Part-time work is often framed as a compromise—a concession made by women seeking flexibility in a workforce that still treats full-time presence as the gold standard. Despite the growing demand for flexible roles, biases persist.
Part-time professionals are frequently perceived as less dedicated, less available, and ultimately, less capable of fulfilling role requirements. These assumptions can limit career progression, especially when most part-time roles are still concentrated in lower-level positions, rather than at senior or strategic levels.
The result? A significant contributor to the gender pay gap. Women comprise the majority of part-time workers, and outdated perceptions often exclude them from high-value or leadership roles.
But the narrative is changing.
Megan Finnie is a senior technical professional with over 15 years of experience delivering complex infrastructure projects across the Pacific. Now a Senior Asset Manager at Fulton Hogan, Megan has worked part-time for the past five years, proving that flexible work and high performance are not mutually exclusive.
Megan shares the challenges she’s faced, how she’s navigated them, and how, with the support of Fulton Hogan, she’s actively shifting the perception of part-time work, one project at a time.
The challenge of part-time work
When Megan became a parent, she took two years out of the workforce to raise her children, returning on a part-time basis so she could create a work-life balance that worked for her and her young family.
Reflecting on the past five years, she candidly shares that it hasn’t always been easy to have her skills and capability outweigh the fact that she works part-time.
“There have definitely been times when I’ve reached out about a role I was interested in, and things have seemed promising but when I’ve asked the question of whether the company would consider part-time or job share, the conversation has stopped. It can be incredibly frustrating when you’re left feeling as though your career has plateaued, purely because you wish to work part-time.”
Megan highlights a prominent issue with many of the roles considered for part-time work or job share opportunities: they’re often lower-level or administrative roles rather than senior leadership and technical roles. When women, like Megan who brings a wealth of experience to the workplace, are shut out purely based on perceived availability, it creates inequity that can be very challenging to bypass. Megan adds:
“I know it can still be very hard to find part-time roles. There’s a bias around being a part-time worker, especially around availability, which just isn’t true. It’s so important to consider and assess individuals on merit, their strengths, skills and experience above and beyond whether they’re available for a traditional Monday to Friday, 9 to 5, work life.”
Every industry is different: How construction is changing
Megan, who joined Fulton Hogan nearly three years ago, points out that she has noticed change happening, especially within construction.
“I know companies are trialling different start times, so they’re moving away from the traditional early starts, which can be impossible if you have childcare responsibilities. For me, an employer who is set on rigid hours and unwilling to discuss what could be done differently or work with me to balance my family responsibilities and professional development is a red flag.”
As an Endorsed Employer, Fulton Hogan is one such company taking positive steps around flexibility in their workplace. Megan says she’s definitely had opportunities since joining that have supported her career growth:
“Fulton Hogan has been great at identifying my strengths and capabilities and afforded me some great opportunities, even though I do work part-time. I’m about to begin work on a new contract, and they’ve been happy to take me on, knowing I work three days a week. One of the benefits of Fulton Hogan is that it is a large organisation, so there are lots of different experiences you can tap into.”
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3 steps to address part-time work bias
If you’re coming up against unconscious bias around part-time work, Megan shares some actionable steps you can take:
1. Access learning and development opportunities where you can.
Megan appreciates the career development opportunities available at Fulton Hogan. With support from the business, she achieved her accreditations as a Chartered Professional Engineer and Certified Asset Management Assessor.
“The company paid for my CAMA qualification to be industry-recognised as an Asset Management practitioner. But learning and development don’t stop with formal qualifications. I’ve received special assignments to develop my leadership and soft skills.”
A launching point for these opportunities was when Fulton Hogan recognised her as an emerging leader and selected her for the Roads Australia Fellowship program.
“The Roads Australia Fellowship is an industry-led leadership program that connects people throughout the sector. I’m set to complete this program later this year. So far, I’ve achieved two major milestones: growing my network and formal mentoring.”
2. Seek out mentoring opportunities and grow your network.
Under the fellowship program, Megan has been assigned a mentor who has been an incredible source of support and encouragement, encouraging her to broaden her thinking.
“Being partnered with my mentor, we meet regularly to work through challenges and towards the goals I set at the beginning of the program. They helped me challenge my mindset about ‘part-time’ work – that it doesn’t equate to fewer opportunities. Together, we’ve mapped out my career and progression aspirations within the business.”
The program has also enabled her to build her network outside the business and connect with senior leaders:
“Externally, I’ve gained exposure to other industry partners and professionals I wouldn’t ordinarily have had the chance to. Internally, I’ve also been able to sit with some of the company’s senior leaders. For women in male-dominated industries, it isn’t always easy, but support networks can make a difference. From this network, I can see change is happening, albeit slowly, across the construction industry to challenge the status quo on diversity. People are trying new things to see if it can make a difference, pushing the boundaries, and innovating.”
3. Be an advocate for yourself and keep the conversation on the table.
Megan says that one of the biggest factors in her ongoing success is her own self-advocacy.
She explains that developing her personal brand, building her reputation as a capable professional, regardless of whether she works part-time or full-time, has been a critical part of changing the narrative.
“I’m a big advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, especially supporting women in engineering, but also around this issue of part-time work. Being a part-time worker doesn’t diminish how capable I am – it just means I manage my time and workload differently. It’s not about outcomes versus time, the two aren’t mutually exclusive, and I’ll continue to advocate for myself and others so that this conversation keeps being had.”
Changing the narrative for all
In terms of looking ahead, Megan shares she feels she’s found a great place to be at Fulton Hogan and is finding fulfilment in her role:
“The challenges, the problem solving – engineering is a thoroughly enjoyable career. I love the technical aspects of my role, getting involved in the nuts and bolts and providing solutions to problems, particularly using data-driven decision making.”
With the support and encouragement of Fulton Hogan, she’s looking forward to continuing to find ways to have an impact:
“Some of my highlights have been achieving great outcomes for the communities we work in, on projects that make a real difference in these areas. It’s something I definitely want to keep being a part of.”
For anyone else feeling stuck or as though they’ve hit the glass ceiling as a part-time worker, Megan shares:
“Keep being true to who you are and focus on what you need to grow. If you’re feeling your career has plateaued, know that it’s not necessarily because of what you bring to the table. These barriers definitely do exist, but by finding development opportunities that can extend your learning and experience, building your professional brand and finding a supportive professional network, you can still grow your career.”
