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.

'You concentrate on your hours. I'll concentrate on mine'

Your employer was happy to make adjustment and keep you on, its no one else's business. Its time to escalate to HR or your manager, her behaviour is bullying and its affecting you.

You don't need to justify your hours to colleagues. Tell her she needs to re-evaluate her budget if she wants those same cushy hours. That will shut her up.

"Do you realise you've been saying the same thing for weeks now. Are you feeling ok?"

I'd smile and say yes, it's great.

Just ask her if she realises that you only get paid part time and email her the link from the ACAS website to apply for flexible working so she knows how to get the same if she is fancies a 50% reduction on wage.

well colleague, if you want to get by on part time wages you could to!

I used to get this when I was part-time and worked in the office and used to leave early to pick up my kids.
Started saying yes but I only get part-time pay! They shut up after that.

I used to finish at 3pm and a colleague would comment he was jealous (kind of jokingly) and I would point out, I’m sure he could work pt but the pay would significantly reduce from what he’s used to. Idiot! I manage a team which includes 3 part time members and they’ve had all the comments too previously. They said I’m the first manager to stand up for them and stop the comments from others by closing them down. Having previously worked part time, I get it.

What an idiot. Or is she jealous? I’d love part time hours, but can’t afford it, although from what you write you might well love to work full time but can’t due to health reasons. A colleague got a part time job this week, I told him I’d kill for that, but it’s not a good idea for my circumstances.

She is presumably jealous. Next time she raises it you could suggest she applies for part time hours too. I work 2.5 days a week as I have two disabled DC and have to fit my unpaid caring responsibilities around work as does my DH. One person at work once commented on how lucky I was to have this and when I explained why they soon shut up.

It is rude, of course - but I guess the point she may be trying to make is that there is often an (unwritten) expectation that FT workers work more than their basic hours by default - yet PT workers always get to finish at their designated time.

'I'm paid for the hours I work so I get less money than you. I am not able to work any other hours. If you don't like your own shifts speak to the boss.'
I'd imagine at best it's light-hearted. I remember saying jokey things like 'you lucky git/I'm stuck here for another X hours' to a colleague leaving early. But not every day if that was just their contracted hours.

I think it’s an odd thing to focus on and continuously comment about but I couldn’t get agitated about this. Ignore it or if it is really bothering you then tell her to foxtrot oscar.

I work similar because I'm disabled if anyone says a comment about my hours i say things like i know its great isn't it il think of you slogging away when I'm at home with my feet up having a cuppa.

Say do you realise you say this everytime you see me, change the record ffs.

@user987897 just tell her it’s a free country and she can do the same if she wishes. Every single time she brings this up I would irritate her by repeating the same phrase in a monotonous tone until she gets the picture and stops asking!

I mean the fact she keeps repeating this, like what does she want? You to tell her she’s amazing for keeping the company afloat single handedly whilst you swan off living the high life?! 🙄

I had something similar happen, years ago, when I dropped a working Day. Some people just could not hide their confusion, as to why I would want to do such a thing. People are so programmed to think a certain way about some things. I got the usual, but what are you going to do question. Some one even wanted to know why I was going to work a 4 day week, when I did not even have any children. Some queried whether I was concerned about earning less, as if I had not considered that myself. Another colleague could not hide her spite, and what came across as envy. I told her, that she could do the same, all she had to do was ask. That did not shut her up tbh. I just ignored her barbed comments, after that.

I imagine you stand out because you said you are the only one who works part time.

I’m in an office where I am only one of two who work full time. The norm is part time so we don’t bat an eyelid at their hours.

I would ignore her. If it genuinely annoys/upsets you then tell her one last time to shut up about it and then talk to your Manager.

Some of the replies on here are well over the top.

From what I hear from our part time staff, lots of them get top up benefits so it’s not totally true that the part time hours is part time pay for all, some just do the minimum hours they must do to claim. Which can appear rather grating, and no, none of them are ill.

Just point out that it's not her business and ask her to stop bringing it up. What's so difficult about that?

Why are you even giving this headspace?
Practically every workplace has full timers and part timers.
As pps have said: part time hours and pay.

I worked PT for many years.

If ever anyone expressed jealousy, I'd either say

"Yes, it's great - why don't you try it too?"
or
"It is great, until it come to payday, when, funnily enough, I get paid 1/2 of what you do".

(Depending on who it was and the tone of the comment / remark).

YABU to give it headspace.

People say that to me as well as I only work 2 days a week (12 hour shifts though). I just say … “yes it’s great” and move on.

Just tell her you're unable to work any longer than 18 hours due to ill health, and you'd happily swop your "cushy" hours for her "cushy" pay.

I have colleagues that do similar, they say things like 'oh I'd love to only work 4 day's. Yes Brenda but would you like the 20% paycut too, and to keep the same workload while you're at it 🙄.