How To Write a Letter To Change From Full-Time to Part-Time Employment

Updated July 19, 2023

At some point in your career, you may want to change from working full time to part time, and this decision can have a large impact on you professionally and personally. Regardless of your reason, communicating this desire clearly and effectively to your employer can be important. Knowing how to craft a letter informing them that you want this change can help make the process easier.

In this article, we explain why you may write a letter to inform your employer you want to change from a full-time to a part-time position, give a step-by-step guide on how to craft this letter and provide a template and two examples to guide you when writing your own.

Why write a letter to inform your employer you want to change to a part-time position?

You can write a letter to inform your employer that you want to change how much you work for a variety of reasons, including personal and professional ones. Some of these reasons include:

New job opportunities: You may receive other professional opportunities you want to commit most of your time and effort, while not completely leaving your current job.
Retirement: If you're able to retire, you might choose to do that while still working part time at your current job to stay busy.
Familial reasons: You may want to spend more time with your family, take extra care of children, care for a family member who requires special care or commit more of your time to a spouse.
Extra free time: You might want more time to work on passion projects, travel or stay at home, and working part time may allow you to do these things.

Companies don't have to let employees change how often they work, so being able to communicate your reasons clearly can help them agree to let you pursue this change.

How to write a letter to change from working full time to part time

Consider these steps when writing a letter to request a change in how often you work to help make the process easy and more effective:

1. Include contact information

Before you craft the body of your letter, you can include contact information at the top of your document. Here, you can list your name and address and the date you wrote the letter. Below this information, you can include the name of the company you work for and the company's address. Doing this can help create a more detailed record of the letter in case you want to reference it later, and it can help ensure the letter reaches the right destination.

2. Explain your reason for writing

This part of your full-time to part-time change request letter likely includes the bulk of the content. Here, try to succinctly and clearly explain why you're writing the letter. Using a friendly tone and giving specific reasons and examples can benefit you, and you can include information about what you plan to spend your extra time doing or why you want the extra time in your personal life. Doing this can help your employer relate more positively to your experience and help humanize you.

3. State new employment terms

Finally, you can outline when you'd like to work. Including the days and times you'd like to change your working hours to can help your employer see whether this new schedule works for the company. Try to be specific in your wants and frame your terms as more of a statement than a debate. Being direct may make you seem more professional and can make your employer less likely to talk you out of the change or have you settle for less than what you want.

Related: How To Find a Part-Time Job

4. Ask for a meeting

To conclude your letter, you can request a meeting to discuss the terms of your employment change. A meeting can allow you to give more detail about your reasons and answer any concerns they may have about the change. It's helpful to be open and willing to meet whenever is most convenient for your employer or supervisor. Including your contact information at the bottom of your letter can serve as a reminder to them to send you a response.

Template for full-time to part-time change request letter

Here's a template for a full-time to part-time change request letter you can reference when writing a letter to your employer:

[Your name]
[Your location]
[Your phone number]

[Date]

[Company name]
[Company address]

Dear [Name of supervisor or human resources manager],

[Your reason for writing this letter, including the title of your position and current employment status]. Currently, I work [typical dates and times of working hours in this role]. I am interested instead in working [desired days and times for part-time work].

Please let me know when it would be convenient to discuss this request.

Sincerely,

[Name]

Download Full-Time to Part-Time Request Template

To upload the template into Google Docs, go to File > Open > and select the correct downloaded file.

Examples of full-time to part-time change request letters

Here are two examples of full-time to part-time employment change request letters you can use to make yours more effective:

Example 1

Rosa Hernandez
Las Vegas, Nevada
(555) 555-0100

December 1, 2021

Digital Solutions For You
1927 E. 6th Avenue
Las Vegas, Nevada 88901

Dear Mr. Graham,

I'm writing this letter to request terms of my employment. At this time, I work Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as a customer service representative. In the six years I've worked for Digital Solutions For You, I've learned a tremendous amount, and I've truly enjoyed my time here. However, as you may know, I am a mother to three children, and as they get older, I'd like to spend more time with them. Because of this, I want to change my schedule to work Monday through Wednesday as a part-time customer service representative.

I'd be happy to recruit another part-time customer service representative to take my place Thursday and Friday and would commit to training them so they meet company standards. I'd love to speak to you about this topic in person whenever it's convenient for you.

Best regards,
Rosa Hernandez

Example 2

John Luke
Boulder, Colorado
(555) 555-0100

November 27, 2021

Lawson and Lawson Accounting and Finance
8701 Boulder Road
Boulder, Colorado 80301

Dear Ms. Williams,

I would like to formally request a change of employment from my full-time position as an account manager at Lawson and Lawson Accounting and Finance to a part-time position. At this time, my family is in need and requires more of my attention and care. While I currently work Wednesday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., I want to change these times and days to Friday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. instead.

Please let me know when we can meet to discuss the terms of this employment change.

Thank you,
John Luke

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Tips for writing a full-time to part-time change request letter

Consider these tips when writing a letter informing your employer you'd like to change your full-time position to a part-time one:

Be brief. When crafting your letter, staying as succinct as possible can help your employer quickly and easily identify your intentions for writing the letter.
Deliver a physical and digital copy. Printing a physical copy of your letter to deliver in-person to your employer and sending a digital copy to them can ensure they see and consider your request.
Detail your reasoning. Explaining your reasoning behind this employment change isn't necessary, but it can help hiring managers make a more reasonable choice.