Suggestions on how to bring up hour cutback to boss

[busymama77]

My job is not a full time job by any stretch of the imaginiation. It could be done in 3 days a week, not 5. With that said, how should I approach this with my boss? I've been here for almost 2 years. The only problem is I need to stay at my current pay AND I need to keep the insurance that I have because my whole family is on it and it's FREE. I don't pay a DIME for our insurance. To be honest, that's the ONLY reason why I stick around. Otherwise, it would cost us $400+ a month out of DH's pay and we cannot afford that at the moment.

I'm just bored on the days it's slow. I try and find projects to do around here, but the ones that I do find, I can finish in a day. I just feel like I would be more productive for the company in 3 days as opposed to 5, that's all.

Anyone have any recent run-ins with this? If so, how did it go and what was the outcome?

[laohaire]

I've not done this but I wouldn't approach it like a cutback in hours, but more like switching it from a per-hour basis to "getting the job done."

This article talks about flex hours, which is not quite what you're looking for but it points out benefits to productivity and morale:
http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm15.htm

More benefits to flex time... I might consider using the term flex time to start with, just to get him thinking about it
http://careerplanning.about.com/cs/f...a/flextime.htm

[busymama77]

Originally Posted by laohaire

I've not done this but I wouldn't approach it like a cutback in hours, but more like switching it from a per-hour basis to "getting the job done."

This article talks about flex hours, which is not quite what you're looking for but it points out benefits to productivity and morale:
http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm15.htm

More benefits to flex time... I might consider using the term flex time to start with, just to get him thinking about it
http://careerplanning.about.com/cs/f...a/flextime.htm

That's a really good idea. Thanks!!!

[poppan]

I want to get something straight... are you more interested in finding more meaning and being more excited about your work, or in cutting back to 3 days a week?

Because your post seems to say you're bored at work and don't have enough to do--which sucks, I have been in that situation before. But I think the answer to that is to ask for more assignments, volunteer to do stuff, talk to your boss about developing your career and getting into things you're more interested in.

Whereas, wanting to cut down to 3 days a week is a different matter, but equally valid. I work about 25-30 hours a week and love my shorter schedule. But managers and companies tend to look at hours worked = hours paid -- no matter that they are paying you to hang around the water cooler and surf the internet for 40% of the time. That's still time you're in the office and they could *potentially* ask you to do something and have you as a resource. I doubt very very much that you can negotiate working 60% of the time on the same pay and benefits.

I like the flex time idea... making an argument that you will be a more productive employee if you can telecommute one day a week because you won't have to drive in and you can really focus without interruption, whatnot. And in reality you only do work when you're in the office and you've just negotiated yourself fewer hours but the same pay. But depending on your job, if you make that argument be prepared to follow through on it--if you have to go on a conference call, can you do that without children in the background, can you check email and respond quickly the whole day, etc.

[laohaire]

Oh, and this is probably obvious, but offer to start with a trial period first.

[That Is Nice]

Yeah, I agree with a previous person who posted. I don't think it's very reasonable to expect to reduce hours but keep the pay from full time hours.

I can't think of many (any?) situations where an employer would do that.

Keeping insurance might be negotiable, however.