First off, I waited until the timing was right. Employers like to have things easy and shy away from new arrangements and once they say no, they've made up their mind. When I finally made the request, we were going through some budget cuts and lay-offs were being considered. Lay-offs cost the employer money because of severance, and when business picks up they have to rehire and train again. So that helps make the part-time option look more attractive to the employer.

Before I made a formal request, I went to my supervisor. With a proposed schedule and really focused on what time I would be available and how I would use it, instead of drawing attention to what time I would be away. I explained it in terms of positives for the employer - I'd still be there in the morning when most work gets done and by having a shorter day, I'm cutting out the typical employee's least productive time so the employer gets more value for their dollar. I showed that I typically take very few sick days and a shorter day would mean that things like Dr. appointments, teacher interviews etc would always be scheduled outside work hours. I came prepared to show how my workload would be managed. I also had a good reputation for being reliable and able to prioritize and reminded my supervisor of that. Finally, I let her know that this arrangement would make me a happier, better employee and I would still be available to help my coworkers for most of the day.

Once I got my supervisor on board, I sent an email to her with all the relevant points and an official request so that she could forward it to a manger with her endorsement.

I also started by asking for a temporary arrangement for a few months so that either myself or the employer could revert to the old way if this wasn't working out. I think that made it easier for the employer to agree to the risk. I requested, and was granted, several extensions before I finally asked for the arrangement to become permanent.