Offered job - How Do I Request Part Time?

[Ichangedmynameonce]

I've just been offered a job with a public sector employer which was advertised as full time.

I'd like to request part time hours. Can anyone suggest ways I can do this?

Tips would be much appreciated.

Thank you

Just say thank you for your offer, would there be a possibility of doing part time hours rather than the full time offered. If they really want you they'll consider it, but be prepared for them to pull the offer. Also depends how part time - 30 hours maybe, 20 hours definitely not.

Speak to whoever hired you. If possible think of solutions to possible issues.

how part time are you looking to go?

You won’t have a legal right to request flexible working yet, but public sector does tend to be on the more flexible side of things so fingers crossed for you.

Why did you apply for, interview and accept a full time role if you want part time? All you can do is ask. But probably would have been better to mention at interview

I'd withdraw the offer if you hadn't mentioned that at interview.

And I'd be pretty pissed off that you'd wasted my time, tbh.

What the Badger said.

I'd wait at least six months. I'd be incredibly pissed off if I went through the whole recruitment process for a clearly advertised full-time role, only to find out the preferred candidate wanted part-time hours. I'd want to withdraw the offer and go to the next candidate.

Once you've cost them even more money over your training period, they might be less inclined to let you go immeditely. So wait six months.

I think in a public sector job it’s fine to ask about part time. I did it and they didn’t even blink. They can only say no.

I asked at the point of being offered the job

I must be really behind the times here! You interviewed for a full time role, got offered it and now want to change the terms of the role? Public sector or not I would tell you sling your hook.

I would pull the job offer if you did that to me. So my advice is to just ask, but only do so if it is part time or nothing for you.

Thanks all.

OP, there are some v behind-the-times replies here. I applied for a full time job and asked for part-time and it wasn't a problem. I work for private sector, large firm but progressive, committed to EDI etc. All our job ads now say P/T and flexible working possible. It's 2022.

I'm currently a hiring manager and it sounds like the other people replying are, too. So we are firmly in 2022 and not behind the times.

@Ichangedmynameonce how did you get on OP?

Not in my public sector role it wouldn't be
Any candidate who wasted our time being interviewed then said they wanted a different job to the one they had interviewed for would be considered a PITA and it would be a very bad foot to get off on.

Some job roles cannot be made part time and flexible working even those in the public sector and yes even in 2022

I’ve always done this and it’s been ok. My current role was advertised FT but my public sector employer has flexibility stamped all over the adverts. I just said to my boss that I’d like to do 30 hours because I know I could give 30 good, focused hours each week. Within 6 months I went to 34 hours because that was what I was giving (pandemic changes to working and lack of commute meant work fitted in differently). I was then promoted in role and opted personally to go FT, but they were happy to promote on my part time contract.

Conversely I did get an offer for a job a few years ago (pre pandemic) where the negotiations broke down at flexible working; not specifically on being PT, that was fine, but because I wanted to do a couple of days/week from home.

I have just recruited and the first choice candidate declined our offer based on the realities of the geography involved. It was mildly irritating because he knew all of that before applying, but took over a week to make that decision so I lost my second choice candidate.

Basically, I don’t agree with the negativity above, it’s a tough market to hire in, and it’s ok that the candidates have some negotiating power. But for FT adverts I would say that 30 hours is a minimum. But pattern also matters, I would prefer 5 short days over 4 long ones etc

I think it's only poor form to ask if you wouldn't accept the job if it was full time hours.
I asked a similar question with my current job - I was told no part time, but they were happy for me to suggest a flexible working pattern that made life easier for me. After I'd been there for 6 months, I requested part time hours and got them.

I wouldn't have withdrawn if they'd said "no" though - I think that would be extremely poor behaviour.

Agree with this. If I advertise a role as full time hours, it’s because that’s what I need. If I offer you the job I would expect you to do full time hours and I would be very pissed off if you refused/turned the role down when I clearly advertised it as full time. I would of course, be flexible about the how/where you did the hours, and would discuss and agree patterns of work, working from home, etc