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.

The children are staying with me yes.

I haven’t posted on here before this thread tonight (I’ve commented on threads before but this is the first thread of mine) so that must have been another poster who quit their job, sorry.

I am trying to stay thick skinned but it’s very difficult.

I could have written this myself.I am getting the same responses that you are .I applied for a part time job so I don't think that people who are much younger and applied for a full time should have a say.
I do feel that they give me as much work and save the awful jobs for me too , and watch and wait to see if I complain , so.i keep quiet.
I cannot wait for retirement.

I have worked full time , 3 jobs and a baby years ago ,

You do the most amazing job as a foster carer, but I can understand how you might wish to have a second p/t job which doesn't involve the demands of troubled children. I am sure your employer appreciates all of this and recognises the service you have given the company. If you are feeling bold, arrange a meeting with the person who is leading this gossip, with HR presence, and tell her what you have heard and ask would she like to know why you have this arrangement?

OP you clearly did a great job when working FT. Your employer has positively considered your flexible working request most likely because you did such a great job and now due to your change in personal circumstances, it’s means you are able to work less hours, they have done their best to accommodate you.

You are probably frustrated that you can’t do the work what you used too - which is only to be expected when you are working such few hours and your colleagues may also be frustrated that you once did - all perfectly normal responses to the new working hours.

Those saying your employer needs to recruit another person - it’s not always that simple. The employer is a little ‘damned if you / damned if you don’t here. It may actually make more sense for the OP to move to an entirely different role in the organization for them to recruit a FT replacement but that might not be what OP wants.

Sounds like you are working the hours you can manage, and caring for foster children is a full time job anyway. It is unfair of your colleagues to complain and completely out of order for managers to be doing it. It is also illegal to discriminate against someone for being part time. You are doing nothing wrong, the workload is a management and resources issue. Xx

I had to laugh when I saw your role title and that you’re still getting shit from colleagues working in a function that in theory, should be the most supportive for alternative work patterns.

Your value isn’t only the hours you do but includes the expérience you bring, and your approach to your work. Kinship fostering is no easy task and would tell me something about the type of person you are, aside from your technical skills. Clearly there are people who recognise this and approved your working pattern.

I wouldn’t change your hours if they work for you, but I would be having a word with your colleagues and manager about their unprofessional conduct. In your manager’s case, I would also be raising this with HR as he needs a reminder of his duties and responsibilities as manager.

I would suggest they employ a job share, maybe a more junior one that you can coach and lead. Then you can focus on delegation to that person who could work four days a week and the company get to retain your skills and experience but also get the work done e. And cost wise it will be the same as employing you full time.
this is what I’d suggest to them as an alternative as clearly colleagues don’t think it is working.
well done in stepping up with taking on the fostering

It sounds like it’s not easy to do that role very part time and of course the fact they’ve not got a job share means colleagues are facing difficulty when you’re not there. I have a colleague who does 2 days and it’s difficult as she works Mon/Tues so it’s a long time until she is back. But it’s not your fault, your work agreed this. I’d have a word with your own line manager about it.

Something has to give. Your colleagues are being pretty horrible but I suspect you should never have been given line management on 2 days a week, term time only.

By the sound of it they are not personally complaining about you but about the arrangement that has been made by someone senior. Who is it who agreed to this? Find out and ask your colleagues to speak to them about it.

It’s very unprofessional to be bitching. If I was a higher up I wouldn’t have agreed those hours. In the future they may try and increase your hours as it doesn’t fit with business needs. Surely it’s very difficult to manage people on that few hours. Tbh it’s unlikely you’ll get another job at this level on so few hours so if you want to stay you’ll have to put up with the unpleasant environment.

Yanbu if you are working hard while there. If there is too much work for your hours then management need to hire someone else or offer overtime. Not your problem.

I think that colleagues and management don’t see the point in the company employing me anymore because I’m so part time hence why they all keep gossiping. I get the sense that is their thinking but I could be wrong.

I do as much work as I can during my hours but obviously that is a lot less work than when I was full time.

Your management failed in their responsibilities in allowing you to do this. Being unable to redistribute work is a valid reason to reject a FWR and it sounds like there is absolutely no point you being there for so few hours.

I anticipate them making your role redundant when they realise.

Couple of other “heads of dept” have posted fairly recently woth similar issues. The second link is a remarkably similar situation (if they managed to badger their employer into agreeing at appeal)…….

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5453723-to-quit-my-job-and-lose-a-ton-of-moneysalary?page=1

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5408319-to-be-annoyed-that-my-employer-wont-let-me-go-part-time

I do still manage to get work done.

Youre just saying the same thing over & over.

sounding like an AI bot ?

if you are real, what is your actual question?

Sorry my mistake! Quite the coincidence to have an extremely similar story, the same posting style and one of those 3 word user names with the middle word being a shade of green!

Anyway agree with PP (and perhaps you too) that you can’t really do a ‘big job’ with so few hours. I’m sure your absence impacts on others so naturally people will gossip and be rather annoyed with you. I think that would happen in any workplace - certainly does in mine when people claim longterm sickness and everyone else has to mop up their work.

So I think you do have to grow a thicker skin and acknowledge/apologise to your colleagues that your new work pattern likely has an impact. Of course you have a good reason and it is an amazing thing you are doing, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t entitled to feel pissed off. Acknowledging that might help stop the mean angle to the gossiping.

Yes just like the other similar thread that was apparently by a different person.

But that isn’t my problem though? My employer agreed to my reduced hours after my flexible working request, I didn’t just give the reduced hours to myself! So that’s my employers problem, not my problem?

So what is your actual question/point of posting on here?

Every time you ovehear this, say loudly “I can hear you, and I am working the contracted hours I am paid to do”. You’ll need a thick skin and it doesn’t sound like a pleasant work environment, but I can’t imagine you’ll find such a flexible job anywhere else, so worth hanging in there if you can.