Is Cutting Your Hours the Key to Finding Work-Life Balance?
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Access to affordable credit helps me pay my employees, but I don't really need it. Inflation is killing me. But who cares? Big retailers are making record profits. That's why we support the Durbin Marshall credit card bill. See? Banks and credit unions help small businesses make payroll. This bill would cut the vital resources they need. While increasing megastore profits. They deserve it, don't they? Tell Congress, stop the Durbin Marshall money grab for corporate megastores. Paid for by the Electronic Payments Coalition.
Why are more full-time workers choosing to go part-time since the pandemic?
Here's your money briefing for Tuesday, June 4th. I'm J.R. Whalen for The Wall Street Journal. A lot of people struggling to find work-life balance would much rather cut their hours and go part-time. But making a move like that isn't the solution for everyone.
Do you just need more flexibility? Maybe you don't need to, you know, offer to take a pay cut and have some formal part-time work schedule if you can just, you know, make up the hours later at night or push for more remote work. For other people, there really is just too much work and they really need to have that conversation and kind of solidify hours that are different and new.
We'll talk to Wall Street Journal columnist Rachel Feinsig after the break.
Access to affordable credit helps me pay my employees, but I don't really need it. Inflation is killing me. But who cares? Big retailers are making record profits. That's why we support the Durbin Marshall credit card bill. See? Banks and credit unions help small businesses make payroll. This bill would cut the vital resources they need. While increasing megastore profits. They deserve it, don't they? Tell Congress, stop the Durbin Marshall money grab for corporate megastores. Paid for by the Electronic Payments Coalition.
More full-time workers have opted to go part-time since the pandemic. Wall Street Journal life and work columnist Rachel Feinzig joins me. Rachel, we talk pretty often about how, after a couple of years of push and pull, employees and bosses have finally settled on a weekly work schedule. Why do some people want to reduce their hours and go part-time?
There's just some people out there who still feel like they don't have enough time for the rest of their lives with all that they're being asked to give at work. And sometimes that's because we're working so much. I talked to one person who doesn't work on Fridays now, and he said he's still he's working close to 40 hours, but he figures that's better than the 60 hours a week.
How did hybrid and remote work during COVID change expectations about part-time schedules?
that most full-time professionals are working. So some of this is about just the amount of pressure on us as workers. There was also a sense that as we saw some of the flexibility that came with the pandemic, the ability to work remotely, that some people saw an opening to move even more in the direction of flexibility in a way that maybe might keep them in the workforce. As the pandemic brought us more shades of gray, people are thinking like, oh, maybe I could just ask to work part-time.
So working from home is part of a hybrid work schedule in the post-pandemic era. That isn't enough to give people the flexibility they're looking for?
For some people it is. And I had this conversation with experts too who said, you know, think about what you really want. Do you just need more flexibility? Maybe you don't need to, you know, offer to take a pay cut and have some formal part-time work schedule if you can just, you know, make up the hours later at night or push for more remote work. Oftentimes flexibility can just be the answer. I think for other people, there really is just too much work and they really need to have that conversation and kind of
How can you decide if flexibility or formal part-time is right for you?
solidify hours that are different and new.
If somebody wants to do this, to go part-time, what should they take into account about their career?
There could definitely be repercussions. It might be hard to get back into full-time work if that's something you want to do. Down the line, if you're thinking of this as, I'm going to pull back for a few years and then I'd like to ramp up my career again, it's not that it's impossible, but it certainly could hinder your efforts there.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:34
2
Why are more full-time workers choosing to go part-time since the pandemic?
0:34–2:43
3
How did hybrid and remote work during COVID change expectations about part-time schedules?
2:43–3:44
4
How can you decide if flexibility or formal part-time is right for you?
3:44–5:46
5
What career trade-offs should you consider before reducing your hours?
5:46–7:57
6
How can you evaluate whether your workplace will accept a part-time arrangement?
7:57–9:28
Speakers
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