My maternity leave ends next week and I am set to go back to work. I actually want to go back, but only part time. I would like to work 3-4 days a week ideally. I had talked to my previous manager about the possibility of going part time, but while I have been gone he has been replaced with a new manager that I don't know. Now I am scared to bring it up since I don't know this manager, and don't want to immediately start making a lot of requests. Should I bring it up immediately or try and wait a few weeks?
Re: Going back to work next week, how to ask for part time?
To me it would depend on your job, how it could work if you went part time, where/to whom the rest of your responsibilities would go, what the culture & history is at your employer w/ ppl working p/t or switching to p/t after being f/t, etc... I would definitely have a clear plan mapped out like pp said. If they would still be paying full benefits on you at whatever hours you are proposing and would have to hire someone to fill the extra, I would anticipate every response possible...but maybe I'm a skeptic. GL!
Could you consider anything like hour flexibility or WFH type of things to compromise if they're not game for p/t?
I tend to be pretty upfront.
"New Boss, I had discussed with Old Boss some options around working part time. I'm wondering whether it might be possible to explore some options together in the context of our team's current priorities and projects."
You are not asking for a yes or no. You are just asking for a conversation. That opens the door for new boss to share his/her feelings on the subject. Then you can launch in to a couple proposals.
Some people there have managed to do part time in the past. No one I know does it currently, but I talked to someone (not in my work group but in the same building) that was allowed to do part time. Many other people do the same job I do, so job sharing wouldn't really be necessary, they are always moving the work around to even out the workload. I don't need any health benefits from them since I am covered under my husband. I assume my pay would just be 3/5ths of what is it now if I worked 3 days a week.
I do know some people who work 4 10 hour days. I don't really want to do that though, it just seems so tiring when I am already so tired.
First, I agree that you need to bring it up sooner rather than later. Second, you may want to approach it by saying, "I don't know if XYZ touched base with you on this, but we discussed..."
Part-time is not a status that is offered at my place of employment. In my situation, I found that offering to give up benefits made my boss very agreeable to my part-time request. It's not ideal, but I won't be part-time forever...