4 days working week trial - AIBU?

[PanettoneMoly]

I think I might be but here goes…

Work are trialling a four day working week during August, email came out with the wording “you have all worked hard and we hope you enjoy the bonus time off”.

All well and good except I don’t work Fridays so am feeling a bit hard done by, missing out on bonus time off and also being paid 20% less of my salary for working the same hours as everyone else for a month.

I don’t know if I’m being a bit of a knob feeling sniffy about it, and should be grateful for the flexibility given to have Fridays off every month of the year, or whether my righteous annoyance is valid.

Oooh, tricky. I work 4 days and also have Fridays off. I'd feel put out for sure! But if it is only for a month, I'd suck it up, and actually be quite pleased for my colleagues.

If it was a permanent thing, I'd be switching back to full time and hoping that they never revert back to a five day week!

Legally you can't be treated less favorably because you are part time. For a month you are correct you will be getting 20% less for doing the same days as colleagues. I don't care if it makes me seem like I'm not a team player, I wouldn't be overly happy about that. I'd frame it though what are they going to do to make sure you aren't missing out rather than that you feel put out they're getting it. Some people are such push overs at work, don't be one of those- advocate for yourself.

This depends - are those moving to a 4 day week in August expected to be working longer hours Mon - Thurs to essentially condense their work week from 5 to 4 days?

My industry doesn't work on Mondays so I've racked up many bank holidays where I've missed out as we wor Saturdays so no long bank holiday weekends a good few times a year for us

Your annoyance is valid and you should ask your line manager what the arrangements are for people who don't work Fridays

There is no harm in asking management how this works for part time staff.

I would also be asking if there was any nasty surprises waiting down the line for the full time staff. I doubt employers are doing this out of the kindness of their hearts. I'd be waiting for announcements about condensed hours or 20% paycuts.

I was going to say this so it's a very good point. 😉

Agree, I’d be annoyed and raise it with manager. Fair enough if everyone now goes to 4 days, no skin of your nose. But they can’t reduce your wage without reducing your hours or re contracting you

Oh I'd be annoyed. I'd approach mgmt and say that seeing as everyone else is getting a 20% reduction in hours then can you finish at xx on 2 of your days so you get the same.

My place have been talking about this and as someone who works a 4 day week at the moment I’m probably the biggest cheerleader for it - because if we go down to a 4 day week permanently my salary will go back up to 100% rather than the current 80% it’s pro rated to! Are you sure your work wouldn’t be doing this?

I’d happily suck up the August in the hopes it works out and I can go back up to my full pay😀

This!

It’s very much sold as it will be non-working days across the company, nothing mentioned at all about condensed hours.

Thanks for the replies & perspectives, I think I’m also feeling hard done by because I spend the day with my nearly-2 year old instead of working and, as the tantrum stage has definitely hit us, I’m now not getting extra days for ‘working hard’, paid less AND spending the day being shouted at by a very small & angry child.

I have raised it with my manager, words were barely out of my mouth before she said “no, there’s no special treatment for those working PT”

And I’d be TOTALLY behind a move towards a 4 day week, except it feels like this is being suggested more as a one-off staff bonus l, what with the “bonus time for working hard” vs a valid trial scheme.

I don’t know, I feel like a bit of a party pooper, objecting to others good fortune

she said “no, there’s no special treatment for those working PT”

Your manager is wrong here surely? It's not special treatment it's being treated equally. Your pay should be reflected to 100% rather than 80% if you're working the same hours as the full time staff you're now technically working full time.

Here is the Government guidance about treating part time workers fairly, are they aware of this? www.gov.uk/part-time-worker-rights

You're not objecting to their good fortune. You're objecting to the fact that they are going to be working 80% of their customary hours for 100% of their customary money; whereas you are still expected to work 100% of your customary hours for 100% of your customary money. (Or you could look at it as you currently do 80% of the work for 80% of the money.) Nothing to do with being part-time already, it's a work-to-pay ratio that is the issue.

It's not asking for special treatment for PT, it's asking how they are going to prevent PT workers being unfairly treated by not having access to this benefit

Oh you are absolutely not being unreasonable. In fact I had a friend go through the exact same thing. She went to HR and they were like, oops sorry, we didn't think about you, and immediately rectified the situation by paying her the same as her FT colleagues.

Your manager is wrong, take it further.

This x100. That line from your manager about special treatment is on seriously dodgy ground. You’re legally protected from being treated less fairly on account of your part time status. Also, because of the profile of the people who tend to work part time (women who are doing it to support caring responsibilities) it constitutes indirect discrimination iirc.

I’d be tempted to speak to Pregnant Then Screwed to get some advice if you would like to take it further, it’s not asking for special treatment, it’s asking to be treated the same and not treated illegally/unfairly.

You are not asking for special treatment - you are asking for equal treatment!

Either they are condensing hours so full time worked over 4 days
OR everyone is getting 80% pay and working reduced hours
OR everyone is working 80% hours for full pay- in which case you need to either be working 80% of your contracted pt hours for your contracted pay or they need to pay your for the ft but 80% work as everyone else is getting.

I'd probably respond to the email with the question of how does it work for part timers? Do we reduce our hours by 20% in which case I'd like to work 30mins extra mon/tues/Wed and not work Thursdays please (or whatever would work best for you). And see what they respond!

I'd ask him via email and then go to HR.

I would email your manager and say something along the lines of

Hi Manager,

I think there was a misunderstanding about what I was asking about yesterday. You said there is no special treatment for part time staff and I completely agree there shouldn't be.

What I wanted to check was how only having to do 80% of hours for August in recognition of our hard work would work for part time staff? Pro rata that would be x hours for me. I'm happy to take this on x day or whenever best suits the business.

Best wishes,

OP

Good idea. You are asking to be treated fairly and I can't see why his reaction would be to dismiss your concerns immediately.

YANBU - it's very unfair.

Would suggest a call to ACAS - they're amazing at stuff like this (and free!) and will be able to recommend how to proceed over a single phone call