I’ll admit that I’ve never been a big fan of the 40 hour work week. I put up with it when I was young and childless, often finding myself sitting bored in an office after finishing all my work, with nothing else being offered up by my boss. I’m a quick worker, and I’ve never been fond of standing around the coffee maker catching up with people that I have nothing in common with save for working together.
I then landed a telecommuting job, and couldn’t be happier with it. I worked, on average, 25 hours a week and I was always ahead of schedule and taking on additional work. Even with the distractions of being home, I got more done, and had plenty of time leftover for chores, hobbies, and naps. Especially naps.
So when my old job cut out telecommuting with no warning, I was devastated. I had a one month old baby at that point, and had planned Cordelia’s early life around my working from home when she was asleep or Aaron was home. It was going to be the perfect arrangement – still being paid a nice salary, yet getting to spend as much time as possible with my daughter. Instead, I was forced to put her in daycare at three months old and return to the office.
After two months at the office (hey, I gave it a good try!), I knew I couldn’t handle it. Seeing Cordy for an hour in the morning, an hour at night, and then two brief, sleepy, night wakings was not enough. I wanted to work part-time. It took three months and a lot of frustration to get the job I currently have.
Finding a part-time job is difficult, and honestly, in the current US economy, I can’t understand why. Skilled labor is apparently reserved almost exclusively for those who work 40+ hours.
If you want a part-time job, newspaper and Monster.com searches will result in lots of ads for telemarketers, retail positions, and food service, with the occasional secretary thrown in. All will have low educational requirements (“HS diploma or GED acceptable”), and most will have the stipulations, “Must be able to work evenings and weekends on a variable schedule”.
In other words, these are not the jobs for a new mom with a university degree. New moms need stable hours, and those with college degrees want something more challenging than answering phones or asking, “Would you like to try our new perfume?”
I know that the situation is a little different in big cities. There you can find more job sharing and part-time opportunities. But here in the Midwest, old habits die hard. Part time workers often have the stigma of being uncommitted to their jobs, unreliable, and producing less than those who work full-time.
Even in my current job, I face discrimination because I am part-time. When our reviews are done twice a year, bonuses are given out based on performance. And each and every time, I go into my performance review and I’m told that the work I do is great, above and beyond the required amounts, and that they’re very thankful to have me. When my bonus amount is finally revealed, the bonus being between 9% min and 18% max, it is always 2-3% lower than the full-time employees (they show you where you fall on a scale in the department – I’m always near the bottom).
I have asked why I consistently fall below the others, and every time I’m told the same answer: “You should be happy with this amount! It’s a very good amount, for being a part-time worker.” How is that fair? The bonus is a percentage of the pay you have earned over the last six months. Since I’m part-time, I’m already earning less money, so therefore even if I got the same percentage, my bonus would be smaller. I perform the same duties as my colleagues, but because I only work 24 hours a week, I’m thought of as less worthy of a good bonus.
It’s ridiculous that this stigma is in place. As a part-time employee, I consider myself to be more dedicated to my job, specifically because I am grateful of the time it gives me with my daughter. I’m sure there are many moms and dads out there who would also be devoted to a part-time job because it would give them the chance to keep their professional skills polished while allowing them to spend more time with their young children.
Kids are only little for a short time. Once mine are in school, I’m sure I will pursue full-time work again. But I want to witness these first years, instead of being told of Cordy’s accomplishments from her caregivers.
Why must employers be so stingy with part-time employment? Part-time employment benefits them as well. Many part-time employees already have health coverage from their spouse or partner, so the company saves money on those employees. They could hire two people to each work 20 hours a week, pay them the same amount as a full-time employee, and still save money by saving on benefits.
If more part-time work was available, I think we would witness less struggle and stress amongst new parents who agonize over balancing work and family. Part-time is the ultimate “meeting each other halfway” option. Parents get more time to spend with their children, still get the much-needed paycheck, and also get to keep their skills sharp (instead of trying to write a resume with a 5 year gap in employment history). Employers get workers who are skilled, often have no need for benefits, usually have years of experience as successful workers in their field, and who are genuinely grateful for the chance to keep their lives in balance.
Seems like a win-win, right?
I got really lucky because I work for my stepdad- I work from my house, work when I want- and get to spend plenty of time at home. If I didn’t have that- I don’t know what I would do.
You know that I hear you on this one: there’s a lot that I love about working part-time, but the permanent-underclass, no-career-path part of it kinda sucks.
I hear you.
even after my god bless canada year-long mat leave, i would love to go freelance to allow for more time at home, but i’m afraid that the amount of effort it would take to establish the base i would need to freelance would give me even less time with bumblebee than i have now, working full-time.
You know that I agree. Like you said (in a previous post), a company would save so much in insurance costs and other benefits if they did a work-share program of part-timers. Old habits die hard in a lot of places around this country. Full time means more than 40 hours a week and part time is not an option.
I think it would be win-win. If only the employers could start to see it that way. Sad, isn’t it.
I’m going through the same thing right now. Having a MLS means that almost every job available to me is either a) full-time, with evening and weekend work; b) part-time, SOLELY evening and weekend work; or c) corporate work that I would love, but is an hour away. No way can I put Paul and Kate in daycare with both parents being an hour away in opposite directions.
I’ll have a phd and a baby soon, it seems the only option is to stay home with the baby. I’ll have a long break in my career, I wonder if anybody will want to hire me afterwards?!?
Yeah, I’ve long given up wondering why things that make so much sense (legalizing marijuana and collecting tax revenues from it like cigarettes?) are usually the hardest to come by in a lot of places. I dread the gap in my resume, as well. But like you I would really like to be with my son and any future kids for more than three hours a day.
Even though I have a university degree in education, I took a job that many people look down upon in order to spend more time with my daughters. I hate being treated poorly by customers because I am a server, seemingly below the average person, but I guess it is a small price.
Even at my restaurant job, the part timers don’t get as much respect as the full timers. Unless you have been with the company for years, the good shifts and sections almost always go to the full timers.
I just started back to work this last Sunday, with mixed emotions. I found myself almost bored (gasp!)as I am used to being constantly busy and super-multitasking at home. My work feels like free time now. I also feel as if I need to work twice as hard as everyone else to prove that as a part timer I deserve the good shifts and sections I get due to my tenure. It is definitely tough.
I know that if I could find a job where I could use my education background part time and NOT be a substitute, I would.
(Sorry if above post is slightly misspelled or rambling…typing with squirmy baby in lap and toddler circling my feet. )
My hubby ran into a lot of problems here in Columbus to find a PT job that paid more than $8/hr. It’s close to impossible. And it’s not just nidicative of Columbus, it’s all over the country – I’ve lived in VT, NY, NJ, CA and now OH, and it’s the same everywhere.
I think the only reason I could stand working full-time after Tacy was born is that I loved my job and my co-workers (and the pay – I have to admit it).
But now I’d love to work part-time, and it’s simply a no-go. I’ve got a recruiter here who’s always on the lookout for me, and he knows what my constraints are, but employers simply aren’t willing to bend.
You’re right. It’s because companies are so greedy. If they can work a full-timer to death, they will — so that’s why they hire them. A PT person will be PT only until they reach 35 or 40 hours, right? But a FT person is FT no matter how many hours s/he works. Almost everyone I know with a job hates it.
Hear, Hear!
I refuse to work 50 hour weeks. So my MBA sits gathering dust, while I am out chasing my toddler.
I wish there were more part time options. I really do.