Colleague comments about my hours

[user987897]

My colleague keeps constantly telling me how cushy my hours are because I only work 18 hours a week. I work 3 days 6 hours per shift and everyone else works full time. I don’t work till the end of day like everyone else.
I now feel paranoid that all the other staff are talking about my hours and thinking I have it cushy.
I have told her a few times now that the reason that I work part time was due to getting ill so I can’t work full time but that doesn’t seem enough for her.

Just say part time hours part time pay. If course she's jealous of what she sees but doesn't see the pay at the end of the month. I'm sorry you're struggling with your health. I'm sure you'd love a full time pay cheque.

Your colleague is a weirdo.

Can you ask her why she keeps bringing it up?

She's right though, your hours sound lovely.

I'm not sure why you're annoyed or worried that others will think so too?

Presumably you're only getting paid for the 18 hours? If they think you have it cushy they could also request to work part time hours and reduce their pay accordingly?

"It's none of your business"

"Well you do realise my pay is part time equivalent too?"

"Do you have any issue with the quality of my work?"

"Oh do fuck off Deborah"

Tell her she can request to get the same thing.

The sooner you give less of a shit about others the better. As someone else said, part time hours part time pay. They can go part time if they like. This has absolutely no effect on your life. Ignore

You’re not unreasonable to be irritated by this colleague but the rest probably have better things to do than talk about your hours.

She’s an idiot. None of her business why you do those hours, either. Say, “You keep saying this. You do realise part-time workers don’t get full-time pay don’t you?”

I think you need to change your mindset so you don’t feel you have to justify anything to her. People are allowed to work part-time. She could request this also.

Personally, I wouldn’t get defensive and saying anything about part-time pay, I’d just lean into it and say “Yes, it works so well for me”.

It’s maybe not meant maliciously in any way. Like if you were going on holiday to the Bahamas then a colleague might say “Alright for some - I wish I was going!” You wouldn’t feel the need to justify why you deserved to go or how you’d funded it - you’d just say “Yes, I can’t wait!”

Ignore her.

Maybe she's jealous or maybe she's just really bad at making conversation. Whatever the reason, its her problem, not yours.

I work part time and I get the same. I do 3, 5 hour days and 1, 6 and a half hour day. I get ''ooh, look at you slacking off'' etc

It’s jealousy even if they don’t need to work FT because they want to give up the money.
Although there are people who think you get FT wages on PT hours.

There's two ways of looking at this. Your hours are very cushy! I'd love to be in a financial position to work those hours. Just say, 'yes it's brilliant, why don't you ask to do the same?'.

However, if you can't work more due to ill-health but you'd love to be full time then just put her in her place and tell her that. Make her squirm over it, she'll soon shut up!

Well exactly. I have very ‘cushy’ hours but I have a pay cheque that reflects that - ie not much in there 🤦🏻‍♀️

They don't mean anything by it. It's just banal workplace chit chat that acknowledges they'd rather not be coming in to work tomorrow too.

A few of my colleagues have dropped to three days a week over the past 2 years.

One through ill health and the other two are for a better work life balance and they are lucky to be in the financial position to do so.

No one resents them or talks badly about them, though. It doesnt impact on anyone elses workload and no one cares, tbh.

What an asshole. I imagine it's not all your co-workers, you'd have to be supremely unlucky to be surrounded by quite so many assholes.

It's their problem if they can't afford to work fewer hours. They're also lucky they don't have health conditions meaning their hours are capped.

I might be going down to 3 days soon because of my health too OP. I've already gone from full time down to 4 days... And my health is still declining and I'm continuing to struggle. Losing the full time pay felt awful but at the end of the day, if you can't do it, you can't bloody do it. People who can work full time without it impacting their health or wellbeing need to count their lucky stars.

response: Is it my illness or my reduced wage you envy?

They are obviously jealous as they would probably like to work part time/ preferably not at all. As others have said just say yes they are great hours. Won’t be so great when I get my pension at the end. I’m really worried about it but due to my health I can’t work any more hours so what can I do. It’s not so cheery then. They may well be struggling with full time hrs and can’t afford to reduce them but they will eventually get a better pension.

It doesn’t make her a bad person. She’s right, it is very nice to only work 18 hours a week - BUT maybe it isn’t for you as you really wish you could work 35 or 40 hours like she does - in which case have a conversation, and tell her that!

And remind her your pay is commensurate.

Try to give her the benefit of the doubt, it will make your workplace a nicer one for you.

@user987897

I'd say ALL of these!! 😂 ⬆️

I work 4 days per.wk in my job - my choice, no-one else's business & obviously get 4/5 of the salary of my colleagues. I work my ass off in those 4 days & am quite confident I pull my weight.

Most of my team are delightful but 1 person obviously has a real problem with my day off & it's become 'sport' for me to clap-back when she makes snarky comments! It must REALLY bother her, because her other half makes 'jokes' about it, too, whenever we cross paths, so she clearly moans about it at home!

Makes me laugh!!

This is bullying.
Contact HR and ask for them to have a word as her repeatedly making digs at you about your reduced working hours due to illness is causing you distress.

Start a paper trail.
She's a bitch that needs to be told to STFU and mind her own business.

I’d just say “why don’t you ask to do the same if it’s so cushy?”

Are you me? 🤣🤣

I'm in the exact same position working 3 day 6hr shifts. One of my colleagues is always making snide remarks. She's clearly resentful of me and doesn't even try to hide it. She knows I work these hours as I am a single mother with a disabled child but is always making comments on how easy I have it 🙄

I told her to request part time hours and she said she couldn't afford it. I've learned to ignore her. She's clearly not happy in her own life and is projecting on me.

You could ask her why she doesn't apply for a part-time role too, but then she'll complain she doesn't have the luxury to get a part-time wage.

"Oh do fuck off Deborah" is my favourite answer

but realistically, you can just smile snuggly, nod and agree that it's bliss. That will wind her up enough and will keep you out of HR.

It IS lucky you can work PT, why should you feel any shame in it?