Requesting to go part-time

[HmmmCat]

I want to go from full -time to 4 days. I need to put the request in writing, but I'm really not sure how to argue my case. After all, I want this for personal reasons, and the only benefits I can see for my employer are that I would have more energy and that they would pay me less.

And although I have colleagues who work part-time, they were originally employed on that basis. I don't know that anyone has ever reduced their hours.

Maybe I'm overthinking it, but I'm worried that explaining my personal reasons will backfire on me.

Any suggestions how I should word my letter ?

Who is going to pick up the 20% of your job you won’t be doing?

I’m seeing a lot of people that did this 3-4 years ago trying to increase back to full time and being told no. So think carefully if you’re wanting to change back later.

Winding down to retirement in 5- 10 years, so not, I hope, likely to be an issue.

My current assignment comes to an end soon and I will be redeployed, so now is actually a good time to make this change.

Your personal reasons are irrelevant and shouldn’t even be included in your request.

your case needs to be entirely about how this can work for the business.

Not all jobs work the same way. In software development, for example, you plan the work of the team to the resource you have available.

Try asking chatgbt! I’m currently in the same situation and it’s so useful

AI is making humans so dumb they can’t even get the AI name right now. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Weirdly enough, I own half of a software development company and we don’t work like that. I’m also a senior HR professional and have probably dealt with more FWRs than you. ;)

Not necessarily.

As a manager, I find it very helpful to understand the reasons behind the request as it helps me understand what i could offer during conversations to explore whether a fwr could work for my team. For example, if someone mentions it's for nursery days, I know that the likelihood is there will be no flexibility in those days and that needs to be considered.

Lots of agile teams work that way (planning the work in each sprint according to team velocity, which boils down to availability, experience, complexity of work). You might not work that way, but it's one of the reasons why I think dev work can be great for work-life balance, and it's why I have been able to accommodate the flexible working requests that I've had.

FWR = Flexible Working Request?

I'm not looking for flexible working. I want a permanent reduction in my hours, and to work a fixed 4 days per week.

Flexible working requests include requests to go part time.

I did not intend to quote.

FWRs cover part time working/reduction in hours.

Have you spoken to your manager about it, @HmmmCat? I know you have to put your request in writing, but it's usually helpful to put some feelers out, if you know what their concerns are likely to be it can help your arguments, if you need any.

Can you explain why you are reacting with sarcasm and combativeness to other posters who are being polite and helpful? Plenty of jobs operate in a way that can be taken down to 4 days.

Fabulous. Pleased for you. But the OP has given no indication that this is at all possible in their line of work/organisation so your advice is somewhat limited.

And plenty don’t.

I asked a basic question and then (as usual) people pile on with their (often limited) experience and state it as gospel for all circumstances. It gets old quickly.

You're the one assuming that OP's job can't work that way, and that the way your software development company works is the only way (it really isn't)

Surely someone who has worked in HR as long as you have would know that asking the "basic question" in the way that you did would come across as judgemental and aggressive, rather than a request for information so that you could offer some relevant advice?

You received two replies from the OP that adequately explained why her request was likely to be reasonable. And then two very benign counter opinions. No ‘pile on’ whatsoever. Take a step back as you’re bringing a very appropriate attitude where it’s not necessary.

They may like the idea. They will save 20% of your salary.

I won't quote the OP but have you had a look at the flexible working policy for your organisation as that should explain how to make the request and there may be no need for you to figure out how to 'word a letter'.

In my organisation there is a flexible working request form to fill in (this covers all permanent or temporary changes work patterns/hours). We fill in the form which asks us what change we want to make, what impact you envisage it will have on the business and how this can be mitigated. There is an optional section where you can explain any relevant personal circumstances.

Then it's emailed to your manager who either agrees or disagrees and asks HR to make the changes if they agree or provides a formal response to you if they don't.

You have no idea if any of your part time colleagues have asked to increase hours etc and your manager may be able to offer your spare hours to them, or has been asked to reduce staffing budgets. It may be a positive for them as well as you.

Also consider asking for compressed hours if there will be an impact on your pension reducing your hours in your final years. Same amount of hours over fewer days (start earlier finish later)

I have spoken with my manager, who knows my personal reasons - though not, I think, the extent to which they affect me. They were supportive but not at all encouraging.

As I said, my current assignment is coming to an end, and I will be redeployed. I would be happy to go down to 4 days immediately, but that 20% would be extremely difficult to cover. I do not know the forward planning, but cannot see a similar assignment likely from what I know of the clientele my employer wishes to attract. Administratively it is a hassle ensuring full coverage when most of the team are part-timers. This is why I am asking to make the change in a way which fits with the forward planning, not with my own needs. I am giving more notice than I would need to give for resigning.

There is precedent to work part-time, but I don’t know of recent precedent to go from full-time to part-time.

Thank you, I hadn’t thought of this. TBH I expected my manager would make the decision, not bump it up to the top boss.

Compressed hours are not possible. A) I am client-facing. B) I want to reduce stress, not increase it!