When you decide to switch your current job from full time to part time, you lose all benefits, status in the company support, flexible scheduling and any chance for a raise or promotion.
Right? Well, generally that’s exactly what happens.
But it’s quite a different story for Ann Fahey-Widman, director of external communications for corporate public affairs at Abbott Laboratories, a global health-care company based in North Chicago..
After working for four years as a full-time employee, Fahey-Widman decided to go part time, working only four days a week in order to spend more time with her children.
And at the very same time that her new arrangement was approved, the director was promoted to her present position.
Fahey-Widman, who has an undergraduate degree in public relations and an MBA, is married to Matthew Widman, manager of program operations for Abbott’s animal-health unit. They have two children: a son, Jake, 3,, and a daughter, Taylor, 1.
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“Even though I’m a part-timer, since I work more than 20 hours a week I’m eligible for full health and dental insurance–though I’m covered by my husband–and for pro-rated paid vacations,” said the director, who has a staff of two.
And she got a raise.
“Being part time didn’t affect my promotion,” said Fahey-Widman.
“The coincidence of the approval to go part time and of the promotion coming together was a wonderful surprise. It speaks to the kind of company I work for. And I’m not the only part-timer this has happened to.”
But a lot more has happened to the director since that time–and her need for flexibility has become more critical.
Though she planned to work four days in the office, she asked to change her arrangement to work two days in the office and two days at home because of her son’s illness: Jake has a rare and serious form of pediatric cancer.
“I was still working full time when he was diagnosed–it takes a while for a switch to part time to go through–but our world was rocked and thinking about our arrangements at work weren’t a priority,” the director said.
“But when we learned the diagnosis and things settled down a bit, we knew we needed more flexibility.”
After discussions with each of their managers, both Fahey-Widman and her husband, a full-time employee, were given a flexible arrangement in which each of them works from home two days a week. And since she only works four days a week, on the fifth day the part-timer is free to be home.
Both Jake and Taylor had been enrolled at Abbott’s on-site child-care center before Jake’s illness, but he no longer attends.
“Taylor still is enrolled full time but cannot go regularly,” said Fahey-Widman. “They both love it and miss it very much. The teachers call us regularly at home, and the class bought Jake a bunch of cool toys to bring to the hospital.”
When the couple explained to their supervisors that one of them always had to be at home, Abbott provided and set up home-office equipment.
“They gave us the tools to make it work,” said Fahey-Widman. “And the support of our colleagues is overwhelming.”
The couple also take their computers to the hospital with them and work from there. Jake has chemotherapy on a three-week cycle, and the entire family is with him during the procedure.
He also will need bone-marrow transplants.
“Things are very hard, harder than you could possibly imagine–it’s every parent’s worst nightmare,” said Fahey-Widman.
“But we’re very fortunate we don’t have to worry about losing our jobs. We’re getting our work done and the company is giving us the flexibility we need to do it in a different way.
“I would not wish this on anyone, but I feel very fortunate that I work for a company that cares,” she said.
Even though she’s a part-timer.
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Carol Kleiman’s columns also appear in the Monday and Thursday Business sections. Hear her on WBBM-AM 780 at 6:21 p.m. and 10:22 p.m. Mondays and at 11:20 a.m. Saturdays. Watch her “Career Coach” segments on CLTV. E-mail [email protected].