Ten years ago, I was working closely with a tech startup and advising them on various issues, including staffing challenges. Our solution was to bring in several part-time employees to fill gaps, all of whom happened to be women. These employees solved problems, added value and basically kept the company afloat during those early years when money and time were tight.
Two years later, this company hired a new CEO. One of his first moves was to let go of all these part-timers and replace them with full-time employees. His rationale was that “these roles all must be full-time,” although part-time workers had filled them for several years. The mindset cost some great workers their jobs and the company a substantial amount of money.
This bias against part-time workers in high-quality roles is still prevalent today, and it continues to harm Utah women who want to contribute to their household incomes but, for various reasons, are unable or unwilling to work full-time. If more Utah employers would reject this bias and open up more high-quality, part-time jobs, it would bring tremendous benefits to individuals (not just women), families, companies and our broader economy.
Utah needs access to more quality part-time jobs. Here’s why:
• Most Utah families can no longer survive on one income. With inflation ever on the rise and the ninth-most-expensive housing market in the country, few Utah families can afford to have one parent home full-time. Quality part-time work would allow families to meet their income needs, while still attending to other priorities (including
having kids).
• Child care is expensive and hard to find. Many Utah counties are a childcare desert, per a November 2023 Utah Women and Leadership Project study. Part-time work reduces the need for child care services, especially when working hours are flexible. This would ease the demand for child care spots as well as the costs to individual families.
• Part-time work meets the preferences of many Utah families. A 2022 study by the Gardner Institute showed that 32 percent of families surveyed felt that one parent working full-time and one working part-time would be their ideal. (A greater share, 43 percent, said that having one parent home full-time would be ideal, but few families can afford that situation.) Even among single parents, 46 percent said that part-time work would be their ideal. In a state that focuses on families, part-time work would allow parents more flexibility in prioritizing both work
and family.
• Women and individuals could maintain career momentum. They could decrease the need for full career breaks, which are very costly to women both in earnings and advancement. Women who maintain their careers part-time can keep their skills current, retain their professional networks, and continue to grow professionally more easily than they would if they left the workforce for a number of years, even if at a slower pace.
• Companies could offer more flexibility in meeting workforce needs. During a time of intense disruption, like the explosion of AI, the creation of part-time roles can help companies close gaps as they are testing out new efficiency tools.
• Part-time roles can provide cost savings for companies. Many part-time workers (especially those in two-income households) don’t require expensive benefits. With that said, part-time jobs that do include benefits could provide the best of both worlds for some workers and would likely attract and retain high-value employees.
Please note that all these benefits come from quality part-time jobs, as not all part-time jobs are created equal.
Utah women currently work part-time at much higher rates than women nationally, per a December 2023 Utah Women and Leadership Project study, but this isn’t bringing them the benefits they need and want from part-time work, as many of these roles come with low pay, inconsistent hours, unpredictable schedules, and no room for advancement.
For part-time jobs to bring the advantages mentioned above, they need to include the following:
• Opportunities to learn new skills that are in high demand and would transfer to different companies and settings.
• Pathways for career growth, including promotions and raises, within their current companies.
• Reliable and flexible hours and schedules set in advance so workers can plan their budgets and child care needs.
• Wages that match the value of the work performed (some part-time jobs pay much less per hour than the same full-time role).
Organizational change can be difficult, and biases against part-time workers run deep. But these biases come with a high cost.
A few years ago, I met a woman who had been a valuable employee at a financial services company, working with high-net-worth individuals. After having her second child, she felt a need to reduce her work hours and asked her company if she could move to part-time for a few years. Her company refused her request, even though she tried to offer various options for what this part-time role could be. Instead, she quit her job and learned that after 18 months, her company had still not been able to find an adequate replacement for her, and her former clients had suffered as a result. This is a prime example of when “but we’ve always done it this way” fails both individuals and companies.
Many employees are only part-time for a few years, and they will re-engage as full-time employees eventually. Companies that are open to offering part-time options will benefit as they will be able to attract and retain top-level employees who are often among the most loyal and productive, as they’ve been given opportunities that other companies wouldn’t provide.
Here are five steps your company could take today to explore how offering part-time roles could benefit you and your workforce:
1. When a current full-time employee asks to move to part-time work, instead of saying “no,” ask yourself, “Why not?” This is how many successful part-time roles are created, often to the mutual benefit of employer and employee.
2. As you explore AI tools that are increasing efficiencies and potentially reducing the need for headcount, ask your current employees if anyone would like to move to part-time work. You may already have an employee who is eager to reduce work hours but was afraid to ask.
3. Examine current job listings and determine if they truly must be full-time. If the work could potentially be done in fewer than 40 hours per week, consider listing the job as “part-time or full-time, depending on need.” You will be surprised at the high caliber of applications you receive when you list a quality part-time role.
4. Learn about job-sharing and determine if positions that require full-time hours can be shared between two employees.
5. If you currently employ part-time workers, ensure they are included in professional development opportunities, upskilling and pathways to advancement. Even in part-time roles, they may be ready for more responsibility, and as the years go by, you will be glad you invested in their careers.
Meeting workforce needs can be challenging, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. But as more companies open their minds to offering quality part-time roles, it will benefit individuals, families, businesses and the economy.
Robbyn Scribner is a women’s labor force expert, consultant, and career coach. She is a co-founder and director of outreach for Tech-Moms, a workforce reentry program that helps women transition into the tech industry. A prolific researcher and writer on women’s issues, Scribner has published more than 50 reports, articles or snapshots on a wide variety of topics, including labor force participation, the gender wage gap, male allies, workplace flexibility and women’s careers. Scribner holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Brigham Young University, and she is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach. She has a special interest in researching and writing about women’s work-life integration, highlighting the challenges women face in trying to balance work and family responsibilities.