Part-timers need to be sensitive to work responsibilities

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Dear Joan:
I have read several articles lately about how wonderful it is that young mothers are putting their careers on hold to work part-time, and how wonderful it is that employers are seeing the wisdom in allowing their employees to do this. Since usually only the best employees are allowed to go part-time, I also can understand that it is better to have a good employee, part-time, than not at all.

However, as a full-time employee in the twilight of her career, I do wish that employers would give some consideration and acknowledgment to those who are left to fill in the gap when others in the department are allowed to go part-time.

In my experience, when an employee goes part-time, the department head count is not reduced, meaning that the part-time employee is still counted full-time as far as staffing authorization. Also, even though the part-time employees are able to complete their projects on time, they are not there to take the unscheduled phone calls, or answer the questions of someone who just happens to stop by. That is left to the people who are there at the time, and who are expected to complete their projects on time, in spite of the unscheduled interruptions and the additional work that is delegated from the part-time worker.

Most companies have long-term employees who have always been willing to give whatever it takes or do whatever it takes to get the work done. But, if not handled properly, having part-time employees can cause a serious morale problem because the part-time employees are never available to handle their share of the overtime, travel, or beyond-the-call-of-duty work. In my personal situation, no matter how many times a day I tell myself that the part-time employee is doing all that he is expected to do, if I have to work late, it always seems that I was put in that position by the part-time person who was rushing to get his work delegated or completed so that he can go home on time.

Since employee retention is such a hot issue right now, I am only suggesting that employers look at both sides of the coin when they allow an employee to work part-time. Thanks for listening.

Answer:
I suspect there are a lot of other readers who share your feelings. For instance, childless employees often pick up extra work when parents leave early to pick up children or for school events. Workers may end up handling more work if a co-worker works from home a few days a week. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 60 percent of today’s workforce doesn’t have children under the age of 18 at home. It can never be perfectly fair but employers are wise to keep an eye on the balance.

While I think it’s great that employers are willing to be flexible, they also need to be realistic. Many positions don’t lend themselves to part-time or work-at-home status. In addition, headcount needs to reflect the actual human capital needed to get the work done. Playing games with headcount will save money in the short run but is likely to backfire, as you point out. Employers with part-time workers need to count FTE’s (full-time equivalents) instead of counting each person as a position.

The part-timers need to be sensitive to this as well. They need to do everything possible to do more than their share when they are at work. And those exempt employees, who enjoy a flexible schedule, would be wise to take work home and cover for other co-workers whenever they get a chance.

A client of mine takes an interesting approach. All of her employees request time off from time to time. Rather than try to do all the scheduling in a fair way (which she quickly realized was perceived as unfair by at least some of the team), she turns the problem over to her employees in the department. She outlines the parameters of when coverage is needed and all the employees spend time twice a month planning the schedule. If one needs time to take off early they decide how to cover for him. Of course, the group expects that he will cover for someone else when they need some flexibility. The system has paid off in increased teamwork and fewer conflicts.

Dear Joan:
While your comments to the employee who had been in the same secretarial position for eight years were certainly relevant, I was concerned that you did not make a comment on a very important legal aspect. In her letter, she makes the comment that she puts in many hours of unpaid overtime. Unless she has discretionary decision-making powers (which I do not see from what she has written), it is illegal for the employer to place her in an exempt category. Whether the employer approves her overtime or not, she is still entitled to overtime compensation for any work over 40 hours in a designated pay week.

Answer:
Thanks for pointing this out. Many people are confused about the difference between "salaried" and "hourly," "exempt" and "nonexempt." They are not necessarily interchangeable. For example, you can be nonexempt and salaried but not exempt and hourly. Having "discretionary decision-making powers," is only one of the criteria needed to make this determination. In addition to the national laws, each state may have additional regulations. To determine whether or not a position is exempt or nonexempt, check with your regional or state office of The Department of Labor.

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