Part-time hours but full time workload...what would you do?

[Greenfairydust]

I work part-time due to a health condition/disability.I started with a new organisation a few months months ago in a senior comms role.

I am the only person working on marketing/comms with the basic support of recent graduate 2 days a week who has no experience of this area of work. She is keen but needs a lot of supervision.

I am basically expected to do anything from website, social media, designing the organisation marketing material, copywriting, budgets/invoices, doing the organisation comms strategy....

More responsibilities have also creeping in as well which were not mention in the JD/job add like internal communications with staff and some campaigning work (this is a charity)

It is basically not a part-time workload and it seems like they hired someone on that basis purely to save on the salary.

I am starting to resent being expected to provide an entire marketing function singlehandedly and to receive a part-time salary as my reward...

The organisation is hiring more people in different teams but there are no plans to improve capacity in my area.

My thinking is that they should review my salary accordingly if they expect that levels of delivery or look at expending capacity so I don't have to do everything myself.

How would other people approach this?

I am not able to take on full-time work because of my health condition but I also don't want to be short-changed in a part-time job in this way.

I have had the very same issue in a couple of previous roles over the years and ended up leaving and I am wondering if I should also just forget about the charity sector because there seems to be this ongoing issue about people in part-time roles being hired on the cheap to deliver a full time input...

Surely the thing to do is to work the hours that you have agreed to, and at the end of your time that week, send a note to your manager saying something along the lines of - I've worked my hours, but I've not yet managed to make a start on these jobs. With the look of next week, I will not have time to start them next week either, or any time in the near future. Whilst I appreciate the help of x, they require significant supervision and do not save any time at the moment due to this and the need for guidance - so we cannot provide a full-time service on my allotted hours. As you know, I am unable to take on a full-time position due to my illness, please can you advise how you wish things to progress.

It is a problem in the charity sector - I'm also part time due to health and looking to get out because of the unrealistic work load.

If you work you part time hours and no more, I don’t see why it would be a problem? Or are you are being reprimanded for things taking longer than expected?

You should prioritise your tasks, ok the order with your manager, work through the tasks in order, then stop working when you reach the number of hours you are paid for. If possible, estimate the time needed for each task during prioritisation and already work out which ones you won’t do. Be proactive in suggesting improvements such as eliminating pointless tasks or subcontracting or automating some.

You need to be very vocal about what you need to prioritise as your workload is too unrealistic for your hours. And just repeat repeat repeat.

You have to be honest on a day-to-day basis with your managers.

'I was planning to do x, y, z this week but if you want me to do something new we'll have to scale something back'.

Stop trying to do the impossible!

Just be firm with what you can and can't do. I'd flag that the workload is unrealistic by saying that it's best raised now before it becomes a problem. Block time in your diary for specific tasks and be clear if asked to do something else that it's going to hold up other tasks.

I'd also make suggestions about what you can do and what won't get done. Then don't worry about the tasks that have been agreed as depriorotised. Start longer term planning so the lower priority tasks are in the pipeline and will be done before they become urgent. Stay calm. Be helpful. Don't work extra to make up for the lack of staff.

I am in a similar position, and this is what I think is happening.

For me, there is a split between voluntary, but senior, positions (board of trustees), and very few paid operational people. It has become clear that the governance side do not know what is involved in the 'paid' side and assume it takes much less time than it does. When those positions are voluntary, it also is not very compatible with the 'paid' connection - for example, in work demands (combining too many events plus AGM plus annual report and assuming that it is possible via the operational capacity) and in holiday time and leave bookings etc.

The hiring plan is also something that connects to that. Is there any kind of experienced HR knowledge? It may depend on an assumption that one area can be solved with a slightly different, but not thought-through, structure, such as an editor for a magazine and website function, but without the proper consideration of a comms plan and how that website work can be connected to the general digital strategy. Again, if the hope is for volunteers to be some part of this, it can't be predicted and probably will morph accordingly

I don't know what the answer is but keep a record, ideally turned into charts or very visual, of how you spend your time - including management of your graduate, general admin, finance and the things that will look left-field or 'mission creep' for your JD. Be persistent in reviewing them with your line manager.

@Ormally makes some really good points. I think this is common in charities; paid staff can get quickly overloaded especially if whoever is in charge doesn’t think early on about whether the org has capacity to deliver a project before agreeing to it. Unfortunately it is often the last thing they consider!

PPs are right; be really clear about workload each week, keep track of what you can’t get done in the time and consistently review with your manager so they are aware. Be firm - when asked to do something new, ask your manager to help you reprioritise your workload and remove something else.

It’s annoying to do and if you are someone who likes to get on with things it can feel quite uncomfortable, but it’s worth it. Don’t risk your wellbeing!

I like this, but I wouldn't refer to an illness, it isn't relevant. The contract is what matters. My version would be like this:

send a note to your manager saying something along the lines of - "I've worked my hours, but couldn't make a start on these jobs (list them). With the look of next week, I will not have time to start them next week either. Whilst I appreciate the help of x, they require significant supervision and do not save any time at the moment - so we cannot provide a full-time service on my allotted hours. I propose that next week we will prioritise completing these tasks (list them). Please let me know if you want me to adjust that priority list. Best wishes..."

@Binglebong Interesting to hear that you have the same issue. Can I ask what sector you are hoping to move into?

@Aprilx
If you work you part time hours and no more, I don’t see why it would be a problem? Or are you are being reprimanded for things taking longer than expected?

The problem is the rest of the organisation still expects support when and as they need it. The charity runs various services so requests are coming in from them. In a way it is not fair on them either because they need support and their needs and expectations can't be met.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I will just keep pushing back and make it clear that only a certain of work can be delivered within these hours.

The plan is also to potentially move sectors all together because I think the issue will just keep repeating itself.

The issue is everywhere not just charity sector

It affects full time as well as part time workers

Fewer people and same workload

They rely on you feeling that you have to help everyone , that you can't let people down

The only thing to do is be brutally honest
Keep a list of what you do and how long it all took abs what you chose to prioritise

To be honest I'm fairly open. I can match the rubbish pay with no responsibility and while I will miss helping people it's just not worth it now.

I found this sometimes when I worked part-time. I found it easier when I thought about the other part of my life (the 0.5 I wasn't working) as a second job. There was no way, if it had been a different job and employer, I'd have been doing job #1 in that time.

How are your hours spread out. I also found it easier when it was 2.5 days a week than 2.5 days over 5 (as temptation to keep going)

I think it is quite common OP, it is a win win for employers getting a full time person for the price of a part time position. A manager once said he preferred part time workers, especially mums because they work really hard knowing they absolutely have to leave on time to do school or childcare pick ups.

I had this happen, health issues too but not in the charity sector though. I flagged up all the extra work I was doing, they agreed to pay me for the extra hours but more and more was expected so I handed in my notice on the last day of my probation. They were furious, of course, and had to hire someone full time after me - who also rang me more than once for advice was having a terrible time. I then had to go through the union to get all those extra hours paid. It was incredibly frustrating and disappointing. If I went back into a part time role again, my boundaries would be ironclad from the beginning...

Good suggestions- on your first working day of each week can you email manager a list of outstanding tasks and what you will prioritise. Ask if they want things re ordered. If new work comes in add a further quick email - I have now received task F and plan to do after X but that means will not get to Y and Z this week. Or I have received task F and it is internal comms. It will delay Y and Z to next week. Do you want me to do F? On last day email saying what is outstanding flagging anything that may be urgent.

Have you had a review meeting with your manager.
Why don't you itemise everything you've said here, ask for a meeting, and just say it!