If there are lots of candidates they are possibly less likely to accommodate.