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.

No it’s not your problem.
Keep doing what you’re doing with your head held high.

Sounds like you really are with a mean bunch of bitches 💐

So I think what you're doing for your family and your foster children is fantastic. And I agree that your workplace shouldn't be gossiping. But if you're "head of" don't you have a duty to work with your manager and your team to get to a point where there is sufficient cover for your role? If you're doing e.g. 12 hours per week, 39 weeks per year, that's the pro rata equivalent of 1.25 days per week year round. If you take a lunch break then it's probably closer to one day a week. In which case you could do a job share with someone doing 3-4 days a week and the cost to the company would basically be the same as when you were full time. I think if I worked for you, I would expect you to be suggesting this sort of thing and pushing it with more senior staff. That's certainly what I would expect to do in my role.

There lies the problem. You have gone from 5 days a week to 2 days a week and the work load has not decreased. Employers are financially stretched, so I am assuming your 3 days are now being covered by your work colleagues? This causes resentment as they are probably feeling ignored. My guess is the gossiping will gradually diminish. And be kind, because your circumstances enable you to reduce your hours, they may not be allowed to do this. We have a support worker who only works 2 days a week and then is often sick. She requests to leave early to go on weekends away and is always trying to swap her days. She is basically not pulling her weight.

Firstly I think you are bloody amazing!!
Coming from the kinship/fostering side of this. 4 children in foster care, often difficult to keep together, would bring in a decent amount of money and therapuetic support from SS. Kinship carers get very little of anything and it is shocking. In my eyes you should receive the same finances that a non family carer would get. You personally are saving SS /the local authority thousands.
No one who steps up for family members via kinship should be worse off than before they took on the role.
I can understand if you want to keep working and work obviously accepted the hours you requested. Is it a small company ie just that business or are you part of a larger company that you could take the issue higher?

I do get money from kinship fostering too, the same fostering allowances that mainstream foster carers get.

The company I work for is a global business so there would be ways for my colleagues to take it higher if they are really unhappy.

That’s not my problem though? My employer agreed to my flexible working request and my reduced/part time hours.

As a line manager though why aren't you addressing it? Surely you are in a senior role and would have opportunity to raise this 'I have been receiving some negativity regarding my reduced hours from staff. Their concerns are that their workload has increased to compensate. Is there the possibility of employing someone to support for 3 days a week or any other solutions that can be offered to address this shortfall in hours'.

You’re right.
Your employer agreed.
So it is not your problem.

Well I could raise it I guess yes. But my colleagues could too

I do wish all my colleagues and management would stop gossiping/bitching though. It’s doing my head in!

But your role involves management. I think this is again not put in your initial point. Surely your skill set and pay reflects that you are 'head of' and you are involved in line management of others. Surely you are involved in managing any disputes amongst the team, and if these are involving you then you need to pass these concerns on to another manager explaining this 'I have a conflict in my team which involves myself, therefore I do not feel impartial in discussing this. The issue regards my reduced hours and the increased workload for the team. Could a manger from your team please help to resolve this conflict'.
I did initially sympathise until realising you are in a senior position and seem happy to let your team suck it up without trying to take any action yourself in managing their workload.

I too think you are amazing - doing what you are doing for 4 vulnerable children. Your business is clearly trying to support you in agreeing to your flexible working request - but no one including you is happy with the current / resulting situation.

I totally get that you want to keep working for a few hours per week. I actually think work is good for your sanity / as well as pension etc alongside your new family commitments but obviously the office politics / comments is really not ok, when you doing what hours have been agreed by management, but I guess you can also see why your colleagues are frustrated.

What do you actually want here?
Would you like them to recruit a more junior assistant for you?
They may actually be on the same page, but because of employment law, too nervous to say that they think you need help.
This might be a conversation you need to start.

@OneJadeSheep are you the same poster who was agonising over having to give up your job because of fostering? And because you weren't able to fulfil the 4 day week your employer had already agreed?
In which case it's good that your flexible working had been granted to this extent.
However, your colleagues do have a fair point. No way can you line manage 2 days a week term time only (that's just 78 days a year minus holidays and sick days!). If they are having to pick up the slack without extra staff or pay it's not reasonable.
I'm guessing your employer has agreed on compassionate grounds without thinking through the impact and maybe thinking they'd save money in the process. The workload and responsibilities need to be reviewed to be fair and to avoid the ill feeling you're experiencing now.

Jesus when did we start thinking that the only type of valid work pattern was full time? Guilt tripping women into working at home and working at work. If there needs to be more staff let management employ more staff, preferably more part time so you and others get a decent quality of life. It’s not on you. It’s on them.

When I went very part time it was made clear to me that I would not be able to go for managerial roles as that would impact the rest of the team too much. The company clearly made a mistake there.

But although taking in 4 children is remarkable, the attitude of “it’s the company’s problem” and “my employees could raise it to my bosses instead of me” is not very impressive for a head of role. I would feel some need to contribute to the solution there given you’ve been given an incredibly generous schedule (and I say this as someone with similar hours).

A fraction of what is needed. The fact majority is having g to be done by others/not done.

And they can now decide that it isn’t working. What happens then?

You are doing a good thing for society so deserve some slack, but surely you can see their point?

It is the employers problem, but the employer reacted to you by trying to be supportive. You have taken a huge drop in hours and you admit that there is work not being done, do you honestly expect your colleagues not to discuss or question the situation?

My working days are Monday and Wednesday but I do also have the flexibility to swap those with other days if needed.

I would bet redundancy/settlement is around the corner. (It won’t be much though as will be based on your current hours.)

I don’t think anyone is saying that, but a management role with time sensitive work on two days a week school hours and term time only is going to be impossible to pull off in reality. The request should never have been approved, and I suspect senior management felt forced into it given the job title. It would take half the op’s working week just to get back up to speed on what’s going on, and the other half to do even a cursory attempt at decent management. Of course she’s not a “proper part” of the team, she’s never there!

So I’m not surprised people are grumbling especially as there’s no end in sight. If it was expected to be for a year or so while the children settle then fine, but it seems op expects it to be long term. They’ve probably been told by HR there’s nothing that can be done, so they’re going to continue to let off steam between themselves.

That’s another thing that colleagues and management keep saying (amongst other things) that they feel like I’m “never there” and not a “proper part” of the team but I am there (and a part of the team) because I work all of my contracted hours!

Well, your pay and holiday is calculated pro rata accordingly, so don't feel bad about it.

There's nothing to stop the manager from proposing to get in another PT employee in for three days a week. That's if they were interested in actually managing, not bitching.

You keep asserting it’s not your problem, but in the real world it is. (Otherwise you wouldn’t be posting).

@Seelybe I think the same poster although they seem to have gained another child this time.

Yes, I’m sure you do and I’m sure you work hard. But from their perspective you are not achieving anything, so having you there is pointless. Worse than pointless, because if you weren’t there they might be able to employ someone else. I can absolutely see why from your perspective you want to continue, but you are going to have to have a much thicker skin because their feelings are very valid and not going to go away.