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The $100 MBA

MBA2681 Q&A Wednesday: How Do I Ask an Employee to go from Full-time to Part-time Hours?

13 min episode · 2 min read

Episode

13 min

Read time

2 min

AI-Generated Summary

Key Takeaways

  • Pre-conversation clarity: Before meeting with the employee, identify the specific reason for the reduction—finances, workload shifts, or seasonal changes—because employees sense uncertainty and unconvincing explanations damage trust.
  • Framing with upside: Offer flexible scheduling, work-from-home options, retained benefits, or guaranteed priority for future full-time positions to demonstrate continued care for the employee despite necessary constraints.
  • Documentation and legal protection: Update contracts, pay rates, and inform payroll after agreement to protect both parties, eliminate gray areas about compensation, and consult lawyers and accountants to ensure compliance.

What It Covers

Omar Zdenholm provides a six-step framework for reducing employee hours from full-time to part-time while maintaining professional relationships and business operations effectively.

Key Questions Answered

  • Pre-conversation clarity: Before meeting with the employee, identify the specific reason for the reduction—finances, workload shifts, or seasonal changes—because employees sense uncertainty and unconvincing explanations damage trust.
  • Framing with upside: Offer flexible scheduling, work-from-home options, retained benefits, or guaranteed priority for future full-time positions to demonstrate continued care for the employee despite necessary constraints.
  • Documentation and legal protection: Update contracts, pay rates, and inform payroll after agreement to protect both parties, eliminate gray areas about compensation, and consult lawyers and accountants to ensure compliance.

Notable Moment

One team member later revealed they appreciated not being terminated outright, and the reduced hours actually suited their current life stage better than full-time work.

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