Working part-time to be with baby, yet needing to travel to client site

I'm back at work after 12 weeks of maternity leave, and am currently
working 20 hours a week, from home, for this first month back - 4
hours a day, mornings only. I will be ramping that up to full-time as
of next month, if all goes well with my baby care arrangements.

I've just been told I need to travel for a client meeting to a
different state, which will mean taking a flight in the early
afternoon on Monday and returning at 11 pm on Tuesday.

Now, I'm taking a 50% paycut and forfeiting all my benefits this month
in order to be able to stay with my kids more. So, how should I count
the hours I spend on this trip, as part of this week's 20 hours that I
get paid for?

When I work full-time, it goes without saying that some of the time I
will have to travel to client sites, and some of those hours will be
on my own time. But now I'm at 50%, I don't know what's fair.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
I've just been told I need to travel for a client meeting to a
different state, which will mean taking a flight in the early
afternoon on Monday and returning at 11 pm on Tuesday.

Regardless of working full time or part time, I would count this as 2
full work days: 16 hours.

Pologirl

Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
I'm back at work after 12 weeks of maternity leave, and am currently
working 20 hours a week, from home, for this first month back - 4
hours a day, mornings only. I will be ramping that up to full-time as
of next month, if all goes well with my baby care arrangements.

I've just been told I need to travel for a client meeting to a
different state, which will mean taking a flight in the early
afternoon on Monday and returning at 11 pm on Tuesday.

If you were working full time, this would be about 30% of your full work
week (1/2 a day - the afternoon) and all the next day (Tuesday). I know
the hours are more than 12 hours. So, I think counting the trip as less
than 12 hours is unfair to you. That's assuming that if you were
working full time, you would still be working in the morning. Otherwise,
it's two days or 16 hours.

Now, I'm taking a 50% paycut and forfeiting all my benefits this month
in order to be able to stay with my kids more. So, how should I count
the hours I spend on this trip, as part of this week's 20 hours that I
get paid for?

So I think counting the trip as 12 to 16 hours is fair both ways.

So depending on the situation, I would suggest to your boss that you
should work one more morning that week or get paid for 24 or 28 hours if
you work more than one morning.

In the big scheme of things, whether or not you get paid for the
additional 4 hours is not that big a deal. But money is good and it is a
sacrifice for you travel with such a little baby at home. And they want
to keep you happy.

Obviously, this also depends on the dynamics of the working relationship
between you and the boss.

When I work full-time, it goes without saying that some of the time I
will have to travel to client sites, and some of those hours will be
on my own time. But now I'm at 50%, I don't know what's fair.

Any suggestions appreciated.



Good luck,

Jeff

Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
I'm back at work after 12 weeks of maternity leave, and am currently
working 20 hours a week, from home, for this first month back - 4
hours a day, mornings only. I will be ramping that up to full-time as
of next month, if all goes well with my baby care arrangements.

I've just been told I need to travel for a client meeting to a
different state, which will mean taking a flight in the early
afternoon on Monday and returning at 11 pm on Tuesday.

Now, I'm taking a 50% paycut and forfeiting all my benefits this month
in order to be able to stay with my kids more. So, how should I count
the hours I spend on this trip, as part of this week's 20 hours that I
get paid for?

When I work full-time, it goes without saying that some of the time I
will have to travel to client sites, and some of those hours will be
on my own time. But now I'm at 50%, I don't know what's fair.

Are you saying that you are not being paid by the hour,
so you're only going to get paid for 20 hours regardless of
how many you actually work?
If that's the case, I think you need to ask your boss
what the company's expectation is, and then decide what you
think about that. I work part time, but I get paid hourly,
so when I have events that require me to be in the office for
longer than my usual hours, I get paid for them. On the other
hand, it sounds like this is a brief interlude of part time
in the midst of a full-time career. In that case, I think
you have to think about this in the context of your long
term situation. If you were going to be part-time long-term,
I'd say you needed to hash this out and come to a resolution
you think is fair, and I wouldn't be ok with getting paid
part-time pay and no benefits and being expected to work
any significant amount of uncompensated hours. Since this
is just a very temporary situation, I might not take the
fairness thing to the mat if I were happy with the long-term
situation. Nevertheless, it would certainly be fair and
appropriate to ask what the company expectation is in this
situation. DH would actually charge work hours for travel
time (door-to-door) plus actual work time in a situation
like that. I'm not sure what the policy would be at my
work, since I don't travel. I would expect it to be
something similar.

Best wishes,
Ericka

On Jun 15, 11:49 am, Ericka Kammerer wrote:
Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
I'm back at work after 12 weeks of maternity leave, and am currently
working 20 hours a week, from home, for this first month back - 4
hours a day, mornings only. I will be ramping that up to full-time as
of next month, if all goes well with my baby care arrangements.

I've just been told I need to travel for a client meeting to a
different state, which will mean taking a flight in the early
afternoon on Monday and returning at 11 pm on Tuesday.

Now, I'm taking a 50% paycut and forfeiting all my benefits this month
in order to be able to stay with my kids more. So, how should I count
the hours I spend on this trip, as part of this week's 20 hours that I
get paid for?

When I work full-time, it goes without saying that some of the time I
will have to travel to client sites, and some of those hours will be
on my own time. But now I'm at 50%, I don't know what's fair.

Are you saying that you are not being paid by the hour,
so you're only going to get paid for 20 hours regardless of
how many you actually work?
If that's the case, I think you need to ask your boss
what the company's expectation is, and then decide what you
think about that. I work part time, but I get paid hourly,
so when I have events that require me to be in the office for
longer than my usual hours, I get paid for them. On the other
hand, it sounds like this is a brief interlude of part time
in the midst of a full-time career. In that case, I think
you have to think about this in the context of your long
term situation. If you were going to be part-time long-term,
I'd say you needed to hash this out and come to a resolution
you think is fair, and I wouldn't be ok with getting paid
part-time pay and no benefits and being expected to work
any significant amount of uncompensated hours. Since this
is just a very temporary situation, I might not take the
fairness thing to the mat if I were happy with the long-term
situation. Nevertheless, it would certainly be fair and
appropriate to ask what the company expectation is in this
situation. DH would actually charge work hours for travel
time (door-to-door) plus actual work time in a situation
like that. I'm not sure what the policy would be at my
work, since I don't travel. I would expect it to be
something similar.

Best wishes,
Ericka- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thanks, Pologirl, Jeff, and Ericka, I'm so glad I asked because I
don't want to be unreasonable about this at all.

I am indeed not being paid by the hour - as you say, Ericka, this is a
brief interlude of part-time in a full-time career. The tricky aspect
is that I don't yet know for sure if I can go back to full-time next
month. If I cannot, then most probably I will continue working at
reduced hours for the next six months, or until my toddler is in
daycare (we're on the waitlist in two different places).

I've asked my manager yesterday what he thought about counting the
travel hours, and he said we would touch base today about it. I feel
much better now that I have something to work from when I do talk to
him, thanks to your responses.

In article .com, Lady
Penelope Creighton-Ward says...

I'm back at work after 12 weeks of maternity leave, and am currently
working 20 hours a week, from home, for this first month back - 4
hours a day, mornings only. I will be ramping that up to full-time as
of next month, if all goes well with my baby care arrangements.

I've just been told I need to travel for a client meeting to a
different state, which will mean taking a flight in the early
afternoon on Monday and returning at 11 pm on Tuesday.

Now, I'm taking a 50% paycut and forfeiting all my benefits this month
in order to be able to stay with my kids more. So, how should I count
the hours I spend on this trip, as part of this week's 20 hours that I
get paid for?

When I work full-time, it goes without saying that some of the time I
will have to travel to client sites, and some of those hours will be
on my own time. But now I'm at 50%, I don't know what's fair.

Any suggestions appreciated.


Being as you're soon returning to full time, and you've done travel on your own
time when you were working full time, I'd let it go.

If you were working part time on a more permanent basis, you'd need to have some
clear boundaries as to what's what as far as travel time. But in these
circumstances it might look petty.

Banty

On Jun 15, 11:25 am, Jeff wrote:
Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
I'm back at work after 12 weeks of maternity leave, and am currently
working 20 hours a week, from home, for this first month back - 4
hours a day, mornings only. I will be ramping that up to full-time as
of next month, if all goes well with my baby care arrangements.

I've just been told I need to travel for a client meeting to a
different state, which will mean taking a flight in the early
afternoon on Monday and returning at 11 pm on Tuesday.

If you were working full time, this would be about 30% of your full work
week (1/2 a day - the afternoon) and all the next day (Tuesday). I know
the hours are more than 12 hours. So, I think counting the trip as less
than 12 hours is unfair to you. That's assuming that if you were
working full time, you would still be working in the morning. Otherwise,
it's two days or 16 hours.

Now, I'm taking a 50% paycut and forfeiting all my benefits this month
in order to be able to stay with my kids more. So, how should I count
the hours I spend on this trip, as part of this week's 20 hours that I
get paid for?

So I think counting the trip as 12 to 16 hours is fair both ways.

So depending on the situation, I would suggest to your boss that you
should work one more morning that week or get paid for 24 or 28 hours if
you work more than one morning.

In the big scheme of things, whether or not you get paid for the
additional 4 hours is not that big a deal. But money is good and it is a
sacrifice for you travel with such a little baby at home. And they want
to keep you happy.

Obviously, this also depends on the dynamics of the working relationship
between you and the boss.

When I work full-time, it goes without saying that some of the time I
will have to travel to client sites, and some of those hours will be
on my own time. But now I'm at 50%, I don't know what's fair.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Good luck,

Jeff

Oh, I meant to say that actual 'work' would only happen on Tuesday,
9-5, in the meetings. I will prepare for the meeting the night before
while on the flight.

On Jun 15, 12:04 pm, Banty wrote:

snip

If you were working part time on a more permanent basis, you'd need to have some
clear boundaries as to what's what as far as travel time. But in these
circumstances it might look petty.

My impression from having worked about 10 years in the private sector
is that "small" concessions you make to your employer are rarely
noticed -- they become the norm. If the OP never mentioned the extra
travel hours while working part time to her boss, would she get
"credit" for it down the line? I doubt it -- it would be forgotten. At
least mentioning her concern to her boss signals that
(1) she is not a "pushover"
(2) the boss cannot expect a full-time work effort while she is still
working part time
(3) she has done something "extra" .

Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
On Jun 15, 11:25 am, Jeff wrote:
Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward wrote:
I'm back at work after 12 weeks of maternity leave, and am currently
working 20 hours a week, from home, for this first month back - 4
hours a day, mornings only. I will be ramping that up to full-time as
of next month, if all goes well with my baby care arrangements.
I've just been told I need to travel for a client meeting to a
different state, which will mean taking a flight in the early
afternoon on Monday and returning at 11 pm on Tuesday.
If you were working full time, this would be about 30% of your full work
week (1/2 a day - the afternoon) and all the next day (Tuesday). I know
the hours are more than 12 hours. So, I think counting the trip as less
than 12 hours is unfair to you. That's assuming that if you were
working full time, you would still be working in the morning. Otherwise,
it's two days or 16 hours.

Now, I'm taking a 50% paycut and forfeiting all my benefits this month
in order to be able to stay with my kids more. So, how should I count
the hours I spend on this trip, as part of this week's 20 hours that I
get paid for?
So I think counting the trip as 12 to 16 hours is fair both ways.

So depending on the situation, I would suggest to your boss that you
should work one more morning that week or get paid for 24 or 28 hours if
you work more than one morning.

In the big scheme of things, whether or not you get paid for the
additional 4 hours is not that big a deal. But money is good and it is a
sacrifice for you travel with such a little baby at home. And they want
to keep you happy.

Obviously, this also depends on the dynamics of the working relationship
between you and the boss.

When I work full-time, it goes without saying that some of the time I
will have to travel to client sites, and some of those hours will be
on my own time. But now I'm at 50%, I don't know what's fair.
Any suggestions appreciated.
Good luck,

Jeff

Oh, I meant to say that actual 'work' would only happen on Tuesday,
9-5, in the meetings. I will prepare for the meeting the night before
while on the flight.

The company is requiring you to be someplace. That's work. Plus, you're
working on the plane.

Jeff

In article .com, Beliavsky
says...

On Jun 15, 12:04 pm, Banty wrote:

snip

If you were working part time on a more permanent basis, you'd need to have some
clear boundaries as to what's what as far as travel time. But in these
circumstances it might look petty.

My impression from having worked about 10 years in the private sector
is that "small" concessions you make to your employer are rarely
noticed -- they become the norm. If the OP never mentioned the extra
travel hours while working part time to her boss, would she get
"credit" for it down the line? I doubt it -- it would be forgotten. At
least mentioning her concern to her boss signals that
(1) she is not a "pushover"
(2) the boss cannot expect a full-time work effort while she is still
working part time
(3) she has done something "extra" .

But if she's going back to full time soon? (I know that's a bit up in the air,
which makes it harder to know what's best...) And if she's just recently had
travel time just part of a full time salaried position just prior?? Naw. I
agree that for a continuing situation she needs to determine this now, before
her concessions become taken for granted. But for a temporary situation, other
considerations likely override.

Not *ever little thang* needs to be credited. Indeed, that gets tiresome and
gets negatively notices. When a coworker comes to management with small
accountings of ever little thang, she can look good. As in her supervisor
thinking "Gee, Penelope and so and so and so and so else never do this sort of
thing - I appreciate them all the more after this little session in my office
with Jack Takems."

Again, not to get me wrong - for a continuing part time position this sort of
thing really would need to be spelled out. And that would be recognized as
normal.

Banty (30 years in the corporate private sector)