You may have been the recipient of one of these “ahhh you work part-time’. Insert rictus and avoid eye contact. That discomfort then that hindrance. Then the conversation moving on. Why is it that we feel like we carry a label as part-timers?
And not only is there a general label, that goes along the lines of ‘the minority of people who don’t really work’. We also get sub-labels based on how many days or hours we work. Working 1 or 2 days? Forget it, it’s like you are not even working. Working 3 days? Mmmm that’s kind of nice for you, but you don’t really belong to the company you know. Given you miss quite a bit. Working 4 days? Oh come on, can’t you make an effort to log in on the 5th day just to keep things afloat? And 4 days is the ultimate pressure to squeeze in a full-time job in a shorter timeframe.
So how does this leave us feel, part-timers? Like we are the ones with the problem. We constantly have to justify ourselves. Work around others and at times, around the clock. We know to now also avoid the eye contact after we tell someone who is not like us that we work part-time. It’s like we picked a different religion from the mainstream. Unless you are in one of these companies who value part-time work that is.
I believe the people who give the labels have got two factors driving their judgement: firstly, a lot of people don’t know how to operate a business on a part-time basis. They have always worked full-time (and above), go to meetings everyday and their weeks are super loaded. So they rationally come to the thought that anything less than that is not operational or functioning. It’s like a modus operandi in their mind.
Secondly, some of these people are – more or less consciously – envious of the reduced hours. Who wouldn’t want a day or two off during the week to look after their kids? Many, many dads, and mums. Or anyone who has a great project on the side they are super excited about. Or people who dream of fitting in some personal time for hobbies or to exercise.
I will give you my insight here – take it or leave it. There is a shift in the workforce, but it is in its infancy so it does not make wave. Yet. But anyone with good vision can see that in the future, the current way of working – 40+ hours a week in one office, commuting 1h or more a day each way and checking e-mails on their phone around the clock – will not last. With the rise of technology making working from any place in the world virtually possible, and the emergence of new mobility solutions involving driveless cars and a shared network, we will redefine the way of working. Not to mention the society’s recent obsession with well-being, the push for self-care and the alarming rise of stressed workers. Do you see where this is going?
And funnily enough, a lot of women are starting to redefine this way of working, by chipping up at the general full-time, full-work mentality. It’s like we are paving the way for much bigger societal transformations to come. Because we refuse to work flat out and neglect our kids. And we believe there is another way. So if you are one of these women, hold your head up high when you say what you do and when you work. Let’s make it easier for all of us by stopping to apologise for not being in the office or not having read that e-mail yet. Why would it be inappropriate? Shame on others for judging. Do they action things on their Saturday? Think of part-time as the new way. The others will come around.
If you are in the other camp, and you only value full-time work, look at what talent you are losing and what it is costing you. Look at the motivation levels of your team members and your retention rate. That next project on the horizon? Give it a shot with a part-timer.
We all have to embrace what’s coming our way tomorrow. And get outside our comfort zones until mentalities have finally given life to this new way of working. Part-timers – you rock the world!
