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.

Exactly, this! I’m so sorry that you are having the same problem in your workplace too

Currently the fixed headcount has been reduced by over 60% of a permenant post (before factoring in term time) so they should be recruiting. Not replacing you for the missing hours is the issue and causing the animosity. It is not your fault at all, but equally I csn understand why collegues are annoyed at the situation (unprofessional to talk about you and expect you to change your hours to fix it though)

I’ve told my colleagues and management etc who they need to contact if they want to complain but they’ve all chosen to just gossip and bitch about me instead because I’m part time.

I suspect that if the OP were to leave, she wouldn't be replaced, so her "colleagues" would be expected to pick up the work she does in her 2 days. There are many threads about how little people do at work and skiving off when WFH, Do people really think their managers don't notice, they might cut some slack when the economy is booming, but now slack = costs = reduced profit.

Tell HR.

Ask them to deal with it for you.

But other than talking to someone, what else do you suggest? I have given you some ideas for free but you are paid to do the job and know what the work involves.

You are very robotic in your responses about how your flexible working was agreed and how it isn't your problem, and you have told them to go to management.
If you are this robotic and impersonal in real life it's no wonder you aren't liked by your colleagues and they gossip about you.

That’s illogical though, if you are now 0.3 of a role then the 0.7 should be recruited to.

I don’t understand how your employer thinks your job can be done in a third of the time it used to take with no ill effects.

Totally agree with you here, and your other posts.

OP - you are not acting is a way that is consistent with what you describe as a leadership role. And I get a lot of transference from your posts that helps me understand why your colleagues might be annoyed with you.

Or she would be replaced with someone on a lower wage...she is currently 'head of' so I imagine comes with a bigger salary (although she works minimal hours so won't be too high). If she left they could scrap the head of title and just have another team member at the entry salary for the role.

If this is your attitude I can understand why they aren’t happy with you.

@OneJadeSheep why don’t you have a conversation with colleagues and explain how part time works? Two days’ work, not five days condensed into two. And they shouldn’t be gossiping and bitching about you - why haven’t you asked them to stop? It sounds like part time doesn’t work for your job so a job share is needed or it needs to revert to full time. Or better processes are needed so that people don’t end up waiting on you to return for example.

I have tried to do this a few this.

I just have a lot of stress going on in my life and I feel like this is my employers problem to solve and not my problem to solve, maybe I’m wrong with thinking that though.

Yes I think you are wrong in thinking that. As a senior member of staff some of this responsibility does fall to you and managing your team's workload (as well as happiness as this might impact productivity) is surely part of your role.
Once you have tried different strategies (which many of us have given suggestions) then you take it higher outlining all the ways you have tried to minimise the reduction in your hours on other staff members.

@OneJadeSheep it is understandable that colleagues are frustrated but they need to take it up with HR and explain it isn’t working. Where I work, flexible work requests are reviewed to see if they are working. If you can see that the work can’t be done then you know that this is not workable in its current form - perhaps suggest a job share. At senior level such as yours, you need to be honest if it is not working. It is on your employer to some extent but someone should be overseeing how it’s going - you said yourself it isn’t working.

Weird take for someone in a management position. Anyway, they’re not interested in solving it by the sound of things so where does that leave you?

This.

Assuming your holiday entitlement is taken up by the term time only bit, you’re there 33% of the time of a full timer. If your company has headcount limits (rather than FTE limits) it is highly likely that the complaints of others will see this role remove and replaced by a full timer “different enough” role and you’ll be made redundant.

I have no idea why your employers thought this arrangement was a good idea, but they are allowed to change their minds and they aren’t required to accommodate your life choices to the detriment of everyone else.

I do still get annual leave but it’s pro rata so I don’t get as much annual leave as full time staff do.

So if you have no sickness you’re at work for around 70 days a year in reality rather than the 232 of a full timer. And you do t see why this is causing issues?

I’m going to bet you’ll be gone by March. You need a plan B. ASAP.

So given this, why are you being so obtuse about what the issue is? Your choice is significantly impacting them. They know further recruiting won’t happen so they have no choice but to get on with it or find another job which isn’t always easy

I have suggested to colleagues and management that they can complain to HR if they have problems (I’ve also told them who else to contact as well as HR) with their workload but they don’t seem interested in doing anything (they never do contact HR or the other people that I’ve told them they can contact) about it other than gossip and bitch about my part time hours.

You’re not the same person in the other threads who is also a global head of a department and who also has kinship of 4 children (was 3 but then was taking on another one) and who was asking in a thread what to do about wanting to drop to 2 days a week as was struggling with 4? But was worried because work originally said no as they normally don’t allow 2 days a week only? That’s quite a coincidence then if you’re not them.

If they were to complain to the people that I’ve suggested they speak to then it is possible that as a department we would eventually be allowed to recruit someone else as well. But colleagues and management and everyone else in the company have chose to just gossip and bitch about me and my part time hours instead of actually contacting the people I’ve told them that they can contact if they have problems with their workload.

But they don’t want to be marked as difficult or complaining or they’ll be first on the list at the next redundancy round rather than you. People know there’s a significant downside to raising an issue formally