Reduced hours

This is what I have come up with:

assume I work 50 hours per week salaried so being paid for 40 in essence (the hours may be high but I am being extra fair)
agree to work 4 days at 30 hours and be paid 3/5 of my salary rate plus bonus, becoming full time hourly (nonsalaried).
I would like to go into the office 3 days, work from home 1 day and the other day be off each week.
Since I would be hourly I could work extra hours on my regular days when needed but would try to avoid that. 30 hours would keep me on the medical plan.
How do I broach this? One option is to present this which I am sure will be turned down. The other is to go in and resign nicely (which I am fine doing if that is the end result) and if it gets to how can we keep you, present this. I am there 20+ years and am heavily relied upon and do things no one else knows how to do. If this is not satisfying, or I am working too hard at reduced pay, I could always stop working entirely.
I did get them to promote me a few months back but that has not changed my daily grind, just gave me alittle more money, and I am getting too old and wealthy to put up with this anymore
Thoughts anyone?

Others can make suggestions but only you really know the environment, so we would be shooting in the dark. For example, you could meet with the appropriate person to begin a discussion about retiring, but include generically that you would consider staying on part time and see if they bite. If yes, get into the details, if not, then RE.

Megacorp, minicorp, or what?

You are correct about that extra day off. How about going for 4 days, 9 hours each, and work from home half a day? That is essentially what I am doing. I go to the office M-Th, keep everyone happy and satisfied. On Friday I am either off, or cleaning up tasks for 1-4 hours. Just mentioning that as a fall-back position.

What you come up with depends on your first line of management. It might work better if you approach this differently, and present the problem, then lay out what you feel are solutions that work best for the company and yourself.

Where I work, flex time is readilly available, and I use it to relieve stress, or just kick back and enjoy a walk in the woods by myself.

While this may seem both reasonable and fair to you (and probably is), what you most likely will run into is "That's not the way we do things here."

So without knowing all the background of where you're employed, it's impossible to advise you.

Are you aware of anyone at your company previously or currently with a reduced schedule like your proposal? Perhaps you could approach your boss on the topic with that as an example. If not, you can always say, a "friend" at XYZ corp has a wonderful setup, allowing him to stay longer, etc.

I did that several years ago. I put in my notice that I was retiring. The company wanted me to stay on, so I agreed to 1 day in the office and 1 day working at home per week. I had been working 3 days a week prior to that, so the higher ups were comfortable with this arrangement.

The key for me was being able to get work done remotely and in less hours effectively. My advice is to prepare a detailed plan on how you will get work done in your proposed arrangement. Then present it to the bosses with your proposal for less work hours.

I feel your pain. On the sideline watching how this plays out.



Mods: Hey , what happened to the popcorn emoticon ?

firewhen said:

This is what I have come up with:

assume I work 50 hours per week salaried so being paid for 40 in essence (the hours may be high but I am being extra fair)
agree to work 4 days at 30 hours and be paid 3/5 of my salary rate plus bonus, becoming full time hourly (nonsalaried).
I would like to go into the office 3 days, work from home 1 day and the other day be off each week.
Since I would be hourly I could work extra hours on my regular days when needed but would try to avoid that. 30 hours would keep me on the medical plan.
How do I broach this? One option is to present this which I am sure will be turned down. The other is to go in and resign nicely (which I am fine doing if that is the end result) and if it gets to how can we keep you, present this. I am there 20+ years and am heavily relied upon and do things no one else knows how to do. If this is not satisfying, or I am working too hard at reduced pay, I could always stop working entirely.
I did get them to promote me a few months back but that has not changed my daily grind, just gave me alittle more money, and I am getting too old and wealthy to put up with this anymore
Thoughts anyone?

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Not only are you asking for reduced hours, you are also asking to go from salaried to hourly.
That latter is a big deal.

Your employer most likely knows that you are working the 50 hours and getting paid only for 40.

Now, you are asking to cut 50 hours to 30 or they are going to have to pay the extra 20 hours.

Have you calculated your hourly rate?

firewhen said:

I am there 20+ years and am heavily relied upon and do things no one else knows how to do.
Thoughts anyone?

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That leverage can only go so far. Unless the company would close it's doors without you, you are not that important no matter what you think you know that no one else knows.

Just_Steve said:

That leverage can only go so far. Unless the company would close it's doors without you, you are not that important no matter what you think you know that no one else knows.

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At my most recent 1099 job, everyone that knew anything about the software had left the company. Layoffs.

As matter of fact, half of the equipment and its associated software had come as a result of a consolidation of UK facility to the USA facility. Needless to say, the UK staff didn't come with the equipment.

As long as they didn't need to change anything or needed to make minor changes, the engine keeps humming along.

They can't keep on like this forever, but it has been a few years.

I think I am changing my mind anyway the more I think about it. I probably would wind up working more intensely for less overall pay and my workweek would be not that much different. I am looking for some sort of compromise, but the ultimate answer is to stop cold turkey. When I am out and come back in there is always some catch up. I would have this every week which would not be fun!

broadway said:

At my most recent 1099 job, everyone that knew anything about the software had left the company.
...
As long as they didn't need to change anything or needed to make minor changes, the engine keeps humming along.

They can't keep on like this forever, but it has been a few years.

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Reminds me of a funny story. At the last place I w*rked, there was a certain piece of code that was central to the overall software. When the coders who had written that (quite elegant) section were laid off, they somehow managed to delete the source code for it.

Years later, when this section needed a revision, it was discovered that only the object code was available, and any modification was out of the question. Nobody knew how to duplicate it, so no revision was possible. Revenge, I assume, was sweet.

I work 3 days/week. 3 x 8 hours/day, and get my same pay rate and considered salary. Just 60% of the total for full time. I also get 60% of vacation/sick/holiday time accrual, but pay the same co-pays for medical and other ins stuff as I did when full time. Working out great for me and my bosses are happy. I still do as much work and value added contribution as many do full time. Mainly working for the insurance, but keeps me from tapping into savings with the paycheck.

For how to approach it? I basically gave them two options: part time or retire. So mgmt worked out the part-time solution. Helps if you are in a short of qualified workers group like I was. My megacorp does have the part-time provision and processes in place to allow it. Just needed mgmt to approve, which is not a given since I still take up a full headcount allocation even though I am part-time working.

Having 4 day weekends is real nice, but to be honest the part-time just makes me want to be no-time that much more!

braumeister said:

When the coders who had written that (quite elegant) section were laid off, they somehow managed to delete the source code for it.

Years later, when this section needed a revision, it was discovered that only the object code was available, and any modification was out of the question. Nobody knew how to duplicate it, so no revision was possible. Revenge, I assume, was sweet.

Click to expand...

"Sweet"?

would it be "sweet" if they took out a few bolts from a critical structural pin connection, and the building fell down at night when no one was there? They were paid to produce a product and to maintain a system. It's not like they were independent contractors who were screwed out of getting paid from creating the initial code/software in the beginning, and they deleted the source code because they were never paid to create it.

firewhen said:

I think I am changing my mind anyway the more I think about it. I probably would wind up working more intensely for less overall pay and my workweek would be not that much different. I am looking for some sort of compromise, but the ultimate answer is to stop cold turkey. When I am out and come back in there is always some catch up. I would have this every week which would not be fun!

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I had my hours cut to 20 a couple of years ago as part of a temporary "partial layoff." With full bennies too. Sounded sweet until the first week when it was clear they expected much more than 20 actual hours worked. I resisted that and told them this wasn't going to be a temporary pay cut for the same work. I managed to prevail, but it taught me that being the only part timer would just complicate things when due dates and meetings fall on my days off.

MooreBonds said:

It's not like they were independent contractors who were screwed out of getting paid from creating the initial code/software in the beginning, and they deleted the source code because they were never paid to create it.

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Sorry I didn't include a sarcasticon in that post. There's no doubt that deleting the source code was a criminal act, or at least extremely unethical. It made things miserable for those who were left without the needed tools.

fire when said:

I am there 20+ years and am heavily relied upon and do things no one else knows how to do.

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I suspect you really mean "do things no one else at the company knows how to do", or "do things no one else currently knows how to do".

While all employees are individuals, with unique background experiences, knowledge, contacts and skill sets, that doesn't translate into irreplaceability.

firewhen said:

I think I am changing my mind anyway the more I think about it. I probably would wind up working more intensely for less overall pay and my workweek would be not that much different.

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Sounds plausible. Certainly that situation is common for women lawyers who elect to go on the 'mommy track': while they obtain token flexibility, they are expected to do pretty much the same amount of work (for less pay, and impaired promotion prospects).

braumeister said:

There's no doubt that deleting the source code was a criminal act, or at least extremely unethical. It made things miserable for those who were left without the needed tools.

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Agreed. Vindictively deleting/destroying part of one's past work product is really no different from a laid-off cashier or server helping themselves to the contents of the cash register on their last day: mere theft.

braumeister said:

Reminds me of a funny story. At the last place I w*rked, there was a certain piece of code that was central to the overall software. When the coders who had written that (quite elegant) section were laid off, they somehow managed to delete the source code for it.

Years later, when this section needed a revision, it was discovered that only the object code was available, and any modification was out of the question. Nobody knew how to duplicate it, so no revision was possible. Revenge, I assume, was sweet.

Click to expand...

Somewhat similiarly, I was RIF'd the day I finished up onsite installation of custom software for a megacorp customer. Because they had already cut my email and network access, I had to send all the final packaged code/documents/scripts to my replacement via my personal email account. To be safe, I also cc'd the email with attachments to my boss, his boss, and the project manager. About a year later I was contacted by the project manager as no one remembers receiving it. They were quite embarrassed when I just "resent" my original email along with their acknowledgements of receiving it the first time !! I could have just ignored them, but that would have hurt the customer also.....

38Chevy454 said:

I also get 60% of vacation/sick/holiday time accrual, but pay the same co-pays for medical and other ins stuff as I did when full time.

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This is the tricky part.

Is this built into their system that they are able to give you 60%?

Why not just work the 40 hours you are actually being paid for...do 4 - 10 hour days instead of the 5 - 10 hour days you are doing now?

Then, once they get used to that, approach them with the 30 hour suggestion??

MooreBonds said:

"Sweet"?

would it be "sweet" if they took out a few bolts from a critical structural pin connection, and the building fell down at night when no one was there? They were paid to produce a product and to maintain a system. It's not like they were independent contractors who were screwed out of getting paid from creating the initial code/software in the beginning, and they deleted the source code because they were never paid to create it.

Click to expand...

+1 essentially, they destroyed property that they were paid to create and belonged to the company.

firewhen said:

This is what I have come up with:

assume I work 50 hours per week salaried so being paid for 40 in essence (the hours may be high but I am being extra fair)
agree to work 4 days at 30 hours and be paid 3/5 of my salary rate plus bonus, becoming full time hourly (nonsalaried).
I would like to go into the office 3 days, work from home 1 day and the other day be off each week.
Since I would be hourly I could work extra hours on my regular days when needed but would try to avoid that. 30 hours would keep me on the medical plan.
How do I broach this? One option is to present this which I am sure will be turned down. The other is to go in and resign nicely (which I am fine doing if that is the end result) and if it gets to how can we keep you, present this. I am there 20+ years and am heavily relied upon and do things no one else knows how to do. If this is not satisfying, or I am working too hard at reduced pay, I could always stop working entirely.
I did get them to promote me a few months back but that has not changed my daily grind, just gave me alittle more money, and I am getting too old and wealthy to put up with this anymore
Thoughts anyone?

Click to expand...

I worked reduced hours for many years and a FTE was also expected to work more than 40 hours a week. The way ours would work is that my salary would be reduced to 75%, so my standard hours be reduced from 40 to 30. In reality I would be expected to work 38 hours rather than 50.

All other benefits were 75% of a full-timer (vacation time accruals, sick time allowances, etc.). 401k match worked the same but on smaller numbers. DC plan company contributions were x% of salary so that worked too. The only thing that was different was health insurance... if you were 50% or more it was the same as a FTE, if less than 50% then nothing.

In our case the firm had an established reduced hours policy so I just needed to apply for it and make the business case. My practice leaders felt that 75% of pb4uski was better than the likelihood of 0% of pb4uski so we were able to work it out.

In our case we did daily time reporting so hours worked could be charged to projects and clients so tracking was pretty easy.... if it ended up that I worked a lot more or less then we would just adjust the % I was paid to true it up.

Just noticed this thread. I have done almost exactly what you wish to do successfully on and off for several years before I retired. The conversation for me always centered around the fact that I valued work life balance and that both my wife and I shared both a profession and time at home raising our kids (she has a masters degree). Another major factor in being successful at convincing your boss is building up a lot of leverage to ask for perks or advantages that the average employee won't even be aware exists is by having a high value and involved in niche work. 99% of employees at any company I have successfully negotiated this setup were not aware of my exact negotiated benefits and yet I myself was afterwards enlightened to know what others in my company held similar advantages to myself once the deal was done. Did this THREE times in my entire career. All at the last three employers. One tantamount requirement that you want is to have your current salary reverted to the same (or higher) hourly wage equivalent to what you make now. There is a lot of benefit to that. You now hold the house money where salary employees play against the house money! Working mostly at home increases this advantage even more so.

One caveat. Once you do this almost all employers will reduce your regular annual bonuses and any incentive bonus or salary increase given to annual salary employees due to a US corporate perception that those who want work life balance and don't sit at a desk over 40 hours per week shouldn't be associated with incentive retain age rewards. That's why this negotiated reduced hourly plan is best for just prior to retiring or when you know your planned timeline with the company is only 1-3 more years.

Al in Ohio said:

One tantamount requirement that you want

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What does this mean?