Due to several unpredictable circumstances in one’s life, one could not focus on work as a full-time employee. In such cases, the employee or any person can write a part-time request letter to the employer/manager/team lead, which doubtlessly is not a very easy task.
This becomes even harder when you have been a full-time employee for a few years and you want to request your employer to change your employment status as a part-time employee.
But as we all know, every problem has a solution! Now suppose you have clarity in your mind to work as a part-time employee instead of a full-time employee, then you can simply make a very polite and formal request to the employer to try to convince them. You can even write a standard email while personally informing them in person, that too in advance. I know it’s not as easy as just to say. So, let’s get more into the topic.
What Should You Keep in Mind Before Writing a Letter?
Changing your job status or taking a part-time job after working as a full-time employee is a very big and crucial step. So your first step should be to have clarity in mind. Once you are confident about it, list all the job options you may have, or you can do as a part-time employee in the same company.
If you think you can do the same job duties in this limited period (as a part-timer), then it can work in your favor. Before doing so, think about your position in the company because a few jobs, like a team leader, cannot work as a part-time employee, but a team member can efficiently work as a part-time employee.
Always be clear about your job status and the duties you generally do for your office.
The third and the most important point to remember is to determine a particular person or employer you need to send your request email. For example, you can directly talk to the supervisor.
Still, you will also have to inform your human resource department. Because you can’t get transferred from a full-time employee to a part-time employee without telling them.
So always make sure you have a list of all the people responsible for this conversation after getting your request accepted by your supervisor. Even in the letter, you have to tag or send the letter to all the responsible people so that they may have a proper record of you as a part-time employee.
Always have an in-advance talk to your supervisor about your situation; always be confident and brief about your reasons. If you have always been honest, they will completely understand your situation and help you in the best way possible.
Further, this article provides a perfect sample or a template that can be used to write a letter while making a request to your employer about these huge work arrangement changes.
Which Information Should You Include in Your Part-time Request Email?
As mentioned earlier, verbal communication is very important. So, after verbally informing the supervisor or human resource department, you need to write an official or formal letter requesting the same.
Ensure that you know the proper set of people like the human resource department, head of your company, supervisor, etc., whom you should inform, and from whom you have to take the permission.
It is also recommended to CC or send the letter to all the people who are the leading authorities of your company. You can inform your team members after getting approval from these people at a certain position. It will be better not to include them during your initial emails.
The steps that you need to follow or information that you need to include in your letter are listed down below:
First step: Introduce yourself, which means tell these people about your present status and information like your name, department, and supervisor.
Second step: After introducing yourself, let them know about the reason due to which you have sent this letter. Under this section, you can also mention your years or months of jobs in the company and what essential projects you have worked on.
You can also list down the team members’ names whom you feel are talented enough to take up the tasks as full-time employees.
Third step: Provide appropriate and honest reasons why you want to make this conversion. Even if you’re going to pursue any higher education, mention it properly because it may also help the company in the future. If you plan to join as a full-time employee after completing your course, inform them about it as well because this will boost your chances.
Fourth step: If you are not fully convinced or are not sure about the situation and if they will accept your request or not, then you can also propose several other options. In these options, you can provide a list of all the job roles that you can perform, but make sure that you have already discussed this with your supervisor.
If your company generally hires freelancers or vendors, it’ll be pretty simple for you. But before requesting anything, ensure that you have researched it properly and that there is an open place in your present department. The company may offer or reduce your title in the same department, but they may allow you as a part-time employee, which can work in your favor.
Fifth step: Always proofread and check that you have mentioned all the people in your letter before finally signing it off. Furthermore, you may also note how this job-arrangement change will benefit you and the company.
Sixth step: Before ending your letter, you can also mention that you would appreciate it if your request would be fulfilled. You should always mention that you are open to queries or in-person meetings with the employer in case of any questions. This way, it will gain the trust of these authorities and give them an idea about your clarity and confidence.
Seventh step: If you have not received any reply from the concerned authorities, you can always follow up on the situation. Give this a time of one week because the other departments or the authorities would have several other important works to do as well. So, after a week, send a follow-up in the same letter thread, or you can personally visit their office to make a request.
After keeping all these things or points in mind, you would be able to list all the information correctly and accurately. Exhibiting very polite behavior while requesting a letter or in-person meeting can change the mind of people, so make sure that you are extra careful about your tone and the words you are using to communicate.
The Template
We always suggest you inform your manager in person before sending a final letter to the other authorities. The template that you must follow is mentioned below:
[Your Name]
Dear [HR name/manager name], as discussed earlier, I want to request a change in my working hours for the company. I’m a full-time employee working at [your position and department], but I want to request a change from a full-time employee to a part-time employee.
[Your Address]
[Letter Date]
[Employer’s Name]
[Employer’s Address]
I have worked as a full-time employee at this position for [number of months or years you have worked for the company]. Still, due to some personal reason [specific reason], I cannot work as a full-time employee or contribute [working hours] to the job.
I have talked to my full-time team members and made arrangements to ensure they work and meet the client’s request. I want to start my new schedule from [starting date] to [end date] as a [Job title]. I hope you will understand my request and permit me to continue working as a remote or part-time employee. I hope this will mutually benefit both of us.
If you have any queries or questions, I will be happy enough to answer them.
Let me know if you want to talk to me in person so we can clear any confusion. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely
[Your name]
[Job position]
Real-life example
John Smith
Subject: Requesting to change the working arrangement
143 Sales Road, Apt 56
London, 400706.
June 24, 2022
XYZ company,
Oak Street,
London
Dear Mr. Paul,
I, John Smith, work full-time in the graphic design department of your company. I want to pursue my higher education while working as a part-time employee for the company. I will pursue a higher degree in the same field, which will help me to build new skills that will automatically enable the organization or company to enhance client satisfaction. I believe this will benefit both parties and will also help me to sponsor my education.
I talked to my team members, and they know all the projects that are lined up. I plan to start my new working schedule on July 1, 2022; I want to work for around 4 to 5 hours a day. I want to be in the same profession that I used to work in; I only wish to make arrangements during my working hours. I hope you will understand my situation and consider changing my employment status.
Let me know if you have any questions, or I will be happy to meet you in person. I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely
John Smith
What if Your Manager Says No?
Most companies do not allow their employees to work part-time, especially when you are working as a full-time employee for them. Few countries enable the employees to have full authority to work as part-time employees if they want to pursue higher education or have any personal situation like pregnancy, disease, etc. In such a case, you shall check the labor laws of your country or take any legal help from a lawyer to get the information.
You can also enhance your chances through your mail by providing the proper solutions about who will handle or replace you as a full-time employee from the team members, suggestions on any kind of schedule gap, etc.
You can also let them know that you are open to working as a flextime employee while cutting down your salary or making a few arrangements on the wages as a freelancer. You can also request them about the trial so that they can check if this is working out or not.
Always ensure your company will benefit from it by saving them money and getting quality work because of your enhanced skills. We hope you follow all these tips to enhance your chances of making this work arrangement changes possible.
Conclusion
Requesting your employer to make the work arrangement changes due to personal issues can always be very tough, especially when you don’t know what to do. We recommend you talk to your manager or team lead before concluding, and always have a clear-cut reason for yourself.
You should have a powerful intention to make these massive changes. You should also keep in mind the changes in your salary and should have enough savings so that you can survive these months.
Don’t keep your hopes high, because most companies do not allow you to work in such a way. If you have done or worked on some significant projects, the company would love to make the arrangements because they definitely want to lose you. But still always request them to meet in person even if they want to talk about something. We hope this article has helped you get appropriate knowledge about what should and shouldn’t be done. We wish you all the best!
