“Whenever I need you, you’re never around!” says a coworker, looking at me with more regret than reproach. “That can’t be right—I work 50% of the time, so statistically, you should be able to find me every other time you look for me!” I point out, giving him a disarming wink. He can’t help but grin, and we move on to the (half) agenda.
Of the approximately 90 employees at Netstream , 10 work part-time. We therefore decided not to simply observe passively and ponder the issue, but to ask our own part-time colleagues individually about their experiences. What we learned was surprising. Their experiences and attitudes toward their own part-time work are just as varied as their motivations.
Sasha, our prime example when it comes to reducing workloads and also the youngest of all those surveyed, cut his workload to 80% two years ago due to his continuing education. At first, he put himself under quite a bit of pressure. The high expectations he had of himself led to countless hours of overtime. He began asking his colleagues for help and received boundless consideration and support from his team. He now affectionately refers to the circumstances that led to his transformation from a lone wolf to a team player as the “therapeutic effect.” Unlike his classmates, he never received work calls on his “day off.”
Our Aleksandra can’t say the same. Her part-time stint ended before it really began. As a project manager, she had worked full-time for years and loved her job. After the birth of her first daughter, she reduced her hours to 80%. She soon felt that, with what was effectively a “day off,” she wasn’t living up to her role or her own expectations as a project manager. Clients who tried to reach her on her day off were redirected to her cell phone—because that’s what she wanted. She therefore increased her workload again and hasn’t regretted that decision for a moment—even now that she has two young children at home.
Our Cinzia doesn’t have children, but she does have a time-consuming hobby: traveling. A few months ago, during her first job interview, she asked, “Would a 90% work schedule be possible for you?” Our HR manager, Leandra, enthusiastically agreed, as this brought one (of many) of her visions back into the conversation: giving all Netstream employees the opportunity to reduce their workload to 90%, since a reduced workload improves work-life balance. In addition, with a reduced workload, part-time employees can use their time for extended weekends or hobbies. Would Cinzia have accepted our offer if Netstream didn’t allow a 90% work schedule? Yes and no. In principle, she wouldn’t turn down a dream job because of that. However, she also couldn’t imagine that a company whose values don’t accommodate such a request from a motivated employee would be a good fit for her.
Florian would likely disagree with her assertion that any full-time job can be done on an 80% workload. He reduced his workload so he could spend one day a week caring for his son. Building a close bond with his son and playing an important role in his young life means that Florian doesn’t rule out working a 60% workload and is willing to tolerate some of the drawbacks of a reduced workload. Florian does see it as a huge advantage that his supervisor allows him to choose his shifts so that he can pick up his son from daycare. Nevertheless, he would like the number of his shifts to be adjusted to match his work schedule. Together, we conclude that a discussion with his supervisor about reducing his job responsibilities is not only desirable but absolutely necessary. I immediately add the item “Discuss the new job responsibilities with the supervisor and coworkers” to our “Work Schedule Adjustment Checklist.”
Our conclusion: We’re not yet where we want to be when it comes to reducing workloads at our company. That makes our message to our employees all the more important:80% work schedule—definitely go for it!We don’t see resignation as an option. Now, above all, we want one thing: to make part-time work at Netstream more attractive!
Our own—non-scientifically based—theory on the topic of reducing workloads is this: Reducing workloads comes with one drawback for employees: lower pay. However, it also offers many, many benefits: work-life balance, the opportunity for continuing education, the gift of “Mommy Days” or “Daddy Days,” the chance to challenge the team to work together more effectively, and the opportunity to embody important company values even more fully: consideration and humanity.
