Part-time employment

opportunity : Flexible Workplace :
Part-time employment

Tips and Tools

Model administrative arrangements: flexi-place

Model administrative arrangements:
flexible working hours

Tips for working at home

1 Centers should consider the option of part-time positions (or, possibly, shared positions). Not all positions require a single, full-time staff member for the work to be performed effectively. Some highly qualified and fully committed individuals may prefer a less-than-full-time position during some periods in their careers, in order to meet personal and family obligations (e.g. advanced education, child care, elder care).

2 Several options are available and have been implemented in Centers. Positions can be established on almost any basis, for example one-half (normal) time, two-thirds time or three-quarters time. Just as with full-time positions, part-time positions should have defined expectations of time commitments and schedules (e.g. for office, travel). They also should have clear and realistic work-plans against which performance can be evaluated.

3 The package of leave and other benefits should be pro-rated according to the time commitment, possibly maintaining full medical insurance benefits if this option exists with the relevant insurer.

4 All positions within the Center should be regarded as potentially suitable for part-time. The approach should be ‘why not?’ rather than ‘why?’ Applications to work part-time should be considered primarily on feasibility: what work will continue to be done, what work will no longer be done and how can that shortfall be met?

5 It is also important to recognize that, where the initiative for creating a part-time position comes from a staff member, the part-time arrangements may not necessarily be ongoing. They may only be needed for limited periods during the staff member’s career, e.g. up to two years.

6 As with other flexible working arrangements, it might be desirable to establish a pilot (e.g. six months) to test the viability of a part-time arrangement. There should be agreed criteria for evaluating the pilot’s success.

7 Unlike other flexible working practices, part-time working arrangements usually cannot be reversed at short notice. This is particularly the case when another staff member has been recruited to handle the activities off-loaded by the staff member who transferred to part-time employment.

Developing a policy framework for implementing part-time employment arrangements
8 The following basic principles would normally guide the development of part-time employment arrangements.

Access to part-time employment
9 All positions within the Center should be regarded as potentially suitable for part-time. Any staff member considering this option must be fully briefed by HR about the implications for salary and benefits.

When to approve part-time employment
10 Workloads of part-time positions should be carefully examined by both management and the staff member to ensure that conversion from full-time to part-time employment is accompanied by a corresponding reduction in workload. It is not unheard of for staff members who have made this transition to discover that their ostensibly part-time job has, over time, regained its original (full-time) workload and that the only change is they are being paid part-time salary to carry out a full-time job.

11 Part-time staff should be appraised on output and demonstration of required competencies rather than on work patterns.

12 Centers need to ensure that part-time working arrangements do not block the staff member’s career development, particularly in relation to opportunities for training and development, consideration of promotion and applications to transfer to full-time positions.

When not to approve part-time employment
13 If the current post of the staff member is not suitable for part-time working, Center managers should be pro-active in seeking an alternative post that matches the individual’s skills and likely career development.

14 Consideration can also be given to establishing a register of those seeking a partner with whom to job share. This can facilitate a staff member converting from full-time to part-time employment in a position that requires full-time hours per week.