Shifting to Part-Time - Advice on Structure

[jebmke]

Another thing to keep in mind... at one point when I was 50% a colleague was pressuring me to do something that many of the full-time folks were doing that I was resisting because I thought it was a completely stupid waste of time.

I called my boss and started the conversation reminding him that he had 1,000 pb4uski hours a year and asking him if he wanted to spend some of those pb4uski hours doing what my colleague was pressuring me to do... he responded "Hell no" and it mysteriously went away.

I sort of had the same "back door" push back but it was because I negotiated my consulting based on a weekly rate and not a low one. If I worked an hour, they paid a week. My intention (and theirs) was to focus on very specific projects. In the spirit of original intent I tended to look the other way for short hour involvement if it pertained to the project for which they retained me and accumulated the hours until there was roughly a weeks worth and then invoiced them for a week.

 

[Music Lover]

Just following up that it looks like all systems are go as far as department management goes that I will shift to 30 hours/week at the beginning of '22, though I still have to talk to HR to find out exactly what it means in terms of benefits. And the assumption is that probably in a year or so, once my big projects are moved, I'll probably cut back further.

Probably reducing hours. My job is very fluid in a 24/7 operation, and I'm immediately dropping one responsibility that is equal to one day a week of work on site, and so beyond that I imagine some weeks it will be a whole lot less than 30 hours. But there are no time clocks. And if I don't have to go into the office on any sort of schedule, it's all fine with me.

Have you considered and/or is it possible to work three 10 hour days rather than four days totaling 30 hours?

 

[googily]

Have you considered and/or is it possible to work three 10 hour days rather than four days totaling 30 hours?

I think the preference here will be four days, just because of the way stuff seems to flow toward me. But truly, I am good with this. No more office = my dream setup. I am a very flexible person at a very flexible organization.

 

[googily]

I should add that my job as a PT gig will be about as self-directed as any Megacorp job can be. And all of my "bosses" over the years have known that the work gets done, on schedule or early, but that doesn't always mean it gets done between 9 and 5 M-F, and so I am basically left to my own devices, which clearly they are still fine with. That's why I'm unconcerned about "days" or "hours" as a PTer. I don't really even work with a team. People come to me, and say they want x or y, and I say yes or no, and tell them when to expect it. Sometimes (not often) there are urgent issues, but then I deal with them urgently, as the trade-off for my freedom the rest of the time. Which is why I've been in the same job for so long--I know how good I have it!

 

[Jim59]

called my boss and started the conversation reminding him that he had 1,000 pb4uski hours a year and asking him if he wanted to spend some of those pb4uski hours doing what my colleague was pressuring me to do... he responded "Hell no" and it mysteriously went away.

Just checked when I saw your number. Although retrial day will be 6 May, I have 314.5 working hours left.

I should add that my job as a PT gig will be about as self-directed as any Megacorp job can be. And all of my "bosses" over the years have known that the work gets done, on schedule or early, but that doesn't always mean it gets done between 9 and 5 M-F, and so I am basically left to my own devices, which clearly they are still fine with. That's why I'm unconcerned about "days" or "hours" as a PTer. I don't really even work with a team. People come to me, and say they want x or y, and I say yes or no, and tell them when to expect it. Sometimes (not often) there are urgent issues, but then I deal with them urgently, as the trade-off for my freedom the rest of the time. Which is why I've been in the same job for so long--I know how good I have it!

Sounds good, you seem to have moved seemlessly to PT working. My preference was dropping to 3 days and I make sure I do something on that day, be it a walk, climb or cycle.

 

[googily]

Sounds good, you seem to have moved seemlessly to PT working. My preference was dropping to 3 days and I make sure I do something on that day, be it a walk, climb or cycle.

That's really great. I have been bad about that during WFH, though I've gotten back to walking every day.

 

[Al in Ohio]

If they are going to make you a contractor that means no medical other than you fully paying cobra or ACA. is that Ok with you? Are you expected to setup new tax paperwork (yes, likely). If you want to stay on the company coverage, you'd probably need to keep 30 hours a week as that's what current law dictates is the minimum they can require.

Aside from that, decide the hours/days you want to work and make it clear you'll be firm - no spillover or what's the point? DH went part time his last year and did it 4 hours per day (i'd have gone for less days myself). He was very strict with his hours, and if a day called for an afternoon meeting he started late to accommodate it, vs. adding it on for free or some nonsense.

And you can be very clear and firm on your lines in the sand. Write it all out, know where you can wiggle and where you can't, and go in firm on those things that you can't, and keep your best compromises in your back pocket until you have to use them.

And yeah, whatever the negotiation is, however great it sounds "thanks, I'll take a few days to look this over and get back to you!" is the answer.

And have other short answers ready... "Interesting.." goes a long way. If you think something might work out poorly, don't say that, but press them... "How would that work exactly?" "Can you explain that in more detail?" - push them to expose the gaps vs. pointing them out.

For me the offer was 1500 hours minimum per year for full medical benefits coverage which actually averages out about 28 hours per week. I also worked from home but came into the office every other Friday for 2/3rds of a day. Still got a pro rated bonus and same pay I had.

 

[googily]

I have found out that there's no change in benefits between working full time and working 30 hours/week (same offerings, paycheck deductions, etc). Also, the more important item is that my Megacorp offers health insurance to any employee working 15 or more hours a week, though the paycheck deductions increase. My glide path via cutting back my hours on the way to full retirement just lengthened considerably.