In an effort to balance work and family, many employees (predominantly women), have opted to work part-time. Yet, 20-30 hours work weeks often turn into 30 or 40 hours because women feel that the number of hours they work is an indicator of their skill level and worth to both the company and themselves.

 At a recent meeting of a local subgroup of The Entrepreneur’s Club, several “part-timers” confessed to working 30 hours for 20 hours of paid work. Several admitted to taking work home and made sure that they were always available by email, phone or fax.

Eager to work less than the traditional 40-hour workweek to make time for young children, aging parents, running complex households, and community involvement, these employees had taken advantage of the options provided by companies who were willing to accommodate a non-traditional schedule in order to take advantage of their knowledge and work ethic. But the actual implementation often didn’t play out as they had envisioned.

With reduced face-time, they were often treated less than professionally, and given undesirable projects and assignments with less visibility. Some actually said that it felt as if they were being punished for doing the job they were hired to do.

Here are some suggestions for managers and part-timers who want to ensure a win-win:

Mangement:

• Make sure you are aware how part time employees spend their time. Determine if the goals and objectives that have been set are realistic expectations or a wish list.
• Request that employees let you know how much extra time they are donating to accomplish their goals. Someone who works 30 hours a week but gets paid for 20 is going to leave. Turnover costs a company money.
• Invite part time employees to have a cup of coffee or a quick lunch with you, or attend a coworkers birthday celebration so you can get to know them better. Don’t forget to include part time employees in training opportunities, and meetings.
• Urge your management team to follow your lead. Ask them if they are treating their part time employees like potential full timers. Encourage employees to grow professionally with your firm.
• Get the word out that there is room for flexibility and collaboration. Employees may assume that there is no room to negotiate based on their past experiences with other employers.

Part Timer:

• Make sure the boss, fellow committee members, task force members, department coworkers and other colleagues know how you are spending your time.
• Stop giving away work
• Take time to have a cup of coffee, a quick lunch, or attend a coworkers birthday celebration so you can get to know your coworkers, and more importantly, they can get to know you.
• Recognize that respect starts with self-respect
• Make sure you have reprioritized the key objectives of the job, especially if you are keeping your position but reducing the hours. Check with your boss regularly to determine if the priorities have changed.
• Ask about development opportunities. Make sure you are seen as someone who is interested in learning and developing new skills that allow you to contribute.
• Don’t panic with new assignments. Don’t say ‘no’ to an additional responsibility; take some time to figure out how you can integrate a new task into your existing job. Feel overwhelmed? Talk with your manager about how they see the new opportunity blending with your already busy work schedule.

It is difficult to shift paradigms – but not impossible. Increasingly, people are eager to find organizations that allow them to contribute professionally without sacrificing their values or their personal relationships. Organizations who see this as a growing trend, rather than an obstacle, will be able to leverage the talent of the existing diverse workforce.

To learn more, please visit me at my website,
www.jonidaniels.com or my blog: http://jonidaniels.blogspot.com/