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Making part-time work for you

There are a lot of people that take on part-time positions in the workplace, mostly to help with work life balance. Many women in particular take time off from a full time role to start a family and return to work in a part time capacity to help manage raising children while working.

I know a lot of women in this position. One thing that is consistently discussed is working more hours than being paid for. Almost every woman I know with children who returned to part-time work face this problem.

A really common one is working 3 days, being paid for 3 days (0.6 of the full time wage equivalent) but still checking in on days off. This might be responding to emails, taking a phone call, or maybe even finishing off that proposal or liaising with clients.

The problem here is straightforward enough — not being compensated for hours worked. This is especially evident in professional settings where staff are paid an annual salary rather than an hourly rate.

So what is a solution to this challenge?

I suggest the concept of floating hours.

What are floating hours?

Floating hours are and agreed number of hours per week worked over and above your standard part time schedule. The key difference is these hours can be used at any time of the week. So an exampl is working 3 days a week plus 4 floating hours. This means working normal 3 days on the days that these are allocated. However for the other 2 days, there are 4 floating hours to use at any time that is needed:

  • Taking a phone call from your boss
  • Attending a meeting that was scheduled on a day you’re not at work
  • Finalising the presentation for next week
  • or however the time needs to be used.

The benefit of floating hours for staff?

Feeling valued.

It is so important to feel valued in the workplace, and recognition of the real amount of work being done is a key part of this. And I don’t mean recognition in the form of a pat on the back. I mean the organisation truly recognises your contribution in the form of financial compensation.

The benefit of floating hours for managers?

Staff satisfaction.

Organisations need satisfied staff. Satisfied staff are engaged staff, who perform better. Satisfied staff are retained staff, which is a key measure of internal culture. Often staff retention is a KPI for managers. What better way to meet that particular KPS than engaging with staff and recognising their true contribution.

Give it a try

I would love to hear from you about whether you have tried this before, if you or your organisation is open to the idea and how it worked out.