I'd personally not apply if you were trying to offer less than half. I think bean counting at that point is a little excessive, especially given how much more productive your part time hours should be on average. In the past when I've contracted and had more or less part time arrangements, I've always felt far more capable, productive, and engaged. Definitely offer half of the compensation.
Ask HN: How do you scale salary for part-time work?
31–40 of 86 posts
Re: Ask HN: How do you scale salary for part-time work?
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
We're in the UK. I think the lower bound of this from our perspective is 50%, though wondered whether it would be perceived as willfully ignoring that productivity is non-linear. To be honest, I hadn't really considered the legal ramifications: I'm hoping if I behave fairly then I can avoid having to think too hard.
Citizen's Advice lists requiring all employees to work full time as an example of indirect sex discrimination, so by advertising part time jobs you may be protecting yourself.
Interesting, could you link to that and/or explain it, against whom is it sex discrimination.
I know that in the UK the "wage gap" favours women in part-time work according to the National Statistics Office .
Re: Ask HN: How do you scale salary for part-time work?
#33I would advise you to just make it pro-rata. Don't fiddle around and worry about the relative pocket-change of overheads. You will save yourself lots of headaches, and my experience is that you will get more value out of two employees working 20 hours a week than you will out of one employee working 40 hours. It all evens out in the end. Aside: I really want to encourage you to do this. In my previous job, I went to…
Hey, I have a few questions if you don't mind I am working 30 hour work week. I recently switched jobs and I consider myself a strong candidate. In nearly all of my interviews, as soon as I mentioned wishing to work 30 hours (because I want to have time to sharpen my skills in my other 10 hours, which I always sold as a positive feedback loop which helps me be more knowlegable at work), the HR admin/recruiter would g…
Unfortunately, many companies are very square when it comes to part-time work :-/
Re: Ask HN: How do you scale salary for part-time work?
#34Take your average $120k/yr job. That's based on a 40 hour work week, right? 260 working days in a year. Couple that with roughly 9 paid holidays, and you're looking at around 250 working days a year at 8 hours a day. 2,000 hours worked in a year at $120k/yr = $60/hr 20 days worth of PTO seems to be about the norm in the industry for when you start a new job. I'm not sure how to factor that in here. If you subtract it…
I was about to correct you that in the U.S., the starting PTO might be more like 10 or 15 days...but then remembered that this is all in the UK. (Man, i really dislike the U.S.' version of capitalism.) Otherwise, great inputs on the costs you referenced; cheers!
I also bundled in "sick" with "personal" and "vacation" because I've seen US companies do away with all of the distinctions and just say "here's 20 days a year, do what you want with them. You'll get more next year."
Re: Ask HN: How do you scale salary for part-time work?
#35Yeah, if you're not offering me 75% pay for 50% work I'm not interested. My peak productivity is 3 days a week. The gains from working more than that are marginal at best.
Re: Ask HN: How do you scale salary for part-time work?
#36I recently dropped from full to half time (due to small kids). I dont think my output has dropped by half though, especially since I come back to the office well rested, instead of needing a half dozen cups of coffee before being able to read code. Given that, I wouldn't accept being paid less than 50% for half time work.
I would echo, though, other commenters that for the same hours two people require communication that one wouldn't. On the other hand, that can encourage good practices (docs, sane style, passing tests) instead of 10x syndrome.
I forgot to add: part time remote is my dream work arrangement so I would definitely apply if it was sufficiently well paid, stable proposition (not a 6 month contractor towards full timer thing)
Re: Ask HN: How do you scale salary for part-time work?
#37As long as the UK is in the EU, the EU rules apply. https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/human-resources/employ... : ”Equal employment conditions You must offer your part‑time staff the same employment conditions as full-time workers, including pay, leave, notice periods and other rights and benefits linked to their employment. Modifying working arrangements Whenever possible, you should try to accommodate requests…
If the Tories get Brexit then this could be one of the first changes, Raab MP - a cabinet member - is on record as saying he wants all workers rights removed (I assume he's a proponent of completely free markets but I'm just rationalising his position because it seems abjectly immoral to me and I daren't consider what other forces might be directing the country).
Re: Ask HN: How do you scale salary for part-time work?
#38Anecdotally, of the 4 days/week people I've worked with, there was never any thought that adding a fifth marginal day to their week would yield commensurate productivity returns. Value for money, the 4-day week constraint keeps people busy enough to actually get things done fast.
I don't know what their difference in comp was, but my impression each time was they had negotiated the 4-day week against the cost of a consultant. e.g. As an employer, maybe you want to pay an employee $120k/y salary. To replace that employee with a contractor will cost you $220k/year. The employees pitch was, given what it would cost and what they can make consulting, they would take the offered $120k salary for a 4-day/week role.
It's a question of value, not scaling to hours.
Re: Ask HN: How do you scale salary for part-time work?
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
Citizen's Advice lists requiring all employees to work full time as an example of indirect sex discrimination, so by advertising part time jobs you may be protecting yourself.
Interesting, could you link to that and/or explain it, against whom is it sex discrimination. I know that in the UK the "wage gap" favours women in part-time work according to the National Statistics Office .
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/discriminat... Under "Indirect sex discrimination"
Re: Ask HN: How do you scale salary for part-time work?
#40I would advise you to just make it pro-rata. Don't fiddle around and worry about the relative pocket-change of overheads. You will save yourself lots of headaches, and my experience is that you will get more value out of two employees working 20 hours a week than you will out of one employee working 40 hours. It all evens out in the end. Aside: I really want to encourage you to do this. In my previous job, I went to…
Hey, I have a few questions if you don't mind I am working 30 hour work week. I recently switched jobs and I consider myself a strong candidate. In nearly all of my interviews, as soon as I mentioned wishing to work 30 hours (because I want to have time to sharpen my skills in my other 10 hours, which I always sold as a positive feedback loop which helps me be more knowlegable at work), the HR admin/recruiter would g…
Why 30?, that just seems like a strange number.
Assuming 8 hour work days, 32 seems a more obvious choice. You get 1 day/week off.
I've always started at 40, then negotiated down to 36, then to 32 at the same salary whenever offered a raise. If you're having a hard time finding a job, maybe tough it out for a year then negotiate for less hours when you've proven yourself. Obviously helps to be working for smaller companies which tend to be more flexible.