Working part time, is it just a big old con?

[blueblanket]

And in fact, rather than being the "best of both worlds" (seeing your DC and keeping your hand in with work, and the brain ticking over), it's actually the WORST of both worlds because you're part time everything?

I've been back at work 2 days a week for a good while now ( so this is a considered opinion) but just feel like I"m not giving the best to either my child or my employer.

I work remotely from home for a great company, but the other problem with the flexibility is that with iphones etc everyone's at the end of an email almost all the time and it's really hard to switch off, even on my days off.

is is just me?

Point taken re: economy. As I said in my first post, when it goes smoothly then it's great. It's just that you feel the effects of any problems far more when you're PT and it, in my case certainly, PT is a bit of an illusion. I am in the office three days but am expected to pick up email etc outside of those times. I could say sorry, not available but it ultimately makes my job far more difficult if I don't. They're getting a very good deal out of me at the moment; more work than I paid for at a fraction of my previous salary.

I agree with you Blueblanket - I have just left my job for the exact same reasons. I think the key is how the part time post is managed - in my case it was badly managed and there was no provision for covering work in my absence. I am a professional and had supervisory responsibilities for the team. I'm taking some time out to decide on my next move - I have 3 DC's so child care is a big issue for me but luckliy we can afford for me to take some time off. I'm not put off the idea of part time working and still think it can work if managment and cover are sorted. I feel for you - the last few months for us were horrid.

I hated two days a week, I used to spend the first half day each week remembering where the hell I'd been, and no-one ever took any notice of me. Now the kids are both in school and I do 9am-1pm 5 days a week, which is brilliant. So like most of the posters I'd say it all depends.

I think it depends on the role. I went back 3 days initially and it wasn't great, it wasn't enough to actually do my job and by the time i went back to the office i'd forgotten everything from the days there previously. I'm now on 4 days a week and its much better although i do the 4th day from home which is great.

I work for the nhs (CAMHS senior nurse therapist) 4 days a week and it's s**t tbh.

My workload is the same as the full timers but on 80% of the salary so in effect I'm being paid a staff nurses salary for a senior sisters role. My supervisor and line manager have not been helpful at all in monitoring the number of referrals I accept with so it's properly in line with my workload and I feel rpessurised in meetings to take on the same amount as everyone else.

ALWAYS stay late and NEVER get the time back, unlike the full time staff who areall gone by friday 3pm without fail, so guess who ends up dealing with the 4pm Friday emergency phone calls and worrying all weekend?

Am cutting down to 3 days when I go back after maternity leave but if nothing chnages I'll be seeking a full time senior position in adult mental health services or nurse education after a year on the next pay band which means dh can cut his hours and just do 4 days until ds starts school.

This is typical nhs crapness though, I'm sure some part time roles are excellent.

To avoid that contantly on call feeling, I've taken to locking my blackberry in the car outside of my official working hours.

I worked 2 days a week for 8 years and I did feel I wasn't appreciated at work/was "just" a part-timer etc, but now my children are older, I've just got a fantastic job 75% of full hours, which means I can mostly be there when they come out of school and in the holidays.

There's no way they would have considered my application if I hadn't kept my hand in while the boys were small.

I work 4 days a week and have done for the past six months. I'm happy doing it, I get a bit of extra time to do things with ds, clean the house etc, but feel very much like i'm a working mum rather than a part timer. Less would be easier, but my pay would be cut by too much, and as I'm a trainee doctor, the training would take far too long too.

Yep, worst of both worlds. Also, while it is tempting to schedule days off together e.g. 3 days at work, 4 days off, that is harder as the longer away from work the more to catch up on. I have the worst of both worlds as I work part time and condensed hours so I do 33 hours in 4 days, practically full time but long days as work. I need to money though and don't want to give up my day off.

Plus you have the problem of people at work acting like you are on paid holiday all the time, forgetting that you actually don't get paid for the time you have off

Don't particularly want to work FT either. I just want to win the lottery.

Good point Bumperlicious! I know people say it without thinking but every week at least one person says to me 'oh you're off tomorrow and Friday, aren't you?' I want to say No! I don't bloody work here on those days! It might sound like a small thing but if everyone forgets and assumes you have two days annual leave each week it affects the way they treat you and what they expect you to do.

Lots of people don't realise that I work part-time. I take that as a compliment and proof that it is possible to do a "proper" job on reduced hours.

I wouldn't want to be like a lot of my friends who gave up good jobs to stay at home with their babies and now, after 10 years or so, are bored at home, resentful that their abilities are not being used and struggling to find even a minimum wage job to get them out of the house.

Yes, you sometimes feel under appreciated at work, but it does keep your options open for when the children are older.

Ah I am currently on maternity leave and wondering about this a lot.
I have always worked full time or not at all, however I have been very lucky in that I work mostly from home so v flexible in that respect.
With my job being so flexible I think working 3 days would just work out that I would be doing the same job in 3 days so less flexibly and worse paid.
I am thinking hard about this at the moment, it has been a very interesting post.
Emy xx

I work 18 hours a week, over 3 short days. I do find I am "out of the loop" a bit and spend my first day catching up on what has happened since I was last in!

I also find that if anyone is sick, on holiday or leaves with short notice, then I am the first person they ask to cover, despite having a young DS!

Every week someone asks me if I "enjoyed my time off" as if I have been on holiday or something

I work 18 hrs over 3 days and think i've the best of both worlds. Like PDR says you do find you miss out on some things and spend the first half day catching up. I think you also work harder as a part timer, you definitely do more in your hours. Overall though you get some adult time but also time with your kids.

I think its good for my DS to see that mummy works but also mummy is there to take him/collect him from school sometimes.

It was good when he was pre-school as I was there to take him to music clubs, play dates etc, and now he's at school I have time to do chores when he's at school which means I have time to play with him at a weekend.

Its down to personal preferance, you have to weigh in the extra cost of breakfast club/afterschool / holiday club costs compared with a full time wage. Remembering also you will pay less tax, NI as a part-timer.

I work mornings (9 - 1 mostly), and for me it is the best of both worlds.

I am able to take DD1 to school and pick her up every day. I work whilst DD2 does her preschool sessions, so they wouldn't be with me that much anyway. Then I get to pick up DD1 at lunch, do an activity with her (toddler group / gymnastics class, or just go to the park) and then we go to collect DD1 from school. I get to take DD1 to all her classes and so on. I don't feel as though I significantly miss out on their lives, in fact I feel as though I'm a lot better off than those mums who stay at home all week, and then work weekends - because whenever my DDs are at home, by and large so am I.

Yes, I think I do have to work harder, I am more tired and think I do perhaps make more sacrifices, but I have made this decision to maximise the time I spend with my children in the long run. For me, it is the best of borh worlds, because I couldn't afford to not work. My only other option would be to get an evening / weekend job so I stayed at home all day... but then I'd never see my husband... So, for me this is the best.

I'm really lucky. I work 3 days a week for a great employer (university venture fund)on a decent salary. I think it helps that all of my group are PT - the others are close to retiring/have portfolio careers. So everyone understands and covers for each other. In fact, boss and I have conspired (since before conception) that she will not retire until i return from mat leave so i can have her job. Previously i headed up the whole dept after DD1 on 4 days a week, so helps that i have a good track record with employer i think.

but on otherhand i do check email on days off and even do work twitter feed on days off. I do think flexibility each way helps it to work.

It's interesting to read this thread as I'm in turmoil at the moment about whether to drop a day.
I work 4.5 days. Childcare is not a problem and I love my job but I want to spend time with my DC's.

I think it does depend on the job. I work three days a week and only during school hours (I work in childcare). I get the holidays off which is great. However the pay is not great, in fact it's crap, and I also do the lion's share of the housework, garden, shopping, and other chores on my "days off" as DH calls them. The nature of the job also means I have to go to meetings in my own time and I often do work in the evenings on the PC. So I'm pretty much permanently knackered and hardly ever do anything for myself. But having said that, I would rather do this than work full time and have to rely on childminders etc. Friends who work full time always say how stressful the school holidays are in terms of juggling childcare etc, I don't have that worry. And I get to see my kids every day after school.

Today is a good example of tits up. MIL is sick and cancelled having DD last night. So, with no other option I am home with dd. I get to lose a day's leave or go in Thurs instead to make up the day which is what I am doing. But that means we don't get to music group (ok, it's HT and not on but in theory) and coffee with SIL and cousins which dd loves.

I work 3 days a week and find it a mixed bag tbh. I enjoy taking a lunch break and spending some of my week at work. But I feel massively taken advantage of in that I am cramming full time work into part time hours yet took a massive pay cut for the privilege.

My DP works very long hours so I have to get DD to childminder, get myself to work and then do it all in reverse at the end of the day. I find that hard, some days if we're running a bit late or she's not in a compliant mood I feel utterly defeated by the time I leave the house, yet still face the prospect of a day at work.

I get the 'where have you been?' comments too. I had some time off for a holiday and it was like I'd been gone for months by the reaction I got. I am lucky enough to work from home one day most weeks which is so much easier. However it never ceases to amaze me how many people think that DD does not go to the childminder on that day. Like I would be able to wor and look after DD all day. Often this is women with grown up children who think this, I am left wondering whether they have lost their memory or just think working from home implies that you just do what you feel like all day and don't actually do your paid work.

I've worked 3 days a week in a fairly senior position in a large company for 2yrs since DD was 1. I've found that I do have to be disciplined, but as long as I'm fairly clear about ground rules my colleagues/manager have adapted fine.
I do end up going through emails on my days off, but this is so I don't have to spend my days at work playing catch up: personally I find that setting aside a specific time to do this works best as then work doesn't always seem to be hovering in the background - and often if an email needs a response but isn't urgent, I'll maybe write it but not send it so that people don't come to expect me to be contactable.
One minor thing that is difficult, though, is taking the odd day off - in a FT role was always fairly easy to take, say a Friday, but much bigger difference between being in for 4 days out of 5 vs 2 days out of 3.

When I first went back PT, I was stunned at how many people knew and spent a few days being irritated by the constant 'I wish I could work 3 days a week' comments: until I worked out my jovial but pointed response of 'if you took a 40% paycut you could'

I don't have a problem switching off from work. But I am currently finding doing 2.5 days hard.
I feel like I'm rushing everywhere, to do everything. And I am so busy trying to get stuff done on my monday and friday off that I end up shouting at the children becasue I'm trying to play with them, get ironing, washing and hovering and make a dinner and read ds1's school book. Just finding it hard at the moment. Sure I am not alone.
My friend has just quit. I am wondering myself.

I have all the things wigeon listed and I'm still struggling.

I am currently working PT, 3 days a week, as senior professional within my small company. I am finding that I am now being overlooked for promotion because ideally I need to be able to travel extensively abroad at the drop of a hat in order to be taken seriously. As I do not wish to do that, I think it's unlikely that I will return to work after I have baby number 4. Financially it's not really been worth coming back after DC3 as the cost of a nanny, commuting and NI/tax (for her and me) has meant that I've been making a tiny amount, but I naively thought that if I stayed working now, then later it would pay off. However, I have been told that if I would like to come back once all of the DCs are in school then they would love to have me back - but I'm not sure I can bear to come back to a place where the graduates that I trained have become senior directors, and I'd still be a junior one!!

It's so hard - I did work FT after DC1 (but only for 6 months as I went back pg with DC2)and I hated it as I barely saw him and only got the rushing bits at the beginning and the end of the day, when both of us were cranky and tired.

At the moment, I do love the fact that I have my own identity for 3 days a week, and I do think that I'm a better mother for not being at home all the time as it's not something I find easy, but it does depend on your job too. I am also lucky that I have an amazingly helpful DH who gets up in the night, changes nappies, helps with lots of housework and I think I'd find it harder if he wasn't as handy.

I work 4 days and it's pretty good. I went back 3 days initially, and though I got to spend more time at home/with the kids/doing all the admin stuff I wasn't really pulling my weight at work. 4 (slightly longer) days is not much different from 5, but I still get a day at home plus the weekend. And I do not bring my work home with me!