If you reduced your hours after LO was born...

Froggy76

Would you mind answering a few questions?  I'd really appreciate some information from ladies who have gone this route.

How did you approach your boss about going part-time?  What was the reaction?

Were some of your responsibilities shifted to someone else, or are you still expected to do everything you did before cutting back your hours?

What happens when you are busy and need to work overtime?  (How often do you work beyond your scheduled hours?  Do you get paid extra?)

Do you feel that you're still expected to check e-mails, etc, outside of your scheduled hours?

Do you feel like you have been "mommy-tracked" at work?

Have you found the career and financial sacrifices worth the extra time with LO?

When, if ever, do you plan to go back to a full-time schedule?

Jenny952

Hi, I went back to work 1 month ago (today!) and I'm now down to 4 days/week.  I kind of planted the seed with my boss before I went out on leave, but then she took a new job and I got a new boss right as I went out.  When I was still on leave, I talked to her about wanting to come back part-time.  She was really flexible and understanding, but I didn't expect anything different.  She's a mom as well and in my work (I'm in HR), I feel like people are really flexible and open to alternative work arrangement.  And my company had just rolled out a brand new AWA policy last fall. 

I just approached my boss and asked for an AWA.  I came prepared with what I wanted (4 days/week), what schedule I wanted (Mondays off), and how I thought I would make it work.  Some of the projects in my current job were canceled while I was still on leave so it was actually a good time to go down to part-time. 

I work 32 hours/week, which is still considered full-time for benefits.  I do drop-off for the baby and DH picks up, so I just work until I'm done for the day.  I have been really good about managing my time so I can leave at my end time and I try not to schedule anything for 1/2-hour before I'm supposed to leave.  I'm salaried, so I do not get paid OT, but I didn't when I was 40 hours/week.  My day off is pretty much expected that I don't respond or check-in, though I do typically bring my computer home in case something comes up. 

Right now I've been able to maintain a good balance.  But I also have to make sacrifices to get all my work done, like not taking long lunches, keeping the office chit-chat to a minimum, and not participating in non-work events.  I don't think this will mommy-track me, since I'm engaged in work when I am there.  I really want to continue this arrangement long term unless something happens and I become the sole bread-winner in the family.  Right now it's an awesome arrangement, I can totally focus on work for 4 days, and then I can be with DD and totally focused on her when we're home.  So far it's been 100% worth it for our family.

jeffsjayme

I'll answer even though it hasn't happened yet.  I've asked, gotten approval, but the baby hasn't been born, so I haven't yet lived it. I'll just answer the best I can.

Froggy76:

Would you mind answering a few questions?  I'd really appreciate some information from ladies who have gone this route.

How did you approach your boss about going part-time?  What was the reaction?

I just asked to meet with her.  I told her about the pregnancy seperately (at 20 weeks), then at 22 weeks, met with her on my plans.

She was really open to it.  I had a written proposal detailing my desired schedule, what I thought I could still do and which part of my job that I thought I'd have to drop.  Luckily, I had been asking her for more work for a few months since I didn't have enough to do.  That was great foundation for this conversation.

Were some of your responsibilities shifted to someone else, or are you still expected to do everything you did before cutting back your hours?

No way could I continue to do it all.  I'm going from 40 hours/week to about 24 hours/week.  So the things I dropped from my job weren't technically in my job description and they were working on hiring someone to do those duties anyway.  I was just helping out.

What happens when you are busy and need to work overtime?  (How often do you work beyond your scheduled hours?  Do you get paid extra?)

No I won't get paid extra.  Just like I don't get paid extra for over 40 hours, I won't get paid extra for over 24.  Just part of the job.  They just pay me 60% of what they did before.

Do you feel that you're still expected to check e-mails, etc, outside of your scheduled hours?

I picked 24 hours because I'll physically be in the office 21.5 hours/week and then I promised to dial in from home about 2.5 hours/week to cover those last minute conference calls/"oh we really need you to do this" kind of stuff. So I built some buffer in just because I know it will happen.

Do you feel like you have been "mommy-tracked" at work?

Not really, but maybe.  I won't be a manager since I don't work full-time, but I don't want to be.  I'm a software designer/analyst and perfectly happy with what I have.  I'm sure there might be great opportunities that come up that I won't be considered for, but that's okay to me.  This is just the stage of my life that I'm in right now.

Have you found the career and financial sacrifices worth the extra time with LO?

When, if ever, do you plan to go back to a full-time schedule?

I don't ever really want to.  I hope to make part-time work for my family.  If it doesn't, my temptation will be to quit completely rather than go full-time.  We've built our budget on DH's salary and while tight, it's doable.  My salary goes towards aggressive savings and investing.  We paid off our house a couple of weeks ago just to lower our expenses to make staying at home an option.

I wouldn't go to another part-time job.  They're really hard to come by.  And I make 6 figures if I was full time...there's not many other part-time jobs that I can get that kind of salary without some huge hassles.  I'm hoping this is a win/win for me and the company.

ETA:

I'm choosing to work 5 days/week, but just mornings so that I have a "same schedule every day plan".  This is fine with my babysitter since she's my sister.  If I had a daycare, I'd probably have to commit to a certain number of days since they have quotas to maintain.

I asked for a 3-month trial, but I have every expectation of just keeping this way unless we need to make changes/adjustments.

ETA #2:

I didn't need to worry about benefits since my DH carries those.  It's just cheaper through his job anyway. Turns out, as long as I work 20 hours/week at my company, you can get full benefits, so that wasn't affected. I do get less vacation and holiday pay, but that's okay because I need less hours in a day to get a full day off.  But if benefits are a concern for you, look into that first.

jlaOK

I have worked 2 places part-time since having DS with very different experiences.  I am going to focus on 1st job more since it is a more typical work c. 

Would you mind answering a few questions?  I'd really appreciate some information from ladies who have gone this route.

How did you approach your boss about going part-time?  What was the reaction?

I approached with a written proposal pretty soon after I announced my pregnancy.  My immediate boss was not a fan of it (there was already some drama there) but upper management was VERY supportive.  I knew that the job had previously supported some part-time workers and I was confident that they would accept my proposal.

Were some of your responsibilities shifted to someone else, or are you still expected to do everything you did before cutting back your hours?

I am an engineer who worked in a group with other engineers.  We shared some job duties and some job duties were assigned just to me.  I kept the duties that were just assigned to me and scaled back on the duties that we shared as a group.

What happens when you are busy and need to work overtime?  (How often do you work beyond your scheduled hours?  Do you get paid extra?)

I maybe worked 30 min to an hour after work to finish a job, but never came in on a day off to finishe something.  I was always clear with my boss with what I could do and not complete in my 3 days that I worked.

Do you feel that you're still expected to check e-mails, etc, outside of your scheduled hours?

I only responded to emails and phone calls in emergency situations.

Do you feel like you have been "mommy-tracked" at work?

In my first job I was defintely "mommy-tracked".  No raises, no promotions unless I came back full time.  I switched jobs a few months ago and that is no longer how I feel.

Have you found the career and financial sacrifices worth the extra time with LO?

I definitely think the sacrifices are worth it.  Although I sometimes feel the financial pinch I remind myself that 1) this is what I wanted and 2) that not everyone can make their own schedule like I did.

When, if ever, do you plan to go back to a full-time schedule?

I now work 3 days a week and in a month I am going to go to 4 days a week.  I hope to keep around 30 hours per week as my DS and future kids get older to avoid before and after school care.  I can't say when and if I'll ever go back full-time but always keep it as an option.

Strunella

I am contemplating this scenario myself, so reading the responses was really helpful.  I will soon be applying for a position with a company that really emphasizes a flexible work schedule and a healthy work/life balance.  Right now, I'm debating whether or not it makes sense for me to approach my current company with my preference.  I'm hoping to go to a 4 day/32 hr work week which is still considered FT with benefits.

Froggy76

This has been really helpful, ladies- thank you!  Lots to think about.  I love my job, but it's really been bugging me that I get home just in time to put DD to bed.  If I reduced my hours, I'd like to still work 5 days, but leave at 3-4 everyday and spend more time with her before bed.

vedwards

This post came at the perfect time.  I talked to HR yesterday to get a few questions answered so my husband and I can figure out what we can/can't do before I put together a proposal for my boss.  I carry the insurance and until a month ago I was the bread-winner but now that my husband is in a new job where he makes more than I do, we are seriously considering cutting back my work hours.  We have to figure something out quickly though.  My MIL has been watching DD for two months and won't continue after next week.  We have to get things in order by April!  Thanks OP for your questions and to everyone for the great replies.

AuburnGirl04

Good luck!  Below are my responses.  I hope you are able to work something out that benefits your family! 

How did you approach your boss about going part-time?  What was the reaction?

I typed up a proposal with my current job duties, proposed work time and action plan for completing things and/or mitigation plan for how things would be handled if something came up when I was out of the office.  My immediate manager was very supportive.  Upper management (espcially my director - who was a woman who has kids/worked full time/etc) was not as supportive and I really had to pitch my proposal - that it was better in the long run to keep someone who knows the work, has been trained, is a high performer, etc. for less hours for these years while I'm raising babies rather than hire someone new. 

Were some of your responsibilities shifted to someone else, or are you still expected to do everything you did before cutting back your hours?

Initially expected to do it all.. but I slowly started delegating (after consulting w my manager first) some of my resposibilities.  Recently though there was a shift in work on our team and I took over a previous full timer's workload.  So workload is probably always my biggest challenge to the part time arrangement.

What happens when you are busy and need to work overtime?  (How often do you work beyond your scheduled hours?  Do you get paid extra?)

Recently I have been working more than my standard 24/hr work week.  Every company is different, but I do get paid straight hourly wage for any time over my standard work week worked.  I log in from home when necessary to complete it - and always try to keep my in office work end time to 3 pm.  No one will fight for that for you so you really will need to try to hold the line on leaving.

Do you feel that you're still expected to check e-mails, etc, outside of your scheduled hours?

Yes.

Do you feel like you have been "mommy-tracked" at work?

No.  And I try to get myself on some high profile special projects and stuff to show that I am still relevant.  But even if I was mommy tracked, I'd be ok I think.  Not planning on being a CEO.  And I tell my managers that my career is a marathon not a sprint.

Have you found the career and financial sacrifices worth the extra time with LO?

100% yes.

When, if ever, do you plan to go back to a full-time schedule?

This could change in a few years, but currently I would only consider full time if it was a telecommuting role - and I have no immediate connections for one of those - so this may be a pipe dream of mine

sheryn2

Thanks for the post!  I'm just about to have a formal mtg with my boss in 2 wks.

We were re-orging last month and I realized my new boss was giving me a wide open door to request PT (unusual in my "boys club" corp), so I took it!  I had used PTO to transition back to work so we were all kind of used to me working PT that way (but my PTO was rapidly vanishing).

I am expected to carry my previously FT workload during my PT hrs.  I had been told previously (bluffed perhaps) that my FT workload would increase 30% otherwise, so it seemed like more work per hrs either way.

I am salaried so it really is on me to make this work.  I expect the workload to ebb and flow, so more hrs one week, but quietier another.  If I can't manage the workload in the hrs then we'll meet at the roundtable again.

Over 4 months of 1/2 to 1 day wk PTO I've taken, I check email from time to time and have worked some nights, but the big boss man has only called me once for an urgent project.  Not ideal, but I'm working on it.

I was already something-tracked, so I'll take the break and maybe in a couple yrs come back kicking.

I expect it to be worthwhile.  I've loved my PTO time with LO.

I plan to go back FT if I get in a groove with LO, or after a 2nd child, if I am so lucky.

GL!

annetteh72

How did you approach your boss about going part-time?  What was the reaction? I scheduled a meeting and approached working half time, our company  was very family friendly so it went well. The job didn't pay a lot but the perk was incredible flexibility.

Were some of your responsibilities shifted to someone else, or are you still expected to do everything you did before cutting back your hours? No, I am a social worker so it was easy to divide, I just did half the groups, half the assessments and saw half the cases. For half the pay.

What happens when you are busy and need to work overtime?  (How often do you work beyond your scheduled hours?  Do you get paid extra?) I didn't work much beyond my 20 hours except I did return phone calls on my off days.

Do you feel that you're still expected to check e-mails, etc, outside of your scheduled hours? Yes.

Do you feel like you have been "mommy-tracked" at work? Yes.  And now I do private practice PT, I do feel other therapists my age that have a full caseload are further ahead, they participate in more trainings, do more marketing and have more prestige.

Have you found the career and financial sacrifices worth the extra time with LO? Yes, I do feel it's the best of both worlds and it works very well for me.  I am a SAHM two days, volunteer in the class, run our errands, have my me time and then get to be a working mom for three days.  But I am aware my career would be ahead and we'd have more money and a bigger home if I worked FT.  In order for this to work for us, we had to have a big emergency fund and a lot in retirement.

When, if ever, do you plan to go back to a full-time schedule?  Never!  Maybe when the kids go to college but possibly not even then, I really love three days a week and would only work FT if I needed to financially for our family.

Leinistar

How did you approach your boss about going part-time?  What was the reaction? I work for local government and they recently enacted a program called "voluntary reduced work schedule" in order to deal with budget cuts and avoid layoffs. Basically you can apply for a reduced work schedule (down to a minimum of 21 hours per week) and still keep all your benefits, including a prorated retirement investment. I applied and was approved prior to returning to work at all. My boss was just happy that I decided to come back at all!

Were some of your responsibilities shifted to someone else, or are you still expected to do everything you did before cutting back your hours? I'm hourly, not salary so I worked my time and went home. I still worked on all the long term projects I normally did and completed my normal shift work at the office. They hired a temp worker before I left for maternity to cover while I was out and kept her on part time after I returned to make up for my time out.

What happens when you are busy and need to work overtime?  (How often do you work beyond your scheduled hours?  Do you get paid extra?) I work hourly so I don't work past my scheduled time. OT is rarely granted

Do you feel that you're still expected to check e-mails, etc, outside of your scheduled hours? Absolutely not. I made it clear to my boss that I was taking a reduced schedule to spend time with my son and that work was to stay at the office. She was very understanding.

Do you feel like you have  been "mommy-tracked" at work? No, but only because I still do my job better than most.

Have you found the career and financial sacrifices worth the extra time with LO? I had to go back to Full time because my husband is currently out of work and we could no longer afford the pay cut as it was down to about 50% of my previous pay. If I get a raise this year as scheduled, I'll probably go back to part time as I think any extra time I spend with my son is worth the sacrifice.

When, if ever, do you plan to go back to a full-time schedule? I had to go back full time after 4 months of working part time as I was no longer able to afford the pay cut. When my husband has a job, I plan to go back to part time immediately!