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How To Ask To Work Part Time

Most people don't know how to ask to work part time; they may feel intimidated, and afraid of upsetting their employer. If it would be better for you to work part time but you aren't sure how to go about asking, there are some tips that will make it easier for you. You may have a new baby or other circumstances in your life that make working full time difficult, and feel that cutting back on your hours is the best solution. Below, you will find tips and ideas regarding how to ask to work part time.

1. Consider the needs of your employer as well as yourself. Before you ask to cut back on your working hours, think about whether it is realistic and whether you will be able to get the job done. You want to avoid placing your employer in a hard situation; you also don't want co-workers being loaded down with additional work because of your needs. Try to come up with things that can be done on your part to help avoid placing a hardship on other employees.

2. Prepare your explanation. Once you do approach your boss about the situation, you want to be able to explain why it is necessary that you reduce your work to part time hours. Also discuss the advantages, why the changes in your life require it, and how it could benefit your employer as well (reduced wages, benefits, etc.)

3. Ask for a private meeting with your boss. You don't want to discuss the situation in front of co-workers, which is likely to make you feel more uncomfortable. When you do begin your discussion, be sure to emphasize how much you enjoy your work and the company, so that your boss won't have doubts in his mind about whether you want to work at all. Also ask for his ideas and thoughts on how it might work out so that it is advantageous to both you and the company.

4. Be honest. If you only want to work part time for a few weeks or months, tell your employer. If your plans are to cut back to part time work permanently, let him know that as well. This will help your employer determine if he needs to hire an additional staff member to take up part of the work load.

5. Consider the alternatives. Although reducing your hours may seem like the appropriate solution to your needs, consider other possibilities. Maybe working from home would solve the problem, or working fewer days but longer hours such as 4 10 hour days instead of 5 8 hour days. You might also ask about flexible shifts if you need to be off in the mornings or evenings.

6. Give notice of your thoughts. Don't wait until the last minute to approach your employer with your thoughts of working part time. Discuss it two or more weeks in advance, so that he/she has plenty of time to consider your request.

There are times in life when it is just not feasible to work full time. This could be due to a baby, an illness in the family where the individual requires care at home, or other extenuating circumstances. Now that you have read this article, you understand how to ask to work part time without feeling intimidated.