Part-time management role but no less work than full-timers

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I got a promotion a year ago but with lockdowns etc never really got a chance to reflect as I started in January began to get the hang of it then lockdown happened and work has been full on. I suppose I should have asked in the interview but the job is exactly the same as the full timers in the same role. There is no reduction in my tasks. I manage the same amount of staff, if anything I get asked to do extra ad I am good at things like presentations etc.

How could you broach this issue a year down the line? I work 3 days across 4. I have school age children so this flexibility was welcome and I have just kind of accepted that it is a full time job squeezed into a part-time role but I know I shouldn't just accept it.

Any advice welcome as it is bothering me now I have the kids at home and I am feeling stressed. I am the only manager (5 of us in the same role) with children and there is no support for me. Any extra projects come to my team as we are seen as capable and efficient but this seems like it is a poor way of dealing with inadequacies in other teams (without going off on a tangent as this is a whole other thread!)

I was reflecting on a similar situation during the week.

I have two, very similar part time roles that add up to full time. Different departments in the same organisation, so no overlap but similar ethos and tasks.

Ive realised that I work around 20%-30% harder than the fulltimers im the same role as my work is not really pro-rated and I'm always hussling to get work finished for the "end" of the week, only to then start doing the same for the other job.

There's no down time or capacity to have a slow day, or to put something off until later.

I think it's just the way of part time in professional roles unfortunately. As soon as a fulltime post comes up in either job I'll be going for it - same pay and reduced workload!

@sleepyhead I have been assuming that might be the case. It's like the only benefit I get is a full day off. My counterparts have a relatively chilled working week whereas my working days are chocka block with back to back meetings. My boss insists when any of my team are off my contact details are on the out of office reply but wont let me put his details when I am off. So on Mondays all my emails are just waiting for me so I'm chasing my tail all week. And now homeschooling two kids too.

Really, this should be a job share but my employer aren't particularly progressive so that won't happen. I want to work part-time but in a manageable role and I am qualified and experienced enough to be senior (I'm not that senior, middle management but I did want more of a challenge just not this kind of impossible workload challenge!)

I have colleagues with two part-time roles too so I feel for you. Again, it is someone very capable so he is kind of doing two full time jobs.

Can you delegate any of your tasks to your team? Even if it means taking on someone else. Or better, cut out the tasks that are a waste of time.

Can your team cover for each other so if they are off, someone apart from you is the contact?

Otherwise, I would be looking for full-time pay as you are effectively working compressed hours, eg 4 x 10 hour days instead of 5 x 8 hour days.

@Quarterback11 it's a charity and I have no power to take on more staff. My role was advertised as part time for budgetary reasons only. Most of my staff are part time too (to be fair at that level my old job- the tasks are easier to pro- rata for part time). I can't really delegate as my role has specific tasks as do theirs and it wouldn't be fair. It wouldn't be fair also because then they would be being given more work than their equivalents in other teams just because they have a part time manager. They respect me ad things are but I wouldn't want them to resent having to do extra. If anything my manager should take up my slack but he is one of life's delegators.

Also there is nothing I have the power to cut out. I am asked to do things by my manager. I have been asked to run a 4 hour training event next month. None of the other managers in my role have. I am seen as a good person to do it but it should be something any of us managers can do. So why ask the part timer with kids at home? I am also managing an extra project that has just been squeezed into my existing heavy workload. Perhaps others just say no and I need to be more assertive.

This is on top of usual day to day work but this sort of thing happens a lot.

Agree, I work 4 days, do exactly the same job just manically busy, back to back meetings and no down time. No time for networking, company events or well-being, professional development is in my own time. It's crap.

Hiya I'm in a similar situation, I reduced my days of work to 3 full days so I could look after children. My company haven't reduced my workload to accommodate with my part time working. I'm still currently managing two teams which is a total of 15 staff members. It's like they think I'm some robot. I'm finding it very stressful.

I was coming on to advise you to be more assertive and say no to additional protects. If your substantive tasks are already equal to other full time managers, you should feel confident enough to decline any additional projects such as these presentations with a response that you're unable to spare the time due to being part time. The more you take on, the more you will be expected to take.

I found making a list of tasks and saying 'Of course I'll do the 4 hour meeting, now which other task would you like me to hand over to another manager?'

Make it clear that time is finite and things will not happen if it keeps piling on you.

@everydaysablessing it's a nightmare, the other managers share emails on the group email.list about organising social lunch time zooms etc as they obviously have loads of spare time and I am becoming a bit resentful. I make sirw I book a lunch hour in but now I use that time for home schooling.

@Vicky1y that sounds stressful. I manage 12 members of staff, the same as other managers but my team are high performing and pro-active which creates more work for me. It's the sort of workplace where slackers are just left alone as it is understood that others perform well so it evens out.

@moonlight1705 I could do that with some tasks. My manager has fudged it when I have tried to suggest other manager do what I am being asked to do before though saying they are too busy (with something in also doing) . A few of my counterparts are close to retirement and just not very good at their jobs or what our jobs have become anyway, not tech savvy, not good at online training etc so nothing extra is given to them, just core work. They are people who have been here for years and I think have achieved the 'Peter Principle' so have been promoted once but have stayed undeveloped in that role for 10+ years. If I was just doing my core role it would be just about do-able. Not to criticise them as I think their teams like them but it partly explains why I have to pick up extra.

it's a charity and I have no power to take on more staff. My role was advertised as part time for budgetary reasons only.

So they're getting you on the cheap.

You aren't empowered to delegate - yet you're in a management role.

The other members of staff are coasting towards retirement.

You're the only person with children, you're being paid a part time salary but not having the benefits of part time to give that time available to your family, because you're being taken for granted.

Doesn't look good, does it?

I would formslise all these concerns to your manager and agree how to bring things back into line, They are massively taking advantage of you, you need to push back asap but do it with facts and data, not piecemeal- ie record several weeks' of hours you've worked, what did you do in that time, how much over your contracted hours are you having to, which tasks could be delegated but you can't, what is your status (in their view) as to the powers of decision making you need to do your job.

how much over your contracted hours are you having to...

work

"How could you broach this issue a year down the line? "

When was your last annual review?

Why don't you just ask for an appointment with your Line Manager?

This problem needs to be solved by your manager. Tell him you’re unhappy with the current set up and explain why.

Thanks @daisychain01 I think you're right. I am bring taken advantage of. I think the idea to record what I am doing is good.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

When I went part time after my children it was a nightmare
I was the first person ever to go part time
They made no concessions to the fact that I was contracted to work less hours (for less money!)
And I was so desperate to have time at home with my children that I just accepted it and worked half the night
Eventually I pushed back and got an assistant,and some other concessions but the whole situation caused bad feeling on both sides and I got another job in a more progressive company
M piece of advice I got was never work 4 days,worst of both worlds
Good luck

I work 3dpw in a professional senior management role. In a normal week I do the hours of a 4dpw person and in busy periods it’s equivalent to FT or more. I accept this as it gives me the flexibility to do the extra work when I want (usually a couple of long days and some work at home on days off). And to be fair most of those working FT do more than contractual hours too though I definitely do proportionately more. But ... I am very well paid so for 3dpw will be getting way more than most of my friends working FT. As you work for a charity I am sure that isn’t the case for you.

If you can, try to come up with a solution and present it to your manager eg at next appraisal. So are there bits of job that actually aren’t that necessary? Or can you think of specific tasks that could be done by others? Or do you want to change your contract to be paid for the extra hours but with flexibility to do the extra at time of your own choosing? You may also find your case helped if you can provide clear evidence that you are being treated unfairly- if necessary mention that PT workers being treated unfairly is often seen as sex discrimination and you wouldn’t want them being taken to court ...

ime the only way around this that actually works is to apply to be full time.

You can try talking to line management and reminding them, but you might get tagged as a whiner or a slacker. The other thing to do would be to scale it back into three days and ring fence your days off completely - no emails, no phone calls - nothing - an out of office message. In the past I have sometimes lied and said I work for another company on those two days, so they can't ask me to 'just'...

That's it @Labobo it is really tiring having to explain that I'm part time to people who are fully aware.

@AliMonkey no im not paid especially well but then none of us are. Executive pay is high in the charity sector but not at my level.

Regarding the training etc my boss has said ask someone else to do it but can you support. in which case if I have to be there for the full 4 hours and design the training I may as well do it.

The issue is the people with lots of time are pretty useless and lazy and the people who are skilled and helpful are already busy so I feel like I would be a pretty shit manager to pile work on those below me.

There are lots of inherited issues with crap staff across the department and to be honest we need a restructure. The last time that happened though it was my manager who led the restructure and he didnt get the right skills in place because hes a bit useless too. He is one of those managers who passes successes off as his own and failures off as other peoples which he then 'has to sort out' whereas in fact our department is a mess with high sickness etc and it is entirely down to him planning poorly from the outset and beinng out of touch with how our sector has changed.

I stay here for the flexibility, home working (not just in covid times) and good annual leave so have accepted the negatives. To be fair I never work over my hours just work without breaks amd with back to back meetings during my working hours. That was ok pre homeschooling but I still always did more than full timers on reflection.

I dont really want to work full time either. Workplaces really need to work out how to manage job shares!

It is not uncommon when highly effective women go part time. I had the biggest client, the most complex service area, delivered the highest cost savings and had the best work structures in place, was given the role of coordinating the consolidation of departmental reporting which meant formalising procedures and making processes efficient so they would take less time. I was also given ad hoc tasks and out of scope questions because even though they were not our department responsibilities I could be replied upon to just get things done. When appraisal time came round, I was told I could not be given the highest rating as I was not full time so I was penalised twice, 20% reduction in salary for my 4 day working and then a lower pay rise. What was the final nail in the coffin was during a restructure, I was given the position that no one wanted on a global team. I complained by was told we hear you but despite your results, no one wants a part timer on their team.

I moved department and took my high performing ways elsewhere! They were delighted to have me on board!!

@ChateauMargaux I'm so annoyed on your behalf but glad you made the move. Like you, I'm delivering more than full timers.

There isn't really anywhere I can go in my organisation. I manage one of 5 regions in a specific business area for which I am (over) qualified and my manager is the national lead for. I manage the region in which I live and so can't go anywhere! Otherwise I would say stick your job and move but I know (and they know) that on balance the working conditions here are family friendly, apart from unequal workloads I have my annual review coming up and will raise the issue based on the wonderful advice here.

Ive just gone full time and it is hugely relaxing!
I was always trying to get stuff in before the end of my working week, trying to preempt things that people might need, pursuade people to hold meetings etc when I was there and catch-up on stuff to do with my job that got discussed on my day off.

The org was supportive of PT but the logistics were so tiring. After 8 years of different part time jobs I am happy to be full time. And now senior enough to drive my own flexibility. Sigh of relief.

I feel for you op.

@tinseloatcake good for you. Glad you can relax now! I feel like my full time colleagues are all a lot more relaxed than me. Its the 'extras' being given to me I find frustrating. I could just about manage my core work. In normal times I got my head down, worked solidly (minus lunch break) picked the kids up and then switched off from work. That high workload isn't working now though and I'm still being given the extra tasks even as the only parent in the team of regional managers. The national stuff that my manager is delegating (because he cant do it)