colleagues' resentment

[whatwasIthinkingof]

Hi, I am back at work after taking a year of maternity leave to look after my DD. I have very recently gone back to work part time but just before I went back I discovered I am pregnant again. I will have to tell work soon and am really worried that they will be unhappy about it as I?ve just had a year off and am now going off again in a few months time. Am nervous about two things: colleagues' resentment about me being part time (already had a couple of comments after being back a week) and people?s judgement about going on mat leave again so soon after coming back.

Really felt we couldn?t wait much longer to get pregnant again as I am in my late thirties (although it happened much quicker than we thought it would!). Anyone else out there with these concerns? If so, any tips for things to say/ways to deal with it?

Thanks

[ceebeegeebies]

Full timers should only have to work their 37 hours and not work any extra without being paid but that is not often the case these days...so not sure why you think part-timers are sny different.

Yes you and your husband are lucky to have the jobs you have. If checking my e-mails on my day off make life easier and take the pressure off then that is what I have to do.

[SPBInDisguise]

Yes very lucky!

[FierceBadIggi]

I think what can happen though is in a workplace where the culture is that staff do, say, an extra 5 hours a week beyond their contract, the expectation can be that part-time staff still do 5 hours, rather than 2.5 hours if working 50%.
As to the idea that we should work 'till the job is done' in some professions the job could seriously never be done 100% - as a teacher I could seriously invent stuff to do 24/7 to make the job better. And I'm sure if I could afford a cleaner, he/she would say the job of cleaning my house could never be 'done', there is always potentially more to do!

[Metalgoddess]

As I said previously, it doesn't matter if someone is full time or part time they should not have to regularly work over their contracted hours and I agree in a lot of jobs there are always things to do, there is never an end to it, you just have to put a stop to it at the end of the working day. I do a stressful professional job and I do it very well but my time is my time, I refuse to work for nothing, if other people do (thankfully no one does where I work) then I guess that's their choice but its not for me!

[lightsandshapes]

I think resentments are quite common and you just have to tune them out. My colleague announced in a meeting that I was back from my 'jolly'. he also refuses to help when I can't do a task because I'm not working. He wold have done it when I was full time. Also I have a female single childless colleague who is the same. I think you just have to count your blessings and ignore them