Pls help with P/T application - stuck :(

[jaabaar]

Hi,

I am preparing my part time app letter as per the minimum legal requirements. Going back to work (office based work) in January after just over 9 months leave. Changing from 5 days to 3 days with compressed hours working extra 1.5 hour a day.

My problem are following points:

A) ?This change in my working pattern will affect my company/workcolleagues as follows...?

B) ?I think the effect on the business and my colleagues can be dealt with by....?

Since I left, my company has completely restructured. Most work/accounts I was dealing with were cancelled as my company was unable to deal with them after my leaving. These will not be taken back. Two more employees have been employed. I don?t know if they do part or all of my job. Apparently they want to give me a new position as my current boss is retiring in December. That is unsure too as they are looking for someone at the same time??? Basically I have no exact idea how they are restructuring and what exactly my new job will be.

In this case, I just cannot give suggestions to A) and B) in the letter. Could I just state: ?I hope that my application for part time work can be considered in the current restructuring of the company.????

I am really really stuck. I would very much appreciate anyone?s help/suggestions. My company is very very tough and squeezes the last drop of blood out of you for the pennies they pay. It even affected my health (blood pressure). I had to fight for every single maternity right. I have no relatives at all and my husbands relatives live far, so no one to help with childminding, so really need 3 days p/t.

Thank you very much for taking the time.

Have you thought about asking for a prelimary meeting to understand the restructuring and therefore enable everyone to consider your request in the most effective day. You could suggest you did that as a KIT day if they agreed.

I agree that it will be very hard to make the application not understanding how your role or those around you have changed, so I think the most pro-active thing you can do is press for more information on that.

If time is tight, I would suggest putting in the application with reference in those sections to the fact that you would like a preliminary discussion to understand the restructuring and will expand upon those answers afterwards.

Does that help?

thank you for your reply which i much appreciate. It is a good idea to state in letter I will advise later on those points.

Want to avoid a meeting as they are VERY pushy, persuasive and unagreeable when face to face.

But as I see there is no other way.....

RebenaBerry:
Hi,
Could you please please have a look at what I wrote down regarding those two sections???
I would very much appreicate your opinion:

"At my last visit you briefly mentioned that the company will restructure the way it works. All employees will be trained to deal with all of the work/products. This restructuring would protect the business from longer or unexpected absences of employees. I believe that this would also facilitate reorganising work among existing staff to accommodate my part time schedule."

Thank you very much!!!

You realise that you'll have to have a meeting at some point right? Unless they agree your request straight off and have no questions, they have to have a meeting.

In terms of what you've written, don't take this the wrong way but it sounds a bit like you expect them to reorganise their business to fit your preferences.

I would change it a bit and say something like "At my last visit you briefly mentioned that the company will restructure the way it works. All employees will be trained to deal with all of the work/products. This restructuring would protect the business from longer or unexpected absences of employees. It is hard for me to provide a detailed answer on questions A) and B) at this stage, as it will be partly dependant on the details of the restructure and I would be very pleased to discuss those with you. However, I think that the restructuring is a good time to expolore options to accomadate my flexible working request whilst benefiting the business."

Then have a think about how your work could be done in a way that allows p-t. It might have to be a bit hazy for now, but are there people who want to develop their skills for whom taking things on would be positive? More effective ways of doing things? Other people who are underutilised? Bits of work that actually don't need to be done?

Does that help a bit?

Excuse the typos...

RibenaBerry:

Yes,will have to go to meeting eventually but preferred to have something more specific in letter beforehand.

Thank you ever so much for the time and the ideas! It sounds MUCH much better the phrasing you have suggested! Sometimes my english is not very good (second language) and it comes across the wrong way! You are absolutely right!

I will rewrite and rethink.

Really appreciate the time you have put into replying.

Regarding people who are there: When I left two new people had to be employed to cover part of my work. The other part of my work (which was heavily dependant on my expertise) had to be cancelled as no one had the time or expertise to deal with it. This partly pushed the company into restructuring. They were taken by surprise when I got pregnant - although I always pointed out I am overworked and others should be more involved.

So taking into consideration work cancelled and two further employees I think it should be feasible. However they are also planning for me to take on retiring boss work (on the cheap - all candidates run away after trial period...).

Thanks again - very much!