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

[Olivia789]

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.

I worked in very male dominated corporate banking and was promoted to Regional Manager whilst working PT. Admittedly I took redundancy, completely burnt , out a few years later, but I did get the promotion on a PT basis.

@covetingthepreciousthings

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).

Me too. The job went to someone who then promptly went part time.

50 hours a week would be 8am to 6pm with no breaks. That goes against working time directive doesn't it? My company is 9-5.30 with an hour lunch break so most people work around 40-45hrs per week, 37.5 contractual and a few hours unpaid overtime. People on part time contracts are just as eligible for promotion as any other. Your company sounds like it has a very extreme hours culture

@ceeveebee I’m not sure if you intention was to be snarky but it was a genuine question and I’m glad it’s perfectly possible where you are.

Conversely I’m CSuite at a nasdaq 100 and it would be unfathomable. I don’t have any peers who are working PT in similar MNCs.

It’s interesting because post covid there is much more talk about flexibility but it’s difficult to imagine how it would work. Do you find it easy to maintain boundaries around your day off? Is there pressure to make yourself available?

I haven’t worked PT since I was director level and that was 10 years ago. At that time I felt 4 days was the biggest con I was ever sold as I inevitably worked FT hours but without the pay and always with the stigma of being not fully invested

I’m not sure how my reply could have been interpreted as snarky, it was a genuine response, but sorry if it did come across that way.

Obviously if there is some kind of crisis then I am contactable on my non working day, just as I would be at evenings and weekends too, but generally no I don’t have any scheduled calls or meetings on those days. In face as my EA is responsible for scheduling most of the main meetings then I have a lot of influence over when they are! I have a very capable team working for me so don’t feel that I need to be there constantly.
We are a very progressive and agile organisation, and very much focussed on results rather than presenteeism