A Mommy Story

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?