Kristen has the childcare, a supportive manager and an understanding client. Amy G: I do think that the reality for most people is probably closer to what Linda has described. Kristen actually had a manager come to her and propose part time because they really needed her back from maternity leave. But more often people are going to their manager and making an ask. It's going through your head when that ask happens and how you evaluate whether to grant it.
There are a lot of reasons working part time might make sense: among them, you have more hours in the week to take care of kids or parents, take on freelance work, go back to school. But working part time can stall career advancement, and oftentimes women end up doing a full-time job for half the pay while taking on more responsibilities at home.
We speak with Linda Duxbury about the problems she’s seen some professional women run into when they work part time. She suggests factors to consider before reducing your hours and conversations that can smooth the transition. We also talk to an incredibly organized consultant and mother of three whose part-time schedule hasn’t kept her from getting promoted.
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Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network.