I have been employed full-time in the same position for 20 years in a small business and therefore earn small wages.
I have a young child who will be starting school in September and there is no after-school or possibility of childcare because I’m in a very rural location.
I’m thinking of going part-time. It seems to be the only option for us apart from not working at all. How long before September should I have the talk to my employer?
I’m nervous about asking to move part-time, as it might not be looked upon favourably. Are there other options? Can employers be flexible with situations like mine? I don’t think working from home will be a viable option for my employer. How can I approach this?
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While it may have been overshadowed by the right to request remote working, parents and carers have also been afforded the right to request flexible working arrangements since 2024.
Noting the reader’s concerns that such a request might be looked upon unfavourably, Damien McCarthy, founder and chief executive of consultancy firm HR Buddy, says it is now an “awful lot easier” to broach the issue with employers.
Under the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023, employees have the right to seek an adjustment to their normal working hours, including through remote working, flexible schedules or reduced hours.
Depending on the role or business, McCarthy says flexible working can take various forms, and employers can agree to an arrangement more favourable to both parties than what is set out in the legislation.
Accepting that remote working might not be an option, he says there are other arrangements, such as term-time working, often taken during school holidays, that would be unpaid.
Other routes include job-sharing or flexible hours, where employees can start and finish at earlier or later times.
He advises the reader to submit a flexible working request to their employers “as soon as reasonably practicable”. Requests must be made at least eight weeks in advance of the proposed change, while a decision must be communicated within four weeks.
“It is worth noting that this law gives you the right to request flexible working, but there are no guarantees. The law is a right to request flexible working as opposed to a right to flexible working,” he says.
Sarah Geraghty, who heads up the careers division at The Communications Clinic, notes that an updated code of practice on access to part-time work by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) came into effect in January.
This code “encourages employers to think about flexibility in planning work arrangements that support inclusive, modern workplaces,” she says.
“It explicitly supports employers and employees to work together on structured requests and is intended to normalise flexible working practices such as adjusted hours and term-time arrangements, alongside other options,” she says.
Play to your strengths. Explain that your circumstances are changing, that you value your role and the business, and that you want to explore how you can continue contributing in a way that works operationally for them
— Sarah Geraghty
Geraghty advises seeking an arrangement that would be a “reasonable” outcome for both parties.
“This should be about mutual gain: retaining an experienced employee, and the value that brings, while creating a sustainable work pattern that meets your family needs,” she says.
“The same principles that underpin any effective negotiation apply here.”
In raising proposed changes with an employer, Geraghty advises the reader to support the request with evidence, such as long-term service, reliability and contribution to the business.
Like McCarthy, she advises approaching the employer far in advance of September, saying this will allow for “calm” conversations, and gives the employer time to plan “rather than being pressed into a last-minute decision”.
“Play to your strengths. Explain that your circumstances are changing, that you value your role and the business, and that you want to explore how you can continue contributing in a way that works operationally for them,” she says.
Geraghty adds that the reader should come up with one or two practical options, rather than a “single fixed request”.
“Even where working from home isn’t feasible, there may be other forms of flexibility like adjusted start and finish times, condensed hours or structuring tasks to best fit your revised schedule,” she says.
If you have work-related questions, from how to deal with burnout to running your own business, The Irish Times Work Q&A column is here to help. You can use the form below to submit your question. Please limit your submissions to 400 words or fewer and include a phone number. Your name and contact details will be confidential and only be used for verification purposes. Any details about your employer will also be anonymised.
Work Q&A: I’m nervous about asking to move part-time, as it might not be looked upon favourably. Are there other options?
