How to thrive when working part-time

Part-time employment now accounts for a substantial portion of the workforce, with women comprising the majority of part-time workers [1]. Far from being a marginal arrangement for those unwilling to commit fully to their careers, part-time work has become a critical component of the modern economy. Research has found that offering more part-time opportunities could significantly boost national employment and economic growth, particularly as a significant proportion of working-age people are currently classified as economically inactive due to caring responsibilities, disabilities, or health concerns [2].

The question is no longer whether part-time work is viable, but rather how professionals can thrive within these arrangements whilst maintaining career momentum and personal wellbeing. The answer lies in understanding both the psychological principles that drive sustained performance and the practical strategies that successful part-timers have employed.

Maintaining motivation

One of the most persistent challenges facing part-time professionals is maintaining drive and ambition whilst working reduced hours. As Ayelet Fishbach, professor of behavioural science at the University of Chicago, observes: “Motivating yourself is hard. We seem to have a natural aversion to persistent effort that no amount of caffeine or inspirational posters can fix” [3]. Yet effective self-motivation is precisely what distinguishes high-achieving professionals from everyone else.

The key lies in how we design our goals. Research consistently demonstrates that concrete, specific objectives outperform vague ambitions. When salespeople have clear targets, they close more deals. When individuals make daily exercise commitments, they are more likely to increase their fitness levels [4]. For part-time workers, this means establishing precise parameters around what success looks like within their reduced hours, rather than maintaining the nebulous aspiration of simply “doing their best”.

Crucially, goals should trigger intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation. Activities pursued for their own sake generate better outcomes than those undertaken solely for external rewards. Studies of New Year’s resolutions revealed that people who chose more pleasant goals — taking up yoga or establishing phone-free Saturdays — were more likely to maintain them in March than those who selected more important but less enjoyable objectives [5].

This finding carries over into part-time work. The trick is to focus on the elements of work that you genuinely find engaging, rather than viewing reduced hours as an inevitable career sacrifice.

Designing work that works

Jennifer Marshall, an equity partner at Allen & Overy who works four days weekly, exemplifies this principle in practice. “I get fantastic support at the associate level,” she explains. “We also have a policy that is written down for part-time equity partners. I think that is important — as it means it has the official stamp of approval. Our firm believes in it” [6]. Her success stems partly from choosing a strategic role where flexibility works well, rather than a client-facing position where reduced availability might prove problematic.

The nature of the work itself matters enormously. Miranda Kennett, an executive coach, notes that “if you’re client-facing in any way, it can be really difficult to go part time, whereas if you’re in a strategic or planning role, it works far better” [7]. This doesn’t mean client-facing roles are impossible for part-timers, but it does require careful consideration of how to structure responsibilities and manage expectations.

Technology has made many arrangements more feasible than they once were. Mobile phones, email, and laptops allow part-time professionals to remain connected and responsive even outside their scheduled hours. Marshall explains her approach: “I tell people I’ll be checking my email at such and such a time. That way, they don’t expect a response in five minutes” [8]. This strategy manages expectations whilst maintaining professional standards. People often ask Marshall if she does a five-day job in four days, and her answer is revealing (and relatable): “The answer is yes, but previously I was doing a seven-day job in five days, so I don’t feel like I’m being short changed.”

Productivity

This observation points to a counterintuitive reality, namely that part-time work can actually enhance productivity. Research suggests that output per working hour often improves with shorter working weeks [9]. Parkinson’s Law states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”. In other words, what a full-time worker accomplishes in eight hours, a focused part-timer can often achieve in six [10].

Katie McQuaid, UK Director of Fulfilment by Amazon, attributes her career development whilst working part-time to prioritising ruthlessly, delegating effectively, and being more decisive when tackling challenges [11]. This discipline extends beyond time management to encompass a fundamental rethinking of how work gets done.

The benefits extend beyond individual productivity to workplace culture. Barbara Gerstenberger, head of the working life unit at Eurofound, argues that “job quality has so many dimensions; it is not necessarily difficult or expensive to improve aspects of it. Companies that want to be prepared for the future must turn their attention to the quality of jobs they offer” [12]. When organisations support genuine flexibility rather than paying lip service to it, they retain talented staff who might otherwise leave entirely.

Navigating the career path

Yet part-time work undeniably presents challenges for career progression. The assumption persists in many organisations that reduced hours signal reduced ambition or capability. Research has found that many who have opted for shorter working weeks hit a wall and see their careers stall [13]. International surveys have reported that remote workers are less likely to receive promotions than peers who head into the office daily [14].

These obstacles are not insurmountable, however. According to Thriving Talent, seven key factors distinguish those who successfully advance their careers whilst working part-time. First, they never apologise for their hours; they communicate commitment, skill, and experience rather than prefacing descriptions of their work with “just” part-time [15]. Second, they willingly take on greater responsibility within their reduced hours, developing efficiency and demonstrating that they can deliver equivalent results in less time.

Third, they establish absolute clarity about expected outcomes and then consistently demonstrate success in achieving them. This removes any excuse for others to point to reduced hours as the reason for underperformance. Fourth, they remain ambitious, actively seeking mentors and sponsors who can help them grow their careers just as they would if working full-time.

Fifth, they maintain high visibility rather than operating under the radar. Georgina Ode, who secured a promotion whilst working part-time, learned to communicate her remit clearly rather than feeling obliged to accept all work that came her way [16]. When teams repeatedly scheduled meetings on her day off, she spoke up, a simple act that many part-timers find surprisingly difficult but which proves essential for sustainable working arrangements.

Boundaries

Managing boundaries represents perhaps the greatest practical challenge. Martina Fitzgerald, chief executive of Scale Ireland, observes that employers are increasingly valuing transversal skills such as problem solving, creative thinking, leadership, and communication, which facilitate less rigid career paths and transitions between sectors [17]. Yet these same skills can make it harder to switch off, as work becomes more about thinking and less about physical presence in a specific location.

The most successful part-timers develop firm personal discipline around their non-work time. As executive coach Miranda Kennett notes, “you have to be quite firm. But the most difficult thing can often be disciplining yourself. Very conscientious people often do a lot of work at home anyway” [18]. She recommends finding something meaningful to do on non-work days rather than frittering the time away with errands. This creates a positive reason to protect that time rather than relying solely on willpower to resist work encroachment.

Charlotte Pickering, a London barrister and mother of two who founded KiddyUP, embodies the intense discipline required. “I stay up very late as I very often only start working once my children have gone to bed,” she explains. When asked about free time, she quips: “What’s that?! I enjoy long drives to distant courts, let’s put it that way” [19]. She jokes about being a “supermum” but acknowledges this is far from the truth: “I would be lying if I said I held it together all the time. I do a good job of presenting a calm and organised façade but behind the scenes it’s a tempest.”

Support

Family support emerges consistently as a critical success factor. Naj Alavi, who combines his role as US Head of Financial Technology at Xenomorph with founding a men’s fashion label, credits his family as essential: “Without the support of my family, I don’t think my designs would have come along as far as they have. My wife is my first sounding board — if she doesn’t like something, more often than not, the design or idea needs a rework. She saves me countless hours and days” [20].

Yet family support alone proves insufficient without organisational backing. Research has found that flexible working arrangements during the pandemic helped line managers become better at managing part-time working effectively, with many reporting that it made their managers more open to such arrangements [21]. Former business leaders have argued that “one-size-fits-all working patterns no longer make sense. Offering part-time working is one of the important ways employers can attract and retain talented staff” [22].

Momentum

The psychological dimension of maintaining drive over extended periods requires particular attention. Research shows that when people work toward goals, they typically experience a burst of motivation early and then slump in the middle, where they are most likely to stall [23]. Two strategies help combat this pattern. Firstly, creating “short middles” by breaking goals into smaller subgoals with less time to succumb to the slump. Secondly, changing how we think about progress by focusing on what we’ve accomplished up to the midpoint and then shifting attention to what remains.

Social influence also plays a complex role. Simply watching ambitious, efficient, successful coworkers can prove demotivating if we passively observe them rather than engaging with them. Research demonstrates that when a friend endorses a product, people are more likely to buy it, but they aren’t likely to purchase it simply from learning that the friend bought it [24]. The same principle applies to career ambitions. Listening to what role models say about their goals can inspire and raise our sights, whilst merely watching them succeed may leave us feeling inadequate.

Interestingly, giving advice rather than asking for it may prove even more effective for overcoming motivational deficits. Studies found that people struggling to achieve goals like finding employment assumed they needed expert tips to succeed, but they were actually better served by offering their wisdom to other job seekers, because in doing so, they laid out concrete plans they could follow themselves [25].

Looking forward

The future of work is not binary, bound to be full-time or nothing. Dr John Lonsdale, chief executive of CeADAR, notes that “AI is reshaping work in virtually every sector” and that “companies that succeed in the AI era actively upskill and reskill their workforce” [26]. This transformation creates opportunities for reconsidering how work is structured and how talent is deployed. As Dónal Kearney, community manager at Grow Remote, observes: “The managers who are most flexible and who listen to employees but keep the focus on output and productivity rather than presenteeism are most likely to succeed” [27].

The greatest risk lies not in offering flexibility but in failing to adequately support managers navigating these changes: “There’s a gap right now where there are huge benefits available for staff at large, but managers are struggling to adapt,” Kearney goes on [28]. Addressing this gap through training, clear policies, and cultural change represents an investment in organisational resilience and employee wellbeing.

For professionals working or considering part-time arrangements, the evidence suggests a clear path forward. Never apologise for your hours, take on meaningful responsibility, maintain visibility, stay ambitious, develop exceptional time management skills, and secure both organisational and personal support systems. As Charlotte Pickering advises: “If you have a great idea there is no reason why you can’t start giving it some time during the evenings or at weekends. If you are truly committed to it, you will find a way” [29].