I think my last post was a bit of a bust (why does no one else get that joke!?), so for right now I’m going to stick with the basics.
First, I thought I’d tell you exactly what I do for work. Hell, one of you actually asked me, so that warrants at least some sort of response, right? And then, because it’s been nagging me for awhile, we’re going to debate if working part-time is working half-assed. Sound fun? Great!
Technically, I help companies “strengthen their relationships with their employees to achieve business objectives.”  Really, what I really do all day is try to convince companies why employees matter to a company’s bottom line and why ignoring them is really dumb for business. Get it? Great. Let’s move on.
What’s really been nagging me the last few days is the notion of working part-time equals working half-assed. When my friend quit her part-time job, she mentioned that she felt that she couldn’t give work her “all” and couldn’t give her home life her all either. She felt that working part-time wasn’t really “working” because she had to give up esteemed projects and not be in on everything possible at work. Another friend of mine, who recently went back to work and is contemplating quitting said that she doesn’t like to do anything “half-assed” and that working part-time feels like she’s doing it half-assed.
Well, duh.
No matter how you slice it, I’m not sure you can work part-time and:
1) be involved in every major project at work
2) be privy to every important conversation
3) be looked at as a go-to person for every last minute project, crisis, etc.
And I’d like to emphasize that I don’t think these are necessarily negative things, but they are points of consideration that one should think about when working a reduced schedule. I mean, let’s be honest (I’ll be honest), there is a reason one chooses to come back to work part-time after maternity leave. Because you’re NOT READY or willing to give 100% of your life to work. I think as long as you set your intention this way it’s ok.
And I don’t think this necessarily means you’re a slacker.
I know that right now, with my reduced schedule I am contributing to major pieces of business, winning new clients (i.e. convincing them that investing in employee communications is not dumb), and am a valued part of the team. I don’t work on my days off (usually), but when I’m at work I give it my all. So I guess if you slice it this way I am half present at work.
This most likely means I am not on the fast-track to a promotion. Or that I will lead our group’s “marquis projects.” But that’s not my intention right now. My intention is to create a career path that I’m comfortable with for employers who can work with me through my “decelerated” times (to borrow a word from some smart ladies). Most likely, at some point, I will ramp back-up my schedule and it will ultimately pay off for my employer because I’ll be more loyal to them and the company I work for. I hope it works out this way. Maybe that’s why I’m in the kind of work I’m in. To be living proof.
I know some of what I say here is counter to things I’ve said before. But the more I work part-time, the more I see its reality, both good and bad. No matter what you do, or how you decide to live your life as a mom people will judge you. In this way, I’m sure to some people, my ramblings prove that I’m just half-assing it. But I’m ok with that. Because really, at the end of the day, I’ll do pretty much anything to keep my backside slim.
Tags: part-time work, flexible work schedules, maternity leave
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
One of the things that makes part-time so hard for me is that it’s hard for me not to see work as my free time. I get to work, and suddenly I’m not forced to attend to the every need of an infant, and I’m not beholden to a nap schedule, and all I want to do is socialize with other adults, surf the Internet, and go shopping at lunchtime. I used to be able to work all these things into my day when I was working full-time, but the reality is that now all my unofficial work downtime needs to be used pumping my breasts. I’d like to say that I’ve learned to totally buckle down and get down to business at work, but I’d be lying.
I wouldn’t say your work is half-assed, I would say it’s not a very
valuable use of a company’s time – hah!!!
Can you plese come to my company?
Thank you so much for exploring this topic so openly. Adjustment to non-standard work arrangements still seems to be taboo – whatever the lifestyle in process is.
I think it’s an evolution.
Step one is to get businesses to buy into the idea of flex, in principle.
Step two is to show businesses that it works, and that “part-time” isn’t some sort of code for slacker.
Big picture – I think most companies are still at step one. That’s not to say part-time doesn’t work. It’s just going to take a while before businesses and colleagues alike adopt a truly progressive outlook.
But I believe that will come in time. It’s just not going to happen overnight.
This is a great discussion. When will women stop being their own worst
enemies? I’d rather have half a good, solid experienced staff person
than a whole loosey goosey unfocussed full timer. Yes, it is hard finding
the right path for each and everyone of us as we negotiate motherhood. Yes,
it calls for trade offs in every respect. But saying you are leaving because
you are only half present and not so important is such a cop out. Many women
make that trade because they simply need the money. Who needs to be
superwoman all the time? Have some self esteem and pride in what you have
accomplished in a full time working life and accept that life will be
different now. The richness of being a mother may not be all consuming or
replace the need to work for some of us – but it does require some sacrifice
whether it be of our own ambitions, of our sleep or our ability to compete
as the top dog at the office. The more of us who choose a different path to
find a balance even thought that is difficult – the more the “norm” it will
become. The last comment is right – it will take time, but business will
change.
I like the quote…
“When will women stop being their own worst
enemies?”
I have a start-up renewable energy manufacturing plant in NYS. I also acquired a husband and now have a baby-zilla. We have an advantage, we are both self employed.
When picking out my husband I knew I wanted a partner that could be a team-player and had to be selfemployed (and a good sense of humor.) The result…rather good. We all have our issues but we work together.
I work mornings and he works afternoons.
I know other people who moved their shifts around (technicins, nurses, doctors…etc) so they could do the “handing off of the kids” for two years before pre-preschool.
As far as working part time goes you could do what my grand mother always tells us to say after weIt feels like forever…but “This too will end.” Well, unless you don’t want it to.