Part time - I can't believe it!!!!!

Halle71

I feel like singing from the roof tops :j

I am a 42 year old London mum of two little ones (1 and 4) and have just returned to work after maternity leave. It has been a real struggle because we don't have any family around to help - my partner is from NZ and my parents live a couple of hours away and my dad has Multiple Systems Atrophy (think Parkinsons/motor neurone/MS = hideous) and my mum has had a recent hip replacment and isn't up to looking after the little b*gger that is my 14th month old. They are both in childcare (school and nursery) but have also been ill requiring time of work and lots of mummy guilt trying to keep them in childcare despite being ill. Basically it's felt like we were surviving, not really living.

While we can afford for me to work part time, in my job it is impossible. Or so I thought. I'm a project manager in a large ad agency and it's a position that can't be part time and in fact is often more than full time (I worked a 19 hour shift until 4am on Tuesday). But. My friend is due back from mat leave in July and we were moaning on FB and hesitantly suggested (to each other and ourselves) a job share. Not thinking it to be a possibility we fantasized about a 3 day week with one day overlap. Never in a million years did we expect them to agree.
But she asked, we had a meeting yesterday and they agreed to everything. We both work Mondays, I work Tuesday and Wednesday and she works Thursday and Friday. In some industries this is pretty common but it is UNHEARD of in advertising and I am a very grateful guinea pig.

I can enjoy my kids again and be a less grumpy (albeit poorer) mummy.

Now I need to start money saving in a big way! :money:

pollypenny

Good luck with it! It can work well for all sides. When I was head of department I had two excellent colleagues job-sharing. It meant that I, and the school , had 120%.

claire16c

Thats great.

In my old company in London they lost so many staff after they had babies because they wouldnt agree to part time or job shares. It was pretty ridiculous as Id say around 90% of the work place were women, so theyd train them, and employ them from maybe the age of 23ish to 30sih and then theyd leave because the job wasnt very practical to do full time with children plus the commuting etc. So then theyd be loosing experienced staff, and constantly be looking for new people which obviously takes time and money.

These companies need to wake up!

pmlindyloo

It is also excellent that you are doing an overlap and both working one day a week together.

I did a job share but we didn't have an overlap and we spent a lot of time on the phone updating each other!

Georgiegirl256

Yay! :j It's worked out well all round, and well done to your company too for being so forward thinking!

Brighton_belle

Delighted for you. And I am both sure you will be determined to make it work. What a great precedent you may be setting in this company.

getmore4less

Makes sense same motivations so want it to work.

more scalable, less ovetime and more cover when needed.

Cover for holidays and sick that was not there before

Now if you just swap kids you only need childcare on a Mon.

Halle71

We live opposite ends of London and she's using the free services of grandmas whereas I'm paying. And to be honest I don't mind as we have the best nursery in the world :-)

A couple of years ago there was a news article of a couple of police women who did this and I can't remember the details but they were told it was illegal as they needed to set themselves up as child minders with all the legislation that goes along with that. Nanny state at it's best.

marisco_2

I am really pleased for you. It is great when you can get a home/work life balance that really works for you. Even nicer that you will be doing a job share with someone you know, like and trust. Congratulations.

Slinky

I know somebody who worked in advertising in London and did this with her work colleague. They both worked Wednesdays. Wouldn't want to be your colleague working Monday Thursday Friday, a bit bitty!

Halle71

I agree but those were her chosen days as it's when her mum and MIL are available.