To only work very part time?

[OneJadeSheep]

I only work 2 days a week and even then only during school hours. I feel that’s the most I can cope with whilst also being a single kinship foster carer to 4 children. Colleagues are complaining though saying they think I should work more days because me being so part time is causing problems for them because they are having to do work that I don’t have time to do in my 2 days. Some colleagues have also described it as “ridiculous” that I only work very part time and they feel I should be working a minimum of at least 3 days a week or more. AIBU to work very part time like this? I feel like all my colleagues are gossiping and talking behind my back about how part time I am! One of my colleagues has also said they don’t think I’m a “proper part” of the team because I’m so part time.

you shouldn't be give the same workload that you had when working full time either.

You were needed when you worked full-time, you are working less, the workload hasn't changed, they do need to employ someone else. It's really not difficult to find part-time employees, there are more request than jobs

Yes I’m also term time only, I don’t work in the school holidays.

Wow. You should be proud of yourself for taking on that responsability. To go from 0 to 4 is tough, especially when there is trauma behind. Just ignore the assholes. You are doing something extremely valuable for these children and ofcourse you shouldn't take on more work than you can handle. They can hire someone else for 3 days a week and problem solved.

It sounds like someone higher up in management signed off your request without consulting the day to day manager(s) and the team about the impact on workload. Tbh there are a lot of jobs where 12 hours a week is pretty pointless, by the time you've caught up on emails, had a few meetings you're off again with minimal work delivered. This isn't your fault. But it depends how thick skinned you are as the team will probably see it if you quit they will hire someone else full time and their workload will improve.

They still try to give me a similar workload to what I had when I was full time.

Yes, I’m also termtime only. My role at the company is global head of accessibility.

Global head of accessibility?

It does sound like your management is horrendous, and everybody is (rightly) annoyed because of whoever is in charge.

As a poster said, you need a thick skin, because none of it is your fault or your doing, and bad management is making everyone's work life difficult.

Is your long term plan to remain that part time? If so you need to hold your head high and work your hours but accept you are going to need a thick skin and will become a lot less relevant and part of the wider team. Do you line manage others too? I just can't see how that would work long term without disgruntled team members. Again not necessarily your issue as your request was approved but dropping to such low hours ok a long term basis may run the risk of making yourself redundant over time

I don’t get as much work done as when I was full time. I still do work and meetings but I just can’t get anywhere near as much work and meetings done as I used to.

Yes the long term plan is for me to remain this part time. I do line manager others (and those still gossip and bitch too) as well yes.

They're understaffed. That's their problem, not yours.
The work that doesn't happen when you are not paid to be there isn't your responsibility.

Yes.

And my role does sometimes have work that is time sensitive too yes.

It's understandable you don't want to work more hours, as you need to prioritise home life right now. Presumably the company valued you and agreed the request in the circumstances. It was probably the right thing to do to support you but possibly the wrong thing from a business pov.

It sounds like you have quite a big job for low hours. 12 hours per week TTO ends up being more like 9/10 hours when averaged out across the year. At my work the minimum is 22.5 hours per week.

It's unprofessional for them to complain like that, especially as managers, and it's not your fault. However I can see why they are frustrated and unless the company takes on anyone else or comes down hard on the gossip, you may need to stay very thick skinned.

theres no 2 day contracts at my place of work for this very reason….I get where your colleagues are coming from

Sounds like you aren’t doing the amount of work that is expected for the number of hours you work, are you struggling with the workload, have you spoken to your line manager about it?

Our workplace does usually have a minimum of 3 days a week but they did still approve my flexible working request for 2 days a week during school hours and termtime only.

Hardly ever say this but sounds like harassment or discrimination; there’s absolutely no reason why they should be openly discussing that. If you’re in this role though you must be high up so have strategies for managing poor staffing eg the complaining and gossiping instead of using the proper channels to go through a complaint about their own workloads.

I do as much work and meetings as I can during my contracted hours but I obviously can’t do as much as I did when I was full time.

OP do you work in the public or private sector?

Private sector.

This is insane on the part of your company. They really need to get someone in to do at least 3 days a week. It is impossible for you to line manage multiple people plus meetings/email/work on c.12 hours a week for 9 months of the year. I'm really not surprised the people you line manage are pissed off with this, where is the support for them? I think you need to raise this with your seniors from the pov that you cannot be the line manager your team needs.

Hold your head high. You're not doing anything wrong - the company should have hired someone else to job share or just replace you, then have you as some kind of overflow support. Gossipy workplaces are just that - if its not this situation theyre gabbing about, it would be something else.

Is there a possibility for you to WFH 1 day a week in addition to the 2 days you're in the office? Im just thinking, you may have to think up some creative ideas on how this can work for the both of you, if push comes to shove.

Will you be fostering the children forever? Or is this a temporary arrangement and you plan to return to work after a certain amount of time.

In your last thread you said you quit, which seemed a shame to me. I hope you have drawn some boundaries with social services.

Sounds like you have other reasons why you want to leave that job. I don’t really understand how you have a very senior sounding job, but one in which you are allowed to barely work, and your workplace sounds like a small office where everyone has been there for 30+ years rather than an organisation that would have any kind of global position.