3rd February 2022

Part-Time Positivity in the workplace

It feels as though the era of part-time working is well and truly upon us. Whilst once this was seen as a rare negotiation, and often the domain for maternity returners, it’s now more prevalent. Employees are choosing to ‘flex’ and adapt their working hours to suit their personal needs. Be that childcare, supporting elderly relatives, or personal development and something more altruistic. It’s all about the individual achieving that work-life balance, choosing their ‘right time’ to work.

I’ve been following the success of ‘The 4 Day Week Campaign’. Their website https://www.4dayweek.co.uk/ shares their reasonings, reports, resources, and advice – it’s definitely worth a browse. They’ve hit the national headlines recently with big name firms signing up for a six-month trial that will be measured by the think tank Autonomy, Cambridge University, Oxford University and Boston College. I’m going to watch out for the results of the trial later this year to see what benefits the shorter working week brings to both employees and employers.

Within Scott Bradbury we’re already supporting part-time hours and the shorter working week. One team member finishes early to facilitate school pick-ups, and another has moved to a four-and-a-half-day week over four days. So, we find ourselves in the position of providing flexibility but also being challenged by the nuances of who is available when, protecting ‘core’ times to hold team meetings, and provisioning clear communication channels so we can all keep informed of key decisions.

For employers and the HR team there are some key things to consider when presented with a part-time working request:

If we turn our focus to the individual employee, how should they go about presenting their part-time working case?

I’m a living testament to the part-time employee. Negotiating hours that work for me at both my current employer and my previous company. The impact for me is on a personal level – headspace, family time, volunteering, time to exercise, space for ‘life admin’…I could go on. In return my employer gets a motivated, rested, more balanced ‘me’.

So, my advice is simple let’s not focus on the negatives but look for the positive gains for engaging a part-time work force.

 

 

Part-Time Positivity in the workplace

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