My new class timetable clashes with my part-time shifts — how do I raise it?
I work part-time at a cafe in Busan and the semester timetable just came out, putting classes on two days I currently work. Asking my manager to change the roster feels awkward. In what order should I bring it up, how far ahead is considered polite, and what should I offer instead?
1 Answer
Timing matters more than wording. Tell your manager as soon as the timetable is final, and at the latest two to three weeks before term starts.
The point is to reach them before next month's roster is written. Asking for changes after a roster is published disturbs everyone else's schedule, and that is when it becomes a genuinely awkward request. Raised early, it reads as considerate rather than inconvenient.
Follow a clear order. Say first that you want to keep working there. Then show the timetable and name exactly which days and hours have become impossible. If you stop there you have handed over a problem, so always bring the alternative with you — the days and times you can now cover. Offering slots that are hard to fill, such as Friday evenings or weekends, substantially raises the chance of a yes.
The phrasing can be simple: the second semester timetable came out, classes now fall on certain afternoons, you can cover other days or the weekend instead, and you wanted to mention it before the roster was made. That frames it as consulting rather than asking a favour.
After speaking in person, send a short message summarising what was agreed. Which days changed is exactly the kind of detail two people remember differently a month later. If you are an international student, check two more things: that the new hours stay within the weekly limit on your part-time work permission, and that the workplace itself is unchanged, since a different employer requires new permission. And if the schedule genuinely cannot be reconciled, telling your manager early how long you can continue is the fairer outcome for both sides.