**WORKING PART-TIME**

Definition?

The Fair Labor Standards Act does not define fulltime or part-time
employment.

-   Full time is usually 40 or more hours per week.

-   Part-time is usually 20 to 32 hours per week.

-   Flex time is usually used in connection with full time work
    performed on fewer days with more hours or on more days with less
    hours

Types of part-time work:

-   Part-time defined schedule

-   Part-time flexible schedule

-   Combination of work in the office and work at home

-   Job sharing

-   Self-employment / consulting

Job shares

-   are usually offered to current employees first

-   are usually not advertised

-   you can apply for a job as a job sharing team with a joint cover
    letter

-   advantageous to employer because 2 heads are better than 1

Possible configurations for part-time work -- examples, not inclusive:

-   5 half-days

-   3 full days

-   Several long days, then long weekends

\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) -- August 2005 study:

-   33% of employers have actual established part-time positions for
    professional staff

-   39% allow reduced hours on a case by case basis

-   66% used part-time options to retain critical employees

-   26% of all companies support telecommuting

Management Recruiters International, Inc. -- 2000 study:

-   3500 company executives -- 61% believed that 40 hour workweek will
    disappear by 2010.

Employment Policy Foundation -- 1998 study:

-   18% of U.S. employees work part-time

-   Pay gap between part-time and fulltime employees = 12%

U.S. News & World Report

-   The number of employees in part-time management or professional
    positions grew from 5.7 million to 6.4 million between 2000 and 2004

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation study:

-   80 part-time professionals

-   1996 -- 2003

-   Most received at least 1 promotion

-   Most received pay increases comparable to fulltime employees

\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

Who is looking for part-time work?

-   More women than men work part-time.

-   Reason is often to care for children and/or elderly family members.

-   Becoming more common with boomers transitioning into retirement

-   People seeking better work-life balance

-   People with health problems

-   People who want to pursue hobbies or volunteer work

Challenges for the part-time employee:

-   Biggest = part-time hours creep up into fulltime range

-   The employee's guilt about working part-time while colleagues work
    fulltime

-   Logistics -- e.g., scheduling meetings

-   When they change to part-time work, some people find that their home
    life is less stressful, but their work life is more stressful.

Benefits:

-   Avoid traffic congestion

-   More time for family and personal life

-   Less stress

Negatives:

-   Less income -- often paid hourly wage

-   Work responsibilities limited -- tough to be a supervisor when you
    aren't there all the time

-   Fewer employee benefits

-   May take longer to earn promotion or affect your career in other
    ways

-   May become isolated from office team and decision-making

While searching for part-time jobs on the internet, perform searches in
all ways of spelling:

-   Parttime

-   Part time

-   Part-time

-   Job share

-   Job sharing

If you use an "Objective" on your resume, you can include your desire to
work part-time. Alternatively, you can include it in your cover letter.
Some recommend not mentioning it at all until the interview.

How to find part-time work?

-   Hard to find part-time [professional level]{.underline} jobs

-   Easiest way to find part-time work is to negotiate a reduced
    schedule with your current employer. Much harder coming in from the
    outside. In current job you have a track-record, you may be too good
    to let go.

-   Target nonprofits, small firms, new businesses -- often more
    flexible

-   Apply for jobs with less responsibility (and less pay) than you
    normally work with, so that you provide the employer with more
    expertise than he had budgeted for.

-   Network -- part-time positions often not advertised -- esp. in
    professional associations, organizations that promote work-life
    balance, and college alumnae

-   Talk with a staffing company -- e.g., Spherion, Kelly, and Manpower
    -- as they are receiving more and more requests for part-time or
    temporary professionals and executives

-   Agree to take on temporary projects as a consultant. More flexible
    in terms of hours of work. Gets foot in the door where you can make
    yourself invaluable

If the job is advertised as fulltime, how do you get the employer to
hire you part-time?

How to negotiate for part-time work:

-   Find out if the company has any part-time employees or if they would
    consider hiring part-time employees -- check company website, peruse
    job ads, talk with people who work there

-   Learn everything you can about the company's culture. Is it family
    friendly? Does it allow retirees to retire gradually? Study the
    company's problems and challenges to better understand how a
    proposal for part-time work might be received.

-   If you are already working for the company, float the idea of
    part-time work by your boss in a very general way (not specifically
    regarding you) just to see his reaction

-   Look at the situation from the supervisor's point of view -- how
    will your reduced hours affect his workload, his performance
    evaluation, his career goals?

-   Know exactly what you want and need in terms of the work schedule.
    Be willing to negotiate

-   Convince the supervisor to support your request to work part-time --
    his support will count a great deal with company management and your
    positive relationship with him is key to your success as a
    part-timer

-   Ask for advice from the supervisor of the position you want to
    convert to part-time -- what is the best way to sell the part-time
    idea to company management?

-   Prepare your proposal carefully: If you already work for the
    company, you may want to present a written proposal to your
    supervisor. If you are applying for a job at the company, you can
    bring up the subject in an interview and be prepared to sell the
    idea.

    -   Approach it as if you were writing a business case -- emphasize
        the benefits to the company

    -   Emphasize that you are negotiating for yourself only -- and be
        *[willing]{.underline}* to negotiate, this is a
        [proposal]{.underline}

    -   Describe how you can accomplish the work and how you will handle
        your responsibilities

    -   Anticipate the employer's objections and address them

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Consider proposing a trial period of 6 to 8 weeks to work fulltime
    and get to know the job, then you and supervisor reassess
    possibilities of restructuring job to part-time

-   If they really want you, you have some special skills, experience,
    and/or attribute that they need and are having a hard time finding,
    you can us that as leverage -- very subtly and diplomatically, of
    course.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Convince them that you can do the whole job part-time just as well,
    if not better, as a fulltime employee. Emphasize their budget
    savings with part-time instead of fulltime.

-   If you are already working for the company,

    -   truthfully report the impact of your reduced hours on the
        productivity and profit of the employer

    -   Use other successful part-timers in the company as examples

-   If part-time work is a very important issue for you, then be sure to
    let the employer know that sometime during the interview process and
    definitely before accepting a job offer.

What's in it for the employer?

-   Makes the company look family friendly, making them more competitive
    in recruiting and improving their corporate image

-   Helps them retain skilled staff, reducing turnover. The more
    experienced the employee, the more it will cost to replace them.

    -   More bang for their bucks invested in training

    -   Loss of corporate knowledge

    -   Need to rebuild customer relationships and maintain good service
        to the customers

    -   Cost of paying departing employee's entitlements

    -   Cost of search for new employee

    -   Cost of vacancy during gap

    -   Cost of training new employee

    -   The Australian government's Equal Opportunity for Women in the
        Workplace Agency (EOWA) --
        [www.eowa.gov.au](http://www.eowa.gov.au/) -- has a great
        calculator to figure cost of replacement.

-   Decreases salary costs

-   Reduces absenteeism

-   Improved productivity \-- part-timers waste less time in the office

-   Better coverage on certain days of a compressed work week

-   Job sharing -- save working space by sharing a desk

-   Improves morale: less stress, more content, more loyal

-   Potential for less accidents on the job

Upon winning the battle:

-   Agree with supervisor that when your hours are reduced, your
    workload is also reduced -- but not your salary in terms of hourly
    rate and benefits

-   Make sure you get all the terms of employment in writing, including
    when/if overtime payment kicks in

-   With supervisor, agree on the best way to explain your part-time
    status to colleagues in the office in order to make sure they are on
    your side and don't undermine the success of your change.

Recommendations -- once you have the job:

-   Make sure your boss, colleagues, and customers know your schedule

-   Agree with boss and customers on realistic deadlines and
    expectations

-   Be willing to work extra hours in an emergency or for a special
    project

-   Have a back-up plan for personal obligations in case an emergency
    keeps you at work

-   Learn to prioritize, delegate, and refuse tasks

-   Speak up, don't let your supervisor or colleagues pass over you for
    choice assignments

-   Employers stress that the employee must perform well and remain
    committed to the job in order to qualify

-   Don't feel guilty about not working fulltime, be confident -- others
    will accept it more easily

\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

**Internet Resources**

When Work Works - [www.whenworkworks.org](http://www.whenworkworks.org/)

Third Path Institute - [www.thirdpath.org](http://www.thirdpath.org/)

BlueSuitMom.com - [www.bluesuitmom.com](http://www.bluesuitmom.com/)

WorkOptions.com - [www.workoptions.com](http://www.workoptions.com/)

**Articles**

Bennett-Astesano, Sarah. "How to Negotiate a Parent-Friendly Work
Schedule" (September 2003,
[www.parenthood.com](http://www.parenthood.com/))

Dukess, Karen. "Part-time Jobs Give Moms, Others Flexible Lifestyles"
(USATODAY, December 9, 2002)

JobStar Central,. "Ask Electra: Part-time Work" (April 4, 2005,
[http://jobstar.org](http://jobstar.org/))

Larson, Christine. "Family Balance: More Professionals Opt to Go Part
Time," U.S. News & World Report, March 21, 2005.

Lewis, Katherine Reynolds. "Want Better Work-Life Balance? Negotiate
Reduced Hours" (2005,
[www.newhousenews.com](http://www.newhousenews.com/))

Mom's Refuge. "Changing Work Hours"
([www.momsrefuge.com](http://www.momsrefuge.com/))

Tergesen, Anne. "Part-Time: The Best or the Worst of All Worlds?"
(BusinessWeek Online, March 23, 2006,
[www.businessweek.com](http://www.businessweek.com/))

Yang, Jessica. "Part-time Work" (Salary.com,
[www.salary.com](http://www.salary.com/))

**Books**

Lee, See and MacDermid, S.M., et al. IMPROVISING NEW CAREERS:
ACCOMMODATION, ELABORATION, TRANSFORMATION (Purdue University, 1998)

Olmsted, Barney and Smith, Suzanne. JOB SHARING HANDBOOK

O'Hara, Bruce. PUT WORK IN ITS PLACE: HOW TO REDESIGN YOUR JOB TO FIT
YOUR LIFE

Steiner, Leslie Morgan. MOMMY WARS (Random House)

**SEARCHING FOR BALANCE: WORKING PART-TIME**

\- Dedicated to March 2006 Job Search Program Participants

Several clients in the recent Job Search Program were interested in
part-time work. They want to continue working in their professions, but
they don't want to dedicate their lives to that work. They are searching
for better balance between their work and their lives.

**Times They Are A'Changing**

In 1998 a Employment Policy Foundation study estimated that only 18% of
U.S. employees work part-time. But -- *Take Heart, Class of March 2006!*
\-- the prospects for part-time work are looking better and better. In
2005 U.S. News & World Report reported that the number of employees in
part-time management or professional positions grew from 5.7 million to
6.4 million between 2000 and 2004. And in 2000 Management Recruiters
International, Inc. polled 3500 company executives and found that 61%
believed that the 40 hour workweek will disappear by 2010.

Now there are a lot more jobs for clerical, blue-collar, and unskilled
employees than for "professional" employees, but, here again, the
working world is still evolving. In a August 2005 study the Society for
Human Resource Management (SHRM) claimed that 33% of U.S. employers have
actual established part-time positions for professional staff, 39% allow
reduced hours on a case by case basis, and a whopping 66% used part-time
options to retain critical employees.

**Part-time Defined**

The Fair Labor Standards Act does not define fulltime or part-time
employment, but [fulltime]{.underline} is usually considered to be 40 or
more hours per week. [Part-time]{.underline} is more than 0 and less
than 40 hours \-- usually 20 to 32 hours per week. [Flex
time]{.underline} can be applied to fulltime or part-time, but is most
often used in connection with full time work performed on fewer days
with more hours or on more days with less hours

Types of part-time work can include a part-time defined schedule, a
part-time flexible schedule, a combination of work in the office and
work at home, job sharing, and self-employment or consulting. Some
part-time employees work a few hours per day on week days, others work
long hours for several days, then have several days off.

**Why part-time work?**

More women than men chose to or need to work part-time, but their
reasons are similar. Care for children and/or elderly family members is
a rapidly growing demand on the "Sandwich Generation" or Baby Boomers.
Those same Boomers are working much longer than their parents and often
want to transition slowly into actual retirement. People in all age
groups are seeking a better work-life balance. Some people have health
problems and can only work part-time. Others want to pursue their
passions in hobbies or volunteer work.

The benefits of part-time work are many. The two most often found in
literature on the subject are to allow more time for family and personal
life and to decrease stress levels.

Unfortunately, there are as many drawbacks to part-time work as there
are benefits. Part-time workers make less money, are often paid an
hourly wage, and may not receive the company's full benefit package. In
1998 the Employment Policy Foundation found the pay gap between
part-time and fulltime employees to be 12%.

Part-time work may not be career-enhancing. Work responsibilities of
part-time employees can be limited by their absences. It is tough to be
a supervisor when you aren't there all the time. Part-time workers can
become isolated from the office team and left out of decision-making. As
a result, it may take longer for them to earn a promotion. However, in a
study of 80 part-time professionals during the years 1996 to 2003, the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation found that most of the 80 received at least 1
promotion and most received pay increases comparable to fulltime
employees.

When they change to part-time work, some people find that their home
life is less stressful, but their work life is more stressful. The
biggest challenge is preventing part-time hours creep up into fulltime
range. Another challenge can be the employee's guilt about working
part-time while colleagues work fulltime. Then, there are the pesky
logistical problems such as scheduling meetings.

**So, What's In It For the Employer?**

A company with flexible scheduling opportunities appears more family
friendly, which makes them more competitive in recruiting and improves
their corporate image. Part-time work decreases salary costs and
improves productivity. Part-time employees waste less time in the
office. Part-time work can reduce absenteeism and the number of
on-the-job accidents. It also improves morale -- part-time employees are
less stressed, more content, and more loyal.

Most importantly, a flexible work schedule helps employers retain
skilled staff, reducing turnover. It will not surprise you that the more
experienced the employee, the more it will costs to replace them. The
employer loses the money he invested in training for the employee, the
employee's corporate knowledge, and the employee's good relationships
and established service record with customers. Add in the money lost
during gaps in service, the cost of paying the departing employee's
entitlements, the cost of the search for a replacement, and the cost of
training a new employee \-- and reducing a proven employee's hours can
be seen from a much more positive perspective.

**Finding a Part-time Job**

While doing research for this article, we frequently ran across this
advice about searching for part-time jobs on the internet: make sure you
perform job board searches for part-time jobs with several different
spellings of the word: part-time, part time, and parttime.

There is much discussion (read disagreement!) in the literature about
including your desire for part-time work in your resume or cover letter.
Some career counselors recommend not mentioning it at all until the
interview. You will have to decide that question for yourself. If you do
decide to include it in your resume, you could include your part-time
work goal in an "Objective" section. Alternatively, you could include it
in your cover letter.

As mentioned previously, it is hard to find part-time [professional
level]{.underline} jobs. The easiest way for professionals to find
part-time work is to negotiate a reduced schedule with their current
employer. In an existing job you have a track-record \-- you may even be
too valuable to let go! But most of you are not employed any longer and
may find it much harder coming in from the outside.

Because they can be more flexible, you may want to target nonprofits,
small firms, and new businesses in your job search. You could also apply
for jobs with less responsibility (and less pay) than you have assumed
in the pas. You will be providing an employer with more expertise than
he had budgeted for.

The best way to find part-time jobs is the same as the best way to find
any job -- Network! Network! Network! Part-time positions are frequently
not advertised. Some of the best places to hunt for those jobs are in
professional associations, organizations that promote work-life balance,
and college alumnae groups.

You can also consider talking with a staffing company like Spherion,
Kelly, and Manpower. They are receiving more and more requests for
part-time or temporary professionals and executives.

If you don't mind the precariousness of no steady income, then you can
take on temporary projects as a consultant. Consultancy work can have
very flexible hours and it gets your foot in the door where you can make
yourself invaluable.

**Negotiating Fulltime to Part-time**

If your Perfect Job is advertised as fulltime, how do you get the
employer to hire you for part-time?

-   First try to find out if the company has any part-time employees or
    if they would consider hiring part-time employees. To do this, check
    the company website, peruse their job ads online and in the local
    newspaper, and talk with people who work there.

-   Second, learn everything you can about the company's culture. Is it
    family friendly? Does it allow retirees to retire gradually? Study
    the company's problems and challenges to better understand how a
    proposal for part-time work might be received.

-   If you are already working for the company, float the idea of
    part-time work by your boss in a very general way (not specifically
    regarding you) just to see his reaction.

-   Look at the possibility from the supervisor's point of view -- how
    will your reduced hours affect his workload, his performance
    evaluation, his career goals?

-   Know exactly what you want and need in terms of the work schedule,
    but be willing to negotiate.

-   Prepare your proposal for part-time work carefully. If you already
    work for the company, you may want to present a written proposal to
    your supervisor. If you are applying for a job at the company, you
    can bring up the subject in an interview and be prepared to sell the
    idea. Approach your proposal as if you were writing a business case
    -- emphasize the benefits to the company. Stress that you are
    negotiating for yourself only. Be willing to negotiate.

-   Describe how you can accomplish the work and how you will handle
    your responsibilities. Convince them that you can do the whole job
    part-time just as well, if not better, as a fulltime employee.
    Anticipate the employer's objections and address them.

-   Emphasize their budget savings with part-time instead of fulltime.

-   Convince the supervisor to support your request to work part-time --
    his support will count a great deal with company management and your
    positive relationship with him is key to your success as a
    part-timer. Ask for advice from the supervisor about the best way to
    sell the part-time idea to company management.

-   Consider proposing a trial period of 6 to 8 weeks to work fulltime
    and get to know the job, then you and supervisor can reassess
    possibilities of restructuring the job to make it part-time.

-   If they really want you \-- you have some special skills,
    experience, and/or attribute that they need and are having a hard
    time finding\-- use that as leverage, very subtly and
    diplomatically, of course!

-   If part-time work is a very important issue for you, then be sure to
    let the employer know that sometime during the interview process and
    definitely before accepting a job offer.

-   If you are already working for the company, truthfully report the
    impact of your reduced hours on the productivity and profit of the
    employer. Use other successful part-timers in the company as
    examples.

**After The Battle Is Won**

O.K., you have convinced the powers-that-be to hire you on a part-time
basis and they are about to present you with a formal job offer. Before
they do that, make sure you and the supervisor agree that when the hours
are reduced, the workload is also reduced. Try to make sure that the
hourly rate of salary and benefits are not reduced. If they were
offering \$40 per hour for a fulltime employee, then you negotiate for
the same pay for part-time work.

Get all the terms of employment in writing, including when or if
overtime payment kicks in. With your new supervisor, agree on the best
way to explain your part-time status to colleagues in the office in
order to make sure they are on your side and don't undermine the success
of your change.

**On The Job**

Make sure your boss, colleagues, and customers know your schedule and
where they can contact you when you are not in the office. Always strive
for agreement with your boss and your customers on realistic deadlines
and expectations, but be willing to work extra hours in an emergency or
for a special project. Have a back-up plan for personal obligations in
case an emergency keeps you at work.

Learn to prioritize, delegate, and refuse tasks. Speak up, don't let
your supervisor or colleagues pass over you for choice assignments.
Perform your duties well and remain committed to the job -- there should
not be any part-time loyalty! Don't feel guilty about not working
fulltime, be confident -- others will accept it more easily.

**Tune In Next Month!**

In June newsletter we will provide you with some basic information about
job sharing. If you have any questions or information you would like to
contribute to that article, please send the Editor an e-mail
(<pittsa@state.gov>) before May 15^th^.

**Bibliography**

[Internet Resources]{.underline}

When Work Works - [www.whenworkworks.org](http://www.whenworkworks.org/)

Third Path Institute - [www.thirdpath.org](http://www.thirdpath.org/)

BlueSuitMom.com - [www.bluesuitmom.com](http://www.bluesuitmom.com/)

WorkOptions.com - [www.workoptions.com](http://www.workoptions.com/)

[Articles]{.underline}

Bennett-Astesano, Sarah. "How to Negotiate a Parent-Friendly Work
Schedule" (September 2003,
[www.parenthood.com](http://www.parenthood.com/))

Dukess, Karen. "Part-time Jobs Give Moms, Others Flexible Lifestyles"
(USATODAY, December 9, 2002)

JobStar Central,. "Ask Electra: Part-time Work" (April 4, 2005,
[http://jobstar.org](http://jobstar.org/))

Larson, Christine. "Family Balance: More Professionals Opt to Go Part
Time," U.S. News & World Report, March 21, 2005.

Lewis, Katherine Reynolds. "Want Better Work-Life Balance? Negotiate
Reduced Hours" (2005,
[www.newhousenews.com](http://www.newhousenews.com/))

Mom's Refuge. "Changing Work Hours"
([www.momsrefuge.com](http://www.momsrefuge.com/))

Tergesen, Anne. "Part-Time: The Best or the Worst of All Worlds?"
(BusinessWeek Online, March 23, 2006,
[www.businessweek.com](http://www.businessweek.com/))

Yang, Jessica. "Part-time Work" (Salary.com,
[www.salary.com](http://www.salary.com/))

[Books]{.underline}

O'Hara, Bruce. PUT WORK IN ITS PLACE: HOW TO REDESIGN YOUR JOB TO FIT
YOUR LIFE (New Star Books; Revised edition, November 1994)

Steiner, Leslie Morgan. MOMMY WARS: Stay-at-Home and Career Moms Face
Off on Their Choices, Their Lives, Their Families (Random House, 2006)