Is it better for Aspies to work part time?

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My PEA (personal employment advisor) suggested that it will be best for me to work part time, even if I could just start off with part time work and then go onto doing full time later on. I prefer to work part time, because I have a lot of anxiety issues, and I need a few days off a week to wind down and having time to myself is more important to me than having a bit more money. I'm not a big spender anyway, I don't like shopping, and I'm very good at saving my money anyway (I already have).

Unless you like to work full time, I think it is recommended for Aspies to work part time rather than full time, for various reasons. Anyone else agree? Would/do you prefer part time to full time?

I prefer part time right now. I worked full time before to make lot of money but I ignored my husband because I wanted time to myself so he thought I was going to leave him. Then I paid more attention to him when I lost my full time job. But sometimes I wonder if I be better off not working. But I will keep working. We need the extra money anyway.

I did start out at part time too and it used to stress me out to work long hours but then I eventually worked full time and handled it well.

I think that it's better for me to work part time than it is for me to work full time. I have a anxiety issues as well and I need my WP time to wind down.

Yeah I think I agree, places I have worked at tend to demand that you adapt quickly and work under pressure. But I like my own space and prefer to work in a predictable and structured way. I just don't think that employers cater for our needs or empathize with us very well, and this causes us to get more stressed in a workplace than a normal person would. So it is nice to have your own space for a few days so that you can mentally recuperate. And I agree that this is more important to me than the extra money.

Employers cutting costs often find it cheaper to hire part time workers, as they can avoid paying benefits like health insurance. You may find it much easier to find part time work than full time.

I think the sweet spot for part time is three days a week. Two days, you are not there enough to be considered "part of the crowd" and get left out of the work place loop. Four days feel like full time, and you receive no benefits.

Also full timers get the added responsibilities that part timers don't do. If you can swing it, 3 work days a week is perfect for starting back in work force.

I work about 30 hours a week and can manage with naps, but I still have problems with fatigue. The job I have now I got immediately after sobering up. Before when I was working full time my anxiety at the end of the day was so high that I'd start pounding beers just to keep from screaming and punching things. When I first started my current job, I was at full time. I wasn't drinking, but I was incapacitated by shutdown at the end of the day. Ironically it's only the SSDI that my son with AS receives that allows me to reduce my hours. Having a functional mother certainly benefits him.

moved from General Autism Discussion to Work and finding a job

I work full time, sometimes 12-14 hours a day and often weekends too. I don't need time to wind down because I'm doing science research and the work doesn't involve too much social interaction. I think if you find the right job that lets you use your AS strengths then working full-time may not present any problems.

I work full time. I like my job and wish I had more time to work. I often leave work and then go home and log on to the network from home and work more. I am an engineer and work alone, to me work is my wind down time. I like being alone with a problem to solve.

Ask your work adviser if he is willing to make a living off of part time work.

I'd prefer part time but still a reasonable number of hours (like 30) so maybe working monday, tuesday, thursday, friday (with a day of in the middle) would be a good fit for me.

There are a lot of things you would have to consider when answering this.

Obviously the amount of money that you take home would be a big consideration, how much you need would depend on your personal circumstances.

The other key factor is the shift patterns you would get. Part time work tends to be either fewer full shifts (eg 2 or 3 shifts of 8 hours each per week) or a normal number of shorter shifts (eg 5 shifts of 4 or 5 hours each). Different people will prefer different patterns, my personal preference is for fewer longer shifts with more days off but others may not want to work as long in any one shift.

Some employers like their part time staff to be flexible to the business needs. It may be that you are pressured into working more shifts/hours than you initial signed up for some weeks, then given very few hours if it is quiet (my employer has most of its part time staff with only 7 guaranteed hours per week). If your shifts are not regular it does impact on social lives/ other employment opportunities (such as having a weekend job as well).

I was in discussion regarding a part time job that would be full hours for about 25 weeks in the year (spread out, not in one block) with nothing for other weeks, it did pay double my current hourly rate so would have been nice to get.

I think working part-time would be better, if it weren't for the fact that part-time workers get no benefits. Not having health insurance is a serious problem if you wind up in the emergency room for some reason or find out you have a serious life-threatening disease. Part-time work would be ideal for an aspie who is somehow under a spouse's or parent's health insurance.

For the record, my weekly hours are being reduced from 11 hours a week to 6 hours a week and I hate it.

The original poster is UK based, so health insurance won't be an issue in her case.

For those of you working very few hours <15 per week, is this in addition to other activities (such as university etc.) or your sole activity?

Aw, UK is a good place to be, then. America-based over here!

I am not doing any additional activities outside of my 6-hour-a-week job. I did get called for an interview today though!