Meeting Boss Monday - what shall I do?

[jojo2509]

Really in a muddle....applied to go back to my job 4 days starting in March next year but after tele con with my boss he said he thinks I would find it too stressful and demanding as essentially I would be trying to do the same work in 4 days rather than 5. He is a workaholic and has ridiculously high expectations anyway! He suggested the idea of a job share with me doing 3 days, and would have to recruit someone else to do the other days...I said I would think about it and now have a meeting on Monday to discuss.

I am at a loss what to do as I love the sound of 3 days and more time with my baby boy but would be sacrificing 40% salary and have to share my job...it could get complicated too as I manage a team of people.

I am so torn as have always been a career woman but am loving time with my little one...should I plough ahead with the 4 day application or go for the 3 day job share? HELP!!!!

Looking at it from the employers point of view, its a lot easier to find someone else to work the other 2 days of a jobshare than just one. So I can see why from the business perspective, there's more chance of making a reasonable working arrangement if you do 3 rather than 4 days. It would be nigh on impossible to find someone to work the remaining one day. If you were intending to try to cram all of a 5 day job into 4 days, and not jobshare, then I guess he may have reservations about the workload. Personally I think it comes down to whether you would prefer your job back, full time , or whether you would prefer to share it with someone else

depends on what you think as you know your job more than we do. Do you think you could really do your current job in 4 days a week? You don't want to get into the situation where you end up working full time hours for 4 day salary in order to get the job done.

If you go for the job share will you have any input on who they employ? Is it an outside appointment or internal? Not sure on line of work you are in but you don't want to end up picking up the pieces on the days you work.

Can you survive on the reduced 3 day salary and will this meet your (perhaps revised) standard of living.

I'm in a similar situation at the minute, career woman working full time, want to return 3 days but still to sort it out, wish me luck!!

Well, personally I would make the most of the opportunity to work part time. If you go back now on higher hours, it's really difficult to cut down afterwards, when you realise that it's really difficult to juggle childcare/parenting/work. But it's easier to increase hours as you go, IME.

Obviously I don't know what you do but can you really fit 5 days into 4?

I'd ask your manager how he envisages the job being split, with a jobshare and how you would deal with managing staff. Should be doable though.

Another point is that if you really are trying to cram 5 days work into 4, it raises questions about whether it was genuinely a full time job to begin with IYSWIM
Your boss will either think that actually the job is quite do able in 4 days, which raises longer term issues if you ever wanted to return to a full time basis OR it really is a 5 day job but you'll run yourself into the ground trying to achieve it all in 4, and only getting paid for 4!

Really sounds like job share is the way to go. It does require a change of mindset, because as you say, it wont be YOUR job any more; it will be a post held by two people. If you feel you can work effectively like that, I'd go for that option (and as I said I imagine your employer will want a 3/2 day split, as 4/1 is difficult to recruit for as most people wont consider just one day- it would be impossible to feel part of the team)

If You really don't feel a Job share is for you, then I would consider returning full time to your job so that your conditions and pay don't change

Seems like your boss is being both realistic and considerate. Doubt you'll lose quite 40% of your net income because of way tax is calculated. I have never jobshared but would it not be good (ideally) if you had half a day in the office together to handover?

Few things that I would consider if I were in your situation:

Less chance of increasing hours in future;

What would happen if I or my jobshare partner took maternity leave? (outside cover or offer / expectation that other one would cover)

What if jobshare partner did not pull their weight or we did not get on?

If you go for the job share option - just make sure it's properly negotiated and written down. eg who does what?, weekly handovers, make sure any senior management are involved as well. Job share can work really well but it has to be carefully planned.

Thanks everyone....if I am honest I really don't think I can do my job properly in 4 days..I manage a team of people that are based across three UK locations so it is hard enough in 5 days...which is probably what he is getting at.

I am going to go for the 3 days if he still thinks it can work but specify that I want to be involved in the recruitment process. I think initially he wanted 2 people working 3 days each so there is a crossover day but that means applying for a headcount increase which I can't see them going for since they have been making redundancies...will have to see how that pans out.

We can afford me going back 3 days and I want to make the most of the early years with my LO.

If it doesn't work out I can always look for something else full time...the thought of 5 days is awful though. Really never thought I would say that...how life changes! :-)