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Part-time working: reduced hours should mean a reduced workload

Part time job designAs part-time work becomes more widespread, it’s increasingly important that the roles are designed properly. But research published in the journal of Human Relations has indicated that, in many cases, there isn’t a process in place.

One in five professionals and managers in the UK works part-time already, with more than two in five working part-time in the Netherlands. Moreover, there is huge unfulfilled demand for part-time working: a Timewise study shows that a quarter of full-timers in the UK would actually prefer to work less, and earn less.

Too many part-timers are left to design their own jobs

However when it comes to designing these part-time roles, the employees themselves are often left to get on with it, without input from their employers. Even those who are sympathetic to flexible working in principle rarely take any responsibility for reducing their employees’ outputs to match their reduction in hours.

This failure to think through the requirements of the job means that the part-time professional often ends up delivering 100% of the outputs in 60 or 80% of the hours – and for 60 or 80% of the salary. The result is usually high pressure of work for the part-timer, as well as insufficient time for development, networking or career-building.

And there’s a knock-on effect for other employees too. Seeing the lack of effort to address workload on transition to part-time hours can lead to others being reluctant to request part-time working. They see the stress and unfairness of part-timers having to deliver disproportionately heavy workloads, as well as the negative impacts on their career, and it puts them off following a similar path.

Redesigning jobs collaboratively leads to greater success

But there is another way: redesign the job collaboratively. Some of the part-time professionals featured in the research negotiated with colleagues, manager and clients to distribute workload more fairly across the team, and to arrange cover during their absence. This ‘crafting’ of the job, in collaboration with colleagues, enabled a more appropriate workload, and predictable time off for part-time professionals, although most only managed to craft their workload and schedule after they had secured a part-time job.

So, employers who want to attract and retain the best talent need to recognise that part-time job design often cannot be done by the individual alone. Job redesign is best done by the team as a whole, with committed support from the wider organisation. If that doesn’t happen, it’s not surprising that part-time professionals often feel stigmatised and see their careers stagnate.

Employers also need to address two common working practices which can stand in the way of successful part-time work. The first is the expectation that the individual, as opposed to the team, will be constantly available to deal with unpredictable client demands. The second is the failure to plan and share the team’s workload collaboratively, so that work is distributed fairly across the team.

It’s clear from the research that the way forward is for employers to redesign the working practices of the whole team, rather than leaving individuals to work out their part-time solutions in isolation. With mounting evidence that more people want to work part-time – not just parents and carers, but also older workers, millennials and those with health issues – employers need to address part-time job design, and adapt working practices to the changing shape of the workforce.

The research was conducted by Dr Charlotte Gascoigne as part of her PhD, and is published with Professor Clare Kelliher from the Cranfield School of Management. The findings were based on in-depth interviews with part-time professionals and managers in both the UK and the Netherlands.

To find out more about the innovative research opportunities we offer, contact info@timewise.co.uk or call 020 7633 4444

Published December 2017

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