Part time and admin tasks

[noexcusesforlatenessalan]

Trying to be vague about exact nature of job but really struggling with stress and extra unpaid hours spent keeping on top of admin related tasks for job (think typing up client notes, ordering equipment, completing safeguarding etc)

I always envied part time workers before having my own family but now I have come to realise that its actually harder because of having to complete the same tasks but in fewer days.

Wondered if anyone else has experienced this or has any pearls of wisdom how to 'work starter' or approach management to make changes to their working style?

The balancing struggle is real!

*work smarter that should say!

You shouldn't have to complete the same number of talks in fewer days.

Eg if you're working three days you should do 60% of the work a full time person does

Your number of clients should be pro rata to the hours you work.
So if you work 3 days you should have 60% of the clients a full timer would have. You need to speak to your manager to make sure this been adjusted accordingly.

I worked 3 days a week for many years and I found the days I worked mattered to how well I coped.
Initially I worked Mon, Tues, Wed and I found I was really chasing my tail trying to get finished up on a Wednesday which was a really busy day with a couple of meetings. Then having a gap of 4 days meant every Monday I felt like I was coming back from annual leave and didn't know what had gone on! I swapped to working Thursday instead of Tuesday and spreading the days out more, for me, helped a great deal.

It takes a while to get used to being part time though, all the bits and pieces you would have left to finish off the next morning you can't do anymore if it's a non working day. But you will adjust to the new way of working and, for me, it was best thing I ever did and gave a great work/life balance

I did a totally different kind of job but also found that when I was three days I basically did over85 per cent of my full time job for just three days wages. It was awful.
Compressed hours over 4 days is the best flex

This is why in many jobs part time is a bit of con. Most women I know who do 80% load - supposedly 4 days a week - in professional jobs do then get to spend that day with their children, but wind up doing pretty close to the extra day's work spread over evenings and during kid's nap time on the day off. Generally they live with it for the sake of keeping their careers on track and then go back to full time once their kids are established at school. Or they go the other way and drop to three days a week accepting that they'll likely do more like four days worth of work. Mind you, I'm talking about jobs which are far more hours than 9-5 for those working full time.

In short - it's not you, it's a well-recognised phenomenon.

Thank you so much everyone!

I found working 5 shorter days around school hours easier. Although I still had a FT workload, being in every day meant that I could keep on top of things better.