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Would senior engineers be interested in working reduced hours or part time?

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Re: Would senior engineers be interested in working reduced hours or part time?

#21
post #9

I work 4 hours a day since 2017. Of course this is a huge privilege. I could not imagine how I could combine kids, friends and hobbies with a 8 hour work day.

Sorry if this is a dumb question but would your friends not still be working 8h/day? How would having 4h/day help see your friends? Did all of you manage to cut it down to 4h/day?!

Re: Would senior engineers be interested in working reduced hours or part time?

#24
I would work part-time, but what cuts to my benefits would that entail? I already work ~20 hours per week in a job that gives me full-time benefits and pay, and I get every single goal done that I am required to achieve here. Why should the old-school butts-in-seats agenda have anything to do with my work output? I provide the same value for my company right now that I would if they cut my "hours" to half, so why would I agree to a pay cut in that case?

I know that I am very privileged to be able to work as I do in my career, and I've worked in warehouses, janitorial duties, etc. so I know how hard it can be to do those kinds of jobs where there isn't the ability to get the same job done in less hours; although I do have to say if you told a warehouse worker at the warehouse I worked at "get X number of pulls done, safely, then go home and I'll pay you for the day anyways" I would imagine they could be working for ~4 hours a day as well (there's a lot of down-time at some of those jobs, due to the fact there is no reason to be quicker). Only on the manufacturing floor where I worked do I think you'd really have to work the full 8-10 hours to get the number of units built, but in that case there was definitely room for process improvement.

Re: Would senior engineers be interested in working reduced hours or part time?

#25
post #18

I’m already part time as a senior engineer. But I make full time pay. If your intention is to pay less than full time salary, I’d imagine many of your target engineers are in my position and wouldn’t want the pay cut.

I don't think it is the pay cut for most people. A lot of engineers would take 80% pay for a 4 day work week without losing benefits and insurance.

Re: Would senior engineers be interested in working reduced hours or part time?

#28
post #9

I work 4 hours a day since 2017. Of course this is a huge privilege. I could not imagine how I could combine kids, friends and hobbies with a 8 hour work day.

Sorry if this is a dumb question but would your friends not still be working 8h/day? How would having 4h/day help see your friends? Did all of you manage to cut it down to 4h/day?!

Kids leave school at 8am, get back at 3pm

A traditional job would be

7am - up, breakfast

8am - leave home

9am - get into office

5pm - leave office

6pm - get home, see kids

7pm - make + eat dinner

8pm - chores (washing, gardening, etc)

9pm - hobbies / friends start

11pm - bed

a 4 hour day

7am - up, breakfast

8am - start work

12pm - stop work, chores

1pm - hobbies start

3pm - kids back

5pm - cook/eat dinner

6pm - hobbies / friends start

11pm bed

Re: Would senior engineers be interested in working reduced hours or part time?

#29
I do think the biggest obstacle to part time work in the US is that health care is tied to employment. Health insurance can easily cost $20k+ a year for a family, and it'll be hard for employees to stomach the salary cut they might have to take to make the numbers work.
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