Part-time workers: one employee’s story

When you first hire a part-time worker or employee, you might be wondering how it will all work out down the line. But rest assured, part-time employees make brilliantly committed additions to your workforce, offering exceptional skills for a fraction of the outlay you’d have if you hired a full-timer.

And just because they’re not always present, it doesn’t mean that they won’t know exactly what’s going on in your office. Part-timers can be more tenacious when it comes to fulfilling their role and will actively seek out ways to be more involved in office life.

Part-timers take their work seriously…

We speak to one committed employee in the City of London who works on a part-time basis as a Compliance Manager three days a week – two in the office and one at home. Anna provides fascinating insight into the way she structures her routine and how she really makes flexible working work for her and her boss.

How did you end up working part-time for a big banking corporation?

I had previously worked for the same boss at another bank before I went on maternity leave. We kept in touch and after six years at home I contacted her about returning to work. She immediately offered me the opportunity to work for her on a part-time basis.

I hadn’t considered returning to my previous job after so long but she convinced me I still had the right skills, even though my regulatory knowledge was six years out of date!

Are there lots of other part-timers in your office?

Not that many but the bank is looking at flexible working opportunities and recently asked me to input to a working group on what has worked for me. So some progress is being made.

Do you work overtime regularly or do you manage to do your role within the agreed hours?

Occasionally I do a bit of extra work. I don’t get paid overtime but this is reflected and noted in my appraisal and bonus. I am always thanked for extra work and it’s generally only for a couple of hours to meet a reporting deadline.

What’s the best thing about your job? 

I get to be ‘me’ and go to London two days a week. I like the intellectual stimulation and I enjoy the challenge of a work environment.

What are the positives about working part-time? Are there any negatives?

The positives are that I still get some time to deal with the general admin of life for the family and me. I also get to do some things for myself such as yoga and I am an active fundraiser for the school. In essence I get the best of both worlds.

Sometimes it’s hard to switch between the two worlds. I have to make an effort to find out what’s been happening in the office when I haven’t been there – people just move on from day to day and forget to tell you stuff when you’re not there!

How do you find being part-time, are your co-workers supportive? What’s the key to part-time success?

Right from the beginning I made sure that when I was at work – I was fully committed. I didn’t bore them with details of my childcare issues and I never dash out at the end of the day or leave early citing problems at home. I’ve put arrangements in place so that other people deal with that when I’m at work.

My co-workers are really supportive, they all know my hours and they never call me on my non-work days. I make a point of telling every person I meet what my hours are and they respect this.

Do you foresee yourself being promoted as a part-timer or taking on more hours later on?

I hope so. I’ve definitely been challenged over the last few years in terms of taking on more responsibility and my initial job has grown enormously.

After two years I did take on an extra three hours to be in the office for two days instead of one, so I expect it will increase. My boss would have me here full-time if she could!

If you’d like to find a part-time career role like Anna’s, please get in touch. Or if you’re looking to recruit new staff and would like to know more about hiring part-time flexible career workers, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us at Ten2Two.org today.