Or over sensitive re comments about PT work?

[Bluerossettes]

I work three days a week, Monday - Wednesday. And I’m getting so much grief about it at work it’s really putting me off mentioning anything about it at all and in fact I try not to but sometimes I do have to, if only to remind people I can’t do something as I won’t be here.

I get some quite nasty comments about ‘lucky me’ and some groans and eye rolls about huh yeah, see you next week then.

Generally it isn’t a happy place at the moment for all sorts of reasons but it’s getting a bit much now. I have tried pointing out (in a ‘nice’ way) that part time is an option to everybody and also that I’m spending my days off with preschool children - they really aren’t relaxing days off at all! - but to no avail.

Is it worth saying something? I don’t want to come across badly but I do think I’ve been targeted a bit.

No, I’m not getting cross about that @electriclight . there are a number of different ways of dealing with it, and I’ve got some good ideas from the thread. What does make me a bit cross, although a bit exasperated is a better word, is when people like yourself decide it’s just a joke and repeatedly answer insisting this is the case.

It is one thing saying ‘this is a possibility.’ It’s another saying - you’re wrong, this simply can’t be the case, and I know this because I’ve worked in schools and no one would do this

Tbf I have asked you what they said.

I'm basing my opinion on the fact that your reply was 'lucky me' (some groans and eye rolls when you inadvertently remind them that you're part time).

I am assuming you would tell us if they'd said anything worse than that, so that must be the extent of it?

You refer to it as bullying, snide, shitty and say that you are sick of it and are thinking of handling it formally...which does seem like an over-reaction to me, to what you have described.

Maybe my view is clouded because I have worked with one person who was very sensitive. If people groaned or eye rolled, it certainly wasn't because she was part time. Maybe that is colouring my view a bit.

You've had lots of supportive replies anyway so am sure you have a plan now. I hope it works and they stop referring to your part time hours so that you are happier at work.

How about changing the perspective?
They may wish they worked PT but not be able to afford to?
They might wish you just went home instead of announcing it, just say I can't do Friday instead of saying I can't do Fridays, I'm PT.

Going to whinge at your LM will not help relationships with your colleagues, as said previously you need to say something or change how you communicate with others.

@electriclight at the risk of being accused of sounding ‘cross’ again, I haven’t asked if the comments are acceptable or not. They aren’t, I’m quite sure of that. What I’ve asked about is what to do about it and I’ve had some good ideas. I definitely didn’t post to be harangued about the fact that near daily comments and snark is not a form of bullying in your opinion. In mine, it is.

@WhutWhutWhut i don’t actually give a fuck at this stage about improving my relationship with them. But nor am I going to ‘whine to my LM’

“Unfortunately in the real world, part timers are carried by their full time colleagues mostly.

You’re very lucky to be able to work part time for whatever reasons - suck it up buttercup!”

^what a load of crap.
I’ve worked part time as a social worker and with 3 different charities. In all jobs I managed my own work load and no one picked up after me. The workload of a part time worker is OBVIOUSLY less than a full time member of staff but they do similar work per hour of the day.

Also it’s not luck to be able to work part-time. People have to request it and/or apply specifically for part time jobs. They don’t just trip over one day and end up working part time. If other people want to work part time (and take the lesser pay) they can do the same thing. They shouldn’t be bitter if they can’t/don’t.

Of course it is bullying and unacceptable.
who need to comment on someone else working pattern multiple times a week? It’s weird. They must be really miserable in their jobs and sadly you’re getting the butt of the bad feeling.

Carry on then!

It's not ok for them to make you feel bad or vocalise their feelings on this to you.

But I wonder if some of them would probably love to be part-time but can't afford to/been refused. I could imagine that could bring up some difficult feelings if they find themselves unable to spend as much time with their own families as they like and are picking up extra work, while seeing you swanning off every week.

I'm not saying this is you OP, but I have noticed a tendency for some part -timers to see themselves as victims but to overlook how privileged they are.

Obviously it's different when someone who is having to care for disabled children/ill, elderly parents etc but if someone is just doing normal childcare, there occasionally needs to be a bit more acknowledgement that that is a lovely place to be and hardly an onerous duty. I'm sure most people with kids working full-time would love the chance to spend more time with them too!

Yes - you earn less money but, in my experience, most part-timers, unless single parents, have a partner on a good salary to make up the difference

I also get annoyed by some members of the 'it's my non working day' crewe's refusal to pick anything extra up outside of their core hours - when that would be expected of a full time team member! It also seems to ok for part-time staff to draw boundaries about work-life, whereas it's often not as accepted for full time workers. Obviously that needs to change!.

In short, I don't think shouting about the benefits of being a part-timer, as some have suggested.,will do you any favours. However you are certainly justified to speak to your line manager/HR to ask your colleagues to knock off with the comments.

Could you please explain what someone does when they swan off?

As I am constantly accused of swanning off on a Wednesday, and I thought that I was just leaving work. What does someone swanning off do?

Leaving at the end of your working hours I apparently swanning off.

This sounds like a race to the bottom to me. If FT people are frustrated with having to work over their hours then they should be more boudaried and refuse to work additional hours. It’s not part time worker jobs to feel bad for others who will allow themselves to be made to work hours additional to what they’re being paid. Plenty of other FT people don’t do that. If you have a problem with work load or working hours take it up with your organisation and management, don’t make bitchy comments at people who have part-time contracts.

what PT people do outside of their working hours is completely irrelevant. Actually all the people I know who are pt are pt because they have caring responsibility’s and are less well off than those who work full time and earn enough to afford full time childcare, cleaners etc.

Off you pop and don't worry about work for the rest of the week?

Honestly, the point is you are putting far too much thought into how everyone feels about you. If I was part time I would swan off to be with my family. I wouldn't explain myself. I work for my homelife. If work doesn't fit into that I'd be looking elsewhere.

You won't like my answer but you need to make your life as enjoyable as you can. You can't control those around you. They are miserable. Don't let them drag you down!

This sounds like a race to the bottom to me. If FT people are frustrated with having to work over their hours then they should be more boudaried and refuse to work additional hours. It’s not part time worker jobs to feel bad for others who will allow themselves to be made to work hours additional to what they’re being paid. Plenty of other FT people don’t do that. If you have a problem with work load or working hours take it up with your organisation and management, don’t make bitchy comments at people who have part-time contracts.

Yes, this.

Part time staff aren't there to mitigate the impact of other workers failure to assert their own boundaries. Nor do they owe acknowledgment of some standard the full time worker has made up, any more than full time workers need to set aside time to talk about how fortunate they are to earn extra money and get more paid into their pensions.

The entitlement in @runningpram's is something else.