I recently learned of companies hiring for “fractional” roles – looking for someone to fill a role, often executive level, for a short period or a “fraction” of full time.
It sounds fancy and modern, but “fractional” is essentially a rebranding of “part-time.”
Why did we need to come up with a new term for part-time? It’s the same reason “expat” is utilized when “immigrant” is completely appropriate. Part-time has developed a connotation for menial, unskilled labor, and this will not do for corporations. This rebranding is happening alongside the uptick in outsourcing and parceling out as much work as possible to individual in order to lower costs.
Perhaps a “fractional” role comes with slightly more benefits than part-time, but wipe that lipstick off the pig and we see it for what it always was.
