s/o Federal Employees with Part-Time Schedule
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Anonymous
| Please share your part-time schedule. I'd like to start this after my second child is born and I'm curious as to what works best. I currently work an AWS with every other Friday off but that has been hell with doctor's appointments this pregnancy because all of the openings seems to be on Mondays. Do you find particular days of the week are better to be in the office? Also, are you teleworking as part of your schedule? TIA |
Anonymous
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It really depends on your workplace (when things happen) and on your own needs/schedule. Do you want a day off to yourself while kids are in school to get things done? Do you want to work shorter days so the kids won't be in after care?
What about your workplace: are there days when many people work at home or have AWS and therefore less happens in the office? Are there days you find yourself with more on the table? Also, what is happening in your agency? Are others working part time? If so, for how many hours? Are they viewed negatively? Can you discuss with them how it has worked out? re: telework. Part time employees aren't allowed in our agency, but others may have different rules. |
Anonymous
| Don't assume you can get part-time work. Some agencies don't want to allow it because they have to eat up an entire slot with a part-timer. You also lose a bunch of benefits if you work too few hours. |
Anonymous
| I loved working part time mon and tues, having weds off, then working thurs and fri. that way even if you dislike your job, youonly have to do two days and then u know u have a break |
Anonymous
| I work reduced hours (6 hours) on MT and ThF, with Wednesdays off. Friday is telework day. Work reduced hours so my oldest child (kindergarten) doesn't have to go to aftercare. The day off in the middle of the week is for bonding time with my youngest child (toddler). It is a wonderful schedule. Our bank account takes a pretty big hit, but I feel lucky to be able to spend the extra time with my kids. |
Anonymous
| Definitely check out how going PT affects you in terms of not only benefits, but potential RIFs. I was going to do PT, but after I talked to HR, I found out that only 6 people in my agency (which has about 700 ppl) go PT. Should a RIF occur, the full-timers would "compete" with the other FTers for positions, whereas the PTers would compete in a pool with other PTers. I would most likely be on the bottom in terms of seniority (it was my understanding the other PTers had been there for years, whereas I have only 12 years) and would probably lose my job or be RIFd, whereas if I stayed FT, I'd probably be in the middle of the pack and safe, at least in terms of keeping some semblance of a job. |
jindc
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I asked about part time and have basically been told no. I think many managers don't want to give up a full time slot. We aren't allowed to telework either. Or do AWS. Sooooo I would try to talk to your boss about what your options are - can you change your AWS day while pregnant? Can you temporarily do a pt schedule when you return to try it out.
Opm says its an option, but my my agency has no pt employees (and I'm not trying to go half time, I am trying to do 30-35hrs). Also, tread lightly because 'i can do all my tasks in 25 hours might mean 'this person needs more work to fill a 40hr week'. Maybe also talk to HR and see if anyone else in your agency/dept does this to gauge how pt friendly your office is. Good luck. |
Anonymous
20:20 here. Your post about 30-35 hours brings up a good point. At least in my agency, they will only allow you do to pt as 20 hours or less a week, nothing more. It was a shame because I wanted to work 35 hours a week, but it was a no-go. Also, you should check with your agency whether your office loses the FTE; some friends' agencies keep their FTEs and they go back and forth btwn pt and ft with ease, whereas my agency loses the FTE for sure. |
Anonymous
| A couple years ago somebody in my office came back from maternity leave as a part-time employee -- it was an unusual arrangement for us, but she was a very high performer and they wanted to keep her. So they opened up the other "half" of her job to other current employees, sort of a job-share where two employees do the work of one FTE. In management's ideal world, one of us would have jumped on that, and then they could have hired to replace that person, with the result of no net loss of FTE (although as it turned out, no one else could afford to go part time). But maybe job sharing would work in your case? |
Anonymous
| I am a /t federal atty. I work 90%. My hours are Mon-Thur 6:30-4. I work at home 2-3 of those days and in the office the other days. I love it and am so grateful to have such an amazing schedule. |
Anonymous
Can you explain how you were able to get this kind of schedule at 90%? I posted earlier that my agency refuses to allow anyone to work more than 32 hours a week but less than 40. |
Anonymous
I asked if I could reduce my hours and they said sure and asked me to fill out a form. That was it. Occasionally, if I want to make up the 10% difference in salary, I will do an additional 4 hrs of overtime work on Fridays. |
Anonymous
| Would any feds here with a PT schedule be willing to post the name of your agency and how long you were with that agency before you went PT? That would be so helpful! Thanks! |
Anonymous
You could still have a similar set up without losing the hours if you started earlier. I come in at 6, so I get home before my kids' school gets out. The bonding time in the middle of the week doesn't happen, but that can happen in the afternoon/evenings and weekends. |
Anonymous
Wow, I'm envious! I proposed a similar schedule and ended up having to meet with HR and my Deputy Director. HR said absolutely not b/c of it impacting benefits in a way I suspect they can't calculate. |