Question for those who have returned to work part time

[M0rgana]

Hi there

I had a full time secretarial job before I went on maternity leave. I am hoping to return in April, reducing my hours to three full days a week; but from various conversations I've had in recent months, I have a feeling my employers are going to make this difficult for me and insist I return full time (despite the fact I work in a place where 80% of the time there is very little to do...)

To those of you who have returned part time - did you have to fight for it, or was it reasonably easy to get days/hours to suit you?

Thanks in advance

M

Both, I got it agreed fairly easily, but only because I had thought through all the implications of what I was asking for and how the business would manage.

You say you have not much to do 80% of the time. But how do the secretarial duties actually spread out? Presumably, when there is something to do (phone calls to make, diaries to organise, typing, whatever your duties are) it needs doing pretty much straight away. Is there a pool of people such that your job could be covered on your days off, resulting in a better utilised work force and lower costs? Or are you the only person. What would happen when you aren't there?

Some bosses are arseholes, I will admit. Many are not, but simply can't see how their business can fit in with what the employee wants. I really do believe that it's your job as the employee to show and convince them of the practicalities, and to ask for something workable. I had loads of 'what about X' when I first (many moons ago) went pt. What helped is that I had thought of all of them and had answers as to why the business wouldn't suffer.

Oh, and finally, no, I didn't get days/hours to suit me. But I didn't ask for my ideal as I knew it was not workable. I did, however, get something workable and that I'm still happy with some years (and a further DC) down the line.

Hope that helps a bit

Hi RB

Thanks for your answer. Whilst I'm confident the job can be done in three days, I will need to have a think about definitive answers to all the eventualities they will throw at me - so thanks for that.

My boss is, fortunately, very nice. It's the institution itself (a university) that has in recent months refused a couple of people's flexible working requests, because "if they make the job part time, they'll never get the funding to make it full time again". (Bit of a shame really, as part of the reason I went for the job in the first place was because they have a reputation for being more flexible re work/life balance!) :o

If they can't do it, I will look elsewhere for a part time position - I just have a horrible feeling they're few and far between...

Thanks again - much appreciated response :)

Could you suggest they recruit for a job sharer for you?

I got job share easily but my organisation is quite forward thinking in this area. I do two days one week and three the next which works for me.

I agree with anonom you could ask for job share or compressed working?

I was lucky as when I had DS1 there was another woman also on maternity leave who did the same job as me.

We discussed doing a job share between us and then went to see our boss to put forawrd our proposal of a job share. I think he liked the fact that we had organised how it would work already between us and said yes straight away.

Hi, do you live far from where you work? I have found employers seem to be able to cope better with the concept of working shorter days rather than a shorter week.

I have 2 sons and currently work 2 full days and 2 5 hour days ( which enables me to do school / playgroup drop off & pick up 3 times a week.

Or you could agree to a review of your new hours after 3 months thus giving them a way out if they felt it wasn't working for them which may make them more amienable to giving your preferred hours a go.