Worrying part time situation

[Witchesandwizards]

I have been working in a part time role in a marketing agency for 4 years.

Until May this year, this was a job share with each of us working a three day week with a one day handover/overlap. In May the colleague I job shared with resigned and since then I have been ‘muddling through’. The account I was working on was given to someone else and I have working on other business, handing over to whoever had capacity on the days I don’t work. So, from a job share that has worked seamlessly, I have gone to a situation that feels like I am going on holiday every week and having to put on colleagues who already have enough work. Or the work doesn’t actually get done. My role isn’t really a role that can be done on a part time basis unless as a job share and I was hoping that a replacement job share would be recruited but we currently have a hiring freeze.

A month ago we were also told that the agency was restructuring and our department would be split between two newly created departments, each of which utilise half of our existing skill set and give us the opportunity to expand these skills. However, my line managers (who are very supportive) will not be heading up either department and, effectively, I have to interview for one of these newly created roles. The department I want to go into is the smallest of the two, and I think that there will be too many people from my current department who want to move into it.

I am worried that, worst case scenario, neither department will want me when they could have a full time employee, or second to worst case scenario, I will have to join the department that I don’t really want to join.

Does anyone have any legal experience in this area? Could it possibly be constructive dismissal? I really don’t want to leave and I am very happy at my workplace (this aside), but I am worried about the consequences.

I have worked here for 7 years, 4 of which have been part time.
My part time contract does not refer to a job share, just a three day working week.

Thanks

It sounds like you need further clarification from your employer. You need to know what is the selection process for the roles, what happens if you don't get the role you apply for, are there enough roles for everyone or will there be redundancies, are the roles on the same terms and conditions, are the roles the same job content.

Once you've got answers to those, it will be clearer what you need to do and also whether there's anything your employer are doing wrong.

To be honest (and your reply has made it clearer to me), it's not the role change that is the biggest issue, I think this is just muddying the water for me and, if push came to shove I would do either rather than leave. It's the fact that neither role is suitable for a 'regular' part timers - I work for an advertising agency and the processes just don't work.

It became apparent today, when someone I am working with started handing over a new project then queried what would happen on a Thursday and Friday as he is too busy to cover and the other member of our team too junior to cover a couple of crucial weeks when we are delivering the project. I ended up volunteering to work f/t for these two weeks. I really don't want to, but felt I have no choice as I feel that disappearing for 2 days a week will start to piss everyone off.

I genuinely believe that, without them recruiting a job share partner, there isn't a role for and me. It's already quite obvious that I am not as busy as my harrassed colleagues at the moment and this is because there are some projects I simply can't be put on or there's no point them giving me work to help out only to dump it back on them a couple of days later.

I'm gutted that for 4 years we were flawless and now I feel vulnerable and exposed.

I've managed people in exactly this scenario, and I know it's tough.

Ultimately, I don't think some agency roles can be done PT without a job share. Clients want someone to do things, and they don't care that you don't work Fridays.

There are two things that I have found work. First is to put part timers on really well resources programmes, where they have specialist skills that can be used. If you can become a specialist in something that isn't time critical,

... sorry pressed send too soon.

Become a specialist in something that's not time critical, and where there are others to do day to day client stuff, and they'll wait for you.

The second is to move away from client contact into agency management (resource planning, industry marketing, internal comms or whatever). This isn't for everyone and it could stall your career progression, but it does work for some.

Good luck!

”It's the fact that neither role is suitable for a 'regular' part timers”

Are they any less suitable than what you have been doing since May?

Thanks Margaurette
I'm in creative production/project management so not as easy to transfer with the agency/industry. There's a possibility I could move to a supplier and I have contacts who are possibly interested, but ideally not as I still like my work.

Are they any less suitable than what you have been doing since May?

I've been 'fudging' it since May - covering holidays or supporting people with heavy workloads, on holiday myself, handing work over to random people each week and getting other members of my project teams to cover my role - but this isn't a long term solution, especially moving from the support of a very understanding boss and department.