Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Original poster

Why do people work part time ? I've never understood it...

540 replies

mozhe · 17/05/2007 00:45

I never have, but lots of colleagues in NHS did....you end up doing 3/4 of the work for 1/2 the salary, and get passed over in the promotion stakes...And have you noticed that it's nearly always women who do this ? Why ? I actively discourage junior staff from doing this but lots seem to....

OP posts:
tigermoth · 17/05/2007 08:07

well, up to recently, I'd have robustly disagreed with your assumption that part time workers end up with a bad deal, as the public sector organisation I work for is a very family friendly one.

However, I know one of my close friends and part time colleagues is pretty miserable about her stutus at work at the moment.

Three of us share an office. We all do the same job at the same grade. Two of us are full time. My friend has had a lot of time off in the last 18 months due to extended maternity leave and a bereavement.

She is frustrated that she has missed a lot of work experience, as the team's projects and objectives have changed quite a bit during the time she was away. Briefings from our manager are no subsitute for first hand experience so she feels she is constantly at a disadvantage.

As she is less experienced in the work we do, and is not at work for a full week to follow a task through, she feels she is often given the less exciting, less career enhancing aspects of projects.

As we are a very busy team, no one else can pick up her work on her days off. So this means she often ends up doing extra hours from home or coming into work for an odd few hours on her days off. I know she feels constantly guilty for not doing more.

On the days she is in, she often cannot get much of her work done, as our manager (naturally wanting to include her in team stuff) schedules team meetings and briefings for the days she is in. This means up to 50% of her time can be taken up with meetings where she is allocated tasks, only to find that she does not have enough remaining time at work to carry them through!

The other member of our team is very openly ambitious,unbelieviably untactful and can be very overbearing. She tries to be seen to 'supervise' my part time colleague, to enhance her own status as a would-be mananger of the team. When this happens I back up my colleague, but it does not make the issue go away. I have drawn our manager's attention to this situation but cannot do a lot more.

I can see how frustrated my friend is getting. I know she would not want to go back to being full time, as she really values her time at home with her young children, but it's much tougher for her being part time than full time.

BreeVanDerCamp · 17/05/2007 08:08

OK

I have a cleaner.
I have an ironing lady.
I have a dog walker.
I do charity work at least once a month.
I drop my DS to school and I pick him up,so I could be back in the house for 10.00 and not need to leave again until 3.00. What am I supposed to do ? Lunch ?? Gym ??

So I go to work for anything between 10 and 20 hours(my choice)

If I had more than one child I may agree with you. But before you make sweeping statments please think your initial thoughts through.

Oh and BTW..........here is some truly shocking news, with rising inflation, rising utility bills and mortgages. Some people need to work to stay afloat and part-time is their compromise.

CaptainUnderpants · 17/05/2007 08:08

people work part time - so that they can spend all day in coffee shops, go to the nail salon, spend DH/DP money , then they work their way up to being a SAHM after having a career break and really take the piss !

Really mozhe as a senior member of staff you should be able to answer your own question and you SHOULD never discorage staff from doing this, get them the options then let them decide what is best for them not YOU.

talcycharlesandeddy · 17/05/2007 08:09

I had a boss that frowned on part timers and mothers of young children working.
After dd2 i opted to go part time.....had to go over her head to higher management to get what i wanted....

Got it though

Wordsmith · 17/05/2007 08:14

Glad I don't work in the NHS then, but somewhere with more enlightened attitudes! Get with the 21st centry Mozhe!

toomuchtodo · 17/05/2007 08:16

scary people like mozhe are in a position to
"actively discourage junior staff" with their outdated views

southeastastra · 17/05/2007 08:17

how we've moved on

bozza · 17/05/2007 08:17

I work part time because I want some money. What my DH earns is reasonable but not sufficient to fund the lifestyle we want for our family. By working part time after childcare I earn enough to cover our housing costs (ie pay the mortgage and council tax bill) so it is a reasonable contribution.

I do not work full time because I want to be able to spend time with my children and it reduces the juggling slightly.

Part time working is for me a compromise. It has had a detrimental effect on my career, no doubt, but it has had a hugely positive effect on our family life.

nailpolish · 17/05/2007 08:20

LOL @ Bree
you ask what could you do in that time you have spare during the day "what am i supposed to do? lunch? gym?"

er you could do your own cleaning and ironing instead of paying someone else

i am often flabbergasted at how many people go to work as a 'hobby' or for something to do

oh to have the choice...

ChippyMinton · 17/05/2007 08:24

Am SAHM at the mo because i 'stupidly' didn't get so far up the greasy pole to be able to afford childcare for 3 under-3's. When i do go back to work it will be part-time because i am a mother and i want to spend time with my children, if that's ok with you mozhe.

cathcart · 17/05/2007 08:24

fgs! i'd love not to work but as it is i have to do at least part time hours to make sure our mortgage gets paid. if i wanted to work full time i wouldn't have had a baby yet.

Cammelia · 17/05/2007 08:24

I don't mean to be personal or rude mozhe but am I right in thinking you are currently pg with your sixth child?

Have you always worked f/t and how have you managed your (presumably considerable) childcare issues?

For me working part-time pays the school fees and gives me huge flexibility during the school holidays.

cathcart · 17/05/2007 08:25

x post chippy - that was not directed at you!

Taylormama · 17/05/2007 08:27

oh dear ...another ill thought out OP.

I find that even if people are part-time they still cram a full time job into those hours (on less pay and more stress). Happened to friends of mine who have gone back part time after children.

BTW, as a manager, i never actively encourage people that work with me to make lifestyle choices because of my ideologies!!

LittleMouseWithCLogsOn · 17/05/2007 08:27

cod they KNOW THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN WORK

amen

insywinsyspider · 17/05/2007 08:28

because when you leave a job the company doesn't colapse no matter how senior you are, they replace you and more on and soon its like you were never there - with your family you're always number one, they are constant and need the investment in time more than a job, I say this as a engineering graduate, with a 1st and masters, who works part time to help our finances and because I enjoy it but not at the detriment to time with my son - yes my career is on hold but 'on their death bed no one ever said they wished they'd spent more time in the office'
don't project your views of working and the importance of a career on your junior staff - everyones prioties are different at different times
makes me mad when people can't see it from someone elses point of view but at least you posted here to find out!

dionnelorraine · 17/05/2007 08:28

I work part time.
My motto is 'I work to live, not live to work'
Sometimes there are just more important things in life. I will never work full time again. With a growing family and lots of interests, I think life is to short to dedicate yourself to 1 thing.
I still work because it gives us a little extra 'pocket money', gives me a little independance and I have friends at work.
Not everyone is the same. What a boring old world that would be!

nogoes · 17/05/2007 08:29

Because you can have a better work life balance and some breathing/thinking space.

morningpaper · 17/05/2007 08:30

Or THEY KNOW THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN CHILDREN

LittleMouseWithCLogsOn · 17/05/2007 08:30

OR THEY HAVE TO INDUOLGE THEIR STAIONERY FETISH

Chelseamum · 17/05/2007 08:31

I truly believe this person who started the thread it is just trying to stir it up.

I am afraid i am not going to comment.

talcycharlesandeddy · 17/05/2007 08:32

and...for those on a modest wage
childcare is not an option

My dh and i worked opposite shifts for yonks

morningpaper · 17/05/2007 08:32

or THEY CAN GO INTO THE OFFICE, HAVE HANDSOME MEN MAKE THEM COFFEE AND FLIRT WITH THEM, AND SIT DOWN IN NICE CLOTHES WITHOUT ANYONE WIPING SNOT ON THEM FOR A WHOLE DAY

While spending other days being a full-time wholesome mummy

What's not to get?

dionnelorraine · 17/05/2007 08:32

Some mums would like to go back to work full time but the child care fees are just not worth it. Half of you working week goes straight to child care. So whats the point?!

Yacketyblah · 17/05/2007 08:33

Ermm..I work part time to pay my mortgage.....

For a wonderful, flexible, supportive employer who values my contribution and opinion, who is paying for and supporting my ongoing development, who appreciates my experience and knowledge of the job and who allows me the responsibility of my position regardless of the number of hours I work.

And I enjoy it and it allows me to spend time with my dd too.

Do you understand it yet?