5 ms·

Is it something easily negotiable in big tech companies?

GordonS 8y ago
I'm in the UK, and was working for a medium-sized Norwegian-based company that has since been gobbled up by an enormous Indian outsourcing company. I'm not sure how easy it would be to negotiate at the new company, but at the time all I had to do was ask. I also doubt it would have been quite so easy at most companies in the UK.
- toyg 8y ago
  In the UK, employers are required by law to consider requests of flexible time arrangements like yours. They can refuse it, of course, but they have to do it in a reasonable manner and can be held accountable to a tribunal.
  - GordonS 8y ago
    Legally, yes, but realistically I just can't see it being so easy in most companies. I'd like to think I was being too cynical though!
    - michaelt 8y ago
      I just can't see it being so easy in most companies. At my employer, there are more new mothers working 2-3 days a week in the HR department than in any other department in the company - so making it easy is in their interests :)
    - toyg 8y ago
      My ex-wife went to a 4-day workweek (with longer hours per day) for a few years, when our kids were smaller. A friend of mine did the same for a bit (albeit, to be fair, in a pretty small company). I'm sure there are plenty of people who were refused the chance (some companies can be atrociously dickensian even today...); but on average, flexible arrangements are less uncommon than you might think.
      - GordonS 8y ago
        Good point, I was forgetting that not everyone may have the luxury that I had of dropping 20% of my salary without any real problem.
- andyjenn 8y ago
  https://www.tssa.org.uk/en/Your-union/your-workplace/employment-rights/tupe--a-guide-to-the-regulations.cfm https://www.tssa.org.uk/en/Your-union/your-workplace/employm...
- wonder_er 8y ago
  a similar arrangement is of great interest to me. I've found one or two resources online [0] that discusses how to set up an arrangement like this, as it obviously requires some delicacy and evidence of competence, etc. I am quite junior in the industry, but I am working in the direction of an official four-day work week. I wonder if you might be able to share some resources that were useful to you, in working in this direction. Thanks, /u/GordonS! [0] https://codewithoutrules.com/saneworkweek/ https://codewithoutrules.com/saneworkweek/
  - GordonS 8y ago
    I'd love to help, but honestly, the only resource I used was the company's 'employee handbook'! All I did was ask HR and my Norwegian manager if it was OK, and they said 'no problem!'. There are 3 factors I think made it so easy for me: 1. I'd been with the company a long time, had a senior architect role, and at the time there had been something of an employee exodus - I think they were a bit afraid of losing me at an important time in various customer projects, and wanted to keep me happy! 2. The company was Norwegian, and the Norwegians are famously liberal on employee welfare 3. In the UK, employers legally must seriously consider requests for part-time working
    - wonder_er 8y ago
      Thanks for this extra information! It makes sense. I'm in the US - there's a trend to over-work here, but I'm already comfortable pushing against that. Now, I just have to get really really good at delivering value. Then figure out some unique work arrangements! Thanks again!
justinator 8y ago
Depends on the company culture. I tried recently negotiating something like this, but they wouldn't even listen to me. I decided to quit.
AFNobody 8y ago
Depends on the workplace culture. Some places you can't negotiate down to 40 hours a week. Those places you quit.

I'm in the UK, and was working for a medium-sized Norwegian-based company that has since been gobbled up by an enormous Indian outsourcing company. I'm not sure how easy it would be to negotiate at the new company, but at the time all I had to do was ask. I also doubt it would have been quite so easy at most companies in the UK.

toyg 8y ago
In the UK, employers are required by law to consider requests of flexible time arrangements like yours. They can refuse it, of course, but they have to do it in a reasonable manner and can be held accountable to a tribunal.
- GordonS 8y ago
  Legally, yes, but realistically I just can't see it being so easy in most companies. I'd like to think I was being too cynical though!
  - michaelt 8y ago
    I just can't see it being so easy in most companies. At my employer, there are more new mothers working 2-3 days a week in the HR department than in any other department in the company - so making it easy is in their interests :)
  - toyg 8y ago
    My ex-wife went to a 4-day workweek (with longer hours per day) for a few years, when our kids were smaller. A friend of mine did the same for a bit (albeit, to be fair, in a pretty small company). I'm sure there are plenty of people who were refused the chance (some companies can be atrociously dickensian even today...); but on average, flexible arrangements are less uncommon than you might think.
    - GordonS 8y ago
      Good point, I was forgetting that not everyone may have the luxury that I had of dropping 20% of my salary without any real problem.
andyjenn 8y ago
https://www.tssa.org.uk/en/Your-union/your-workplace/employment-rights/tupe--a-guide-to-the-regulations.cfm https://www.tssa.org.uk/en/Your-union/your-workplace/employm...
wonder_er 8y ago
a similar arrangement is of great interest to me. I've found one or two resources online [0] that discusses how to set up an arrangement like this, as it obviously requires some delicacy and evidence of competence, etc. I am quite junior in the industry, but I am working in the direction of an official four-day work week. I wonder if you might be able to share some resources that were useful to you, in working in this direction. Thanks, /u/GordonS! [0] https://codewithoutrules.com/saneworkweek/ https://codewithoutrules.com/saneworkweek/
- GordonS 8y ago
  I'd love to help, but honestly, the only resource I used was the company's 'employee handbook'! All I did was ask HR and my Norwegian manager if it was OK, and they said 'no problem!'. There are 3 factors I think made it so easy for me: 1. I'd been with the company a long time, had a senior architect role, and at the time there had been something of an employee exodus - I think they were a bit afraid of losing me at an important time in various customer projects, and wanted to keep me happy! 2. The company was Norwegian, and the Norwegians are famously liberal on employee welfare 3. In the UK, employers legally must seriously consider requests for part-time working
  - wonder_er 8y ago
    Thanks for this extra information! It makes sense. I'm in the US - there's a trend to over-work here, but I'm already comfortable pushing against that. Now, I just have to get really really good at delivering value. Then figure out some unique work arrangements! Thanks again!

justinator 8y ago

Depends on the company culture. I tried recently negotiating something like this, but they wouldn't even listen to me. I decided to quit.

AFNobody 8y ago

Depends on the workplace culture. Some places you can't negotiate down to 40 hours a week. Those places you quit.