Hanging on to my part time job (rant about a coworker)

[rodi]

I had several coworkers complain that it wasn't fair that I was part time (4days/week). I would smile and say - "you realize I get 4/5ths salary - right?" That shut them up.

The company pretty much changed their policy about part time after I was already part time - still technically allowing it if the entire food chain approved (boss, boss's boss, boss's boss's boss... on up to the CVP level.) Fortunately, I was already in, and I only needed boss, director, and HR director to approve when I got approved.

Life isn't fair. But I took advantage of the system as much as possible.
(Oh - and my 4 days a week was nominally 32 hours - but much closer to 40 hours/week)

 

[Meadbh]

She has interests outside of work, wants to work part-time and is trying to make a good case for management to let her do it. She won't get what she doesn't ask for. It looks like she won't get what she did ask for but from her perspective at least she tried. It doesn't sound like she was trying to get the other part-time positions eliminated since she wants to go part-time herself.

+1
We women have historically held back from asking for what we want, and it has been partly responsible for wage inequality and failure to advance in the workplace. IMHO she is just being assertive, as millennials have learnt to do.

 

[scrabbler1]

I remember after I began working part-time back in 2001, a coworker wanted to get the same part-time, mostly telecommuting deal I had worked out with my management. She had the same years working as I had but didn't do the same kind of work I was doing, and she was maybe an average worker while I was a more prized worker they need to keep around. I did a lot of programming work which was well suited to work from home. She was going to go on maternity leave soon and was willing to do some telecommuting. They turned her down and she ended her maternity leave with her resignation.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I remember having discussion twice with my ex-boss after I had kids to go back to megacorp part-time but we never reached an agreement on compensation and travel limits. But I don't regret having the negotiations. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

 

[Meadbh]

I remember having discussion twice with my ex-boss after I had kids to go back to megacorp part-time but we never reached an agreement on compensation and travel limits. But I don't regret having the negotiations. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Exactly. I once negotiated a significant pay increase by showing my boss written evidence of my productivity and statistical analysis of my wage inflation rate, and by making it clear that my retention was conditional on advancement. If you bring value to the organization it doesn’t hurt to ask.

 

[Texas Proud]

I will say that I have a sister that had gone onto part time work....

She had asked her manager and he refused... so she decided to leave... the day she was packing up to go the main boss was walking by and saw her packing... asked why she was leaving and she told him she only wanted to work part time or not at all...

He told her to unpack and went and told boss to put her on part time in no uncertain terms... I think she worked 6 or 7 years PT...

I remember her phrase became 24 in 7... not 24/7.... as long as she worked 24 hours in a week she was good to go... so there were some weeks she worked the last 3 days and the first 3 and had a long time off...

Her work was such that she worked alone... had known deadlines and always met them... so it was never a problem for her to take days off when she wanted...

 

[rayinpenn]

She has interests outside of work, wants to work part-time and is trying to make a good case for management to let her do it. She won't get what she doesn't ask for. It looks like she won't get what she did ask for but from her perspective at least she tried. It doesn't sound like she was trying to get the other part-time positions eliminated since she wants to go part-time herself.

It's true rarely will you get anything without asking and I don't fault her for that. However when she was told no she didn't let it go and pointed to me specifically. That changed it all.. we are not the same. Management knew of my limited mobility and they accommodated me ...in fact my boss would walk the 20 yards from her desk to see me rather than have me get up.

She wants time to 'get more sleep' funny but I managed to do 2 graduate degrees at night working full time. Time to grow up.

 

[Amethyst]

And I got my first master's while working rotating shiftwork, and my 2nd in my 50's....while working full-time with a heavy commute...but I don't see how my travails invalidate someone else's wish to go part-time to make their own life easier. "Time to grow up" doesn't make sense, and gives the impression you are devaluing her simply for being young.

You feel her request is somehow a threat to your part-time gig; I get that. No reason to attack her motivations, especially since your first post says she is a good worker.

She wants time to 'get more sleep' funny but I managed to do 2 graduate degrees at night working full time. Time to grow up.

 

[target2019]

Even though we may think we are hiding our defenses and prejudice, it comes out. At work I've found that remaining in a cocoon works much better. If someone else asks, gets, or doesn't get a privilege, it is no skin off my nose.

Everyone watches everyone at work. Many jobs become boring, or there is not enough work to force people to keep their heads down and try for productivity. Drama is often the result. Keeping issues alive, beating a dead horse, etc., doesn't help me much.

 

[sturbridge]

You feel her request is somehow a threat to your part-time gig; I get that. No reason to attack her motivations, especially since your first post says she is a good worker.

Exactly. The OP called her "selfish" for asking for the same privilege he enjoys. Why is the OP not selfish?

 

[rayinpenn]

Exactly. The OP called her "selfish" for asking for the same privilege he enjoys. Why is the OP not selfish?

Actually no i called her selfish because she put my situation at risk. Further this group works hard they are all sleep deprived.

 

[Senator]

I always thought the same thing about people I worked with that had children.

They always wanted to take time off when their kids were sick, had to take them to day care, or attend school functions.

Meanwhile, the single guy with no kids had to work...

 

[braumeister]

 

[ChiliPepr]

I always thought the same thing about people I worked with that had children.

They always wanted to take time off when their kids were sick, had to take them to day care, or attend school functions.

Meanwhile, the single guy with no kids had to work...

Don't forget... those that had kids usually got better benefits! The company would pay more than twice the price for their health insurance than it would mine. Can I get that difference in my paycheck?

Don't know how may times I was asked if I could cover for someone since I did not have kids.

 

[scrabbler1]

Don't forget... those that had kids usually got better benefits! The company would pay more than twice the price for their health insurance than it would mine. Can I get that difference in my paycheck?

Don't know how may times I was asked if I could cover for someone since I did not have kids.

Back in early 2008 when I was rapidly approaching my "magic number" for retiring, I asked HR if I could somehow maintain being in the group health plan, either through regular group health or through extended COBRA beyond the minimum 18 months. In mid-2007, I was already in COBRA after I had reduced my weekly hours worked from 20 to 12, thereby losing group health eligibility and starting COBRA. Either option was okay and would cost me roughly the same premium, ~100% of the group health premium.

It seemed like a no-brainer, as it wouldn't cost the company anything if I paid 100% of the group health premium I had been paying (instead of 50%) before I reduced my weekly hours worked. I was told they wouldn't do it because it wasn't "fiscally prudent" to do so because I was now in a small group of employees, mainly those much older than me (in their early 60s), who were considered "high-risk" and basically uninsurable in the group health plan.

I replied that the company provides health insurance, often subsidized, to many people who do not contribute to the bottom line of the company. They included nonworking spouses and children of covered employees, and retired employees. At least I am still working for the company and contributing to the bottom line. Furthermore, I mentioned that if I were to quit working for the company and marry a covered employee, I would gain health insurance coverage while eliminating my contribution to the company's bottom line. Fiscally prudent, I asked?

My replies went nowhere, and it was full speed ahead toward ER. During my hour-long exit interview later in 2008, I made sure to mention this to the low-level HR staffer I spoke to when it came to answering the question, "Why are you leaving?"

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

It's true rarely will you get anything without asking and I don't fault her for that. However when she was told no she didn't let it go and pointed to me specifically. That changed it all.. we are not the same. Management knew of my limited mobility and they accommodated me ...in fact my boss would walk the 20 yards from her desk to see me rather than have me get up.

She wants time to 'get more sleep' funny but I managed to do 2 graduate degrees at night working full time. Time to grow up.

Ray, Is your firm hiring? Im positive Im not qualified to do anything there but I like the idea of part time work. If they turn me down, I'll get a labor attorney and we will sue them. Im going to name you in the suit, if your older than me Im going to claim age discrimination, if you have more degrees than me Im going to claim education discrimination, Im positive your shorter and skinnier than me so we will claim weight and height discrimination.

Does the break room have A Kcup machine? I prefer those. Since I wont be working on Fridays ,The one day I work will be a dress down day. Then I will of course use the FMLA when ever I dont want to go to work.
Can you pick me up so I dont have to use my own gas? Thanks Ray. Looking forward to causing havoc in the company.

 

[rayinpenn]

Ray, Is your firm hiring? Im positive Im not qualified to do anything there but I like the idea of part time work. If they turn me down, I'll get a labor attorney and we will sue them. Im going to name you in the suit, if your older than me Im going to claim age discrimination, if you have more degrees than me Im going to claim education discrimination, Im positive your shorter and skinnier than me so we will claim weight and height discrimination.

Does the break room have A Kcup machine? I prefer those. Since I wont be working on Fridays ,The one day I work will be a dress down day. Then I will of course use the FMLA when ever I dont want to go to work.

Can you pick me up so I dont have to use my own gas? Thanks Ray. Looking forward to causing havoc in the company.

<b>"Im going to name you in the suit"</b>
Nice. Thanks for my morning chuckle.. I appreciate it.

It is funny the group the actress is in already in has the best work life balance of all the groups. As I'm involved with all the other groups I hear of regularly working weekends, nights and holidays being the norm. It is often stressful and as soon as your getting close to finishing the job your on you've already have another ...tedious documentation and multiple reviews make it in my opinion a difficult place to work. Recently turnover with some of the gifted workers has been too high.

The older I get the more I appreciate being off that treadmill; I'd be inclined to find another job. Having said this I could understand how someone on the 'mill' could be jealous of my situation. The unasked question is of course, as another poster pointed out, can you live on 3 5ths of your salary?

 

[Tom52]

.... She's actually taken a leave of absence to pursue that acting career only recently returning to her 'day job'.

Sounds to me she is already part time if she is allowed to take leaves of absence for non essential reasons. Your employer would not be required to let her take time off due to her acting career aspirations. Now, additionally, she wants to work reduced hours the weeks she is not taking a leave of absence for non essential reasons? I think your employer can make the point that her priorities are not inline with their minimum expectations so she needs to make the decision whether she wants to continue to work there.

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

+1
we women have historically held back from asking for what we want, and it has been partly responsible for wage inequality and failure to advance in the workplace. Imho she is just being assertive, as millennials have learnt to do.

++1

-bb

 

[jollystomper]

Honestly, I do not see an issue here. She is young and still in learning about the world mode. The OP has the benefit of experience and much more flexibility. My approach when I have been in similar situations is to "kill them with kindness" - it is easier on one's self, and it can help the other person in the long run.

 

[calmloki]

+1
We women have historically held back from asking for what we want, and it has been partly responsible for wage inequality and failure to advance in the workplace. IMHO she is just being assertive, as millennials have learnt to do.

My gal is sharp, hard working, loyal to a fault and always believed merit would be rewarded. Hah! She went years and years with no increase in salary, was asked to train a man for her position as a manager (encouraged her to quit that job), volunteered to take a pay cut when her company was in financial straits.. alone among the managers at that meeting. When she went part time so she could care for her Mom she discovered that she could just tell them when she would be in - and they accepted it. They did have to hire three people to replace her and customer satisfaction went down for several years.

We have benefited more from her putting her efforts into our rentals - not that there isn't sexism on the home front: we both want to steer the boat and I'm taller and have a deeper voice. Still, as a service manager for GM dealerships she had plenty of experience riding herd on her mechanics, so we are well matched in "discussion".

 

[rayinpenn]

Honestly, I do not see an issue here. She is young and still in learning about the world mode. The OP has the benefit of experience and much more flexibility. My approach when I have been in similar situations is to "kill them with kindness" - it is easier on one's self, and it can help the other person in the long run.

Like i said i don't plan on saying anything to her... my buddy mentioned that she also complained about her hour commute. I think she will eventually figure it all out...

 

[Camellia]

It's true rarely will you get anything without asking and I don't fault her for that. However when she was told no she didn't let it go and pointed to me specifically. That changed it all.. we are not the same.

I think she overstepped collegial bounds by citing your situation, and I also think many 25 year olds still haven't grown up. The brain keeps evolving way past the time one looks like an adult.

Also, as a performing artist myself, I definitely think our constant self focus and drive for attention can make us selfish.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I would think in any business it would be hard to let some employees work part-time and not others, without have any clear policy for employees to refer to on who is and who is not allowed to work part-time. It seems like sooner or later others would ask for part-time work. In this case this young woman seems to have been the first to ask and may not be the last. The OP has medical issues but the other part-timer has three kids. Is it okay for people with kids to work part-time but not single people with second careers in the arts?

I went through this myself at a megacorp job first as a manager with a painter who was a great employee but wanted to work part-time. HR said no so she ended up quitting. Then it was me wanting to work part-time after I had kids. HR said yes this time but at my old salary prorated without being in the bonus pool or any benefits so in effect quite a big per hour pay cut, so with day care expenses the net pay wasn't worth it, and I ended up contracting elsewhere.

 

[calmloki]

+1
We women have historically held back from asking for what we want, and it has been partly responsible for wage inequality and failure to advance in the workplace. IMHO she is just being assertive, as millennials have learnt to do.

My gal is sharp, hard working, loyal to a fault and always believed merit would be rewarded. Hah! She went years and years with no increase in salary, was asked to train a man for her position as a manager (encouraged her to quit that job), volunteered to take a pay cut when her company was in financial straits.. alone among the managers at that meeting. When she went part time so she could care for her Mom she discovered that she could just tell them when she would be in - and they accepted it. They did have to hire three people to replace her and customer satisfaction went down for several years.

We have benefited more from her putting her efforts into our rentals - not that there isn't sexism on the home front: we both want to steer the boat and I'm taller and have a deeper voice. Still, as a service manager for GM dealerships she had plenty of experience riding herd on her mechanics, so we are well matched in "discussion".