Wanting to Reduce from Full Time to Part Time - How to Approach HR?

I have worked as an HR Manager. HR does not exist for your confidentiality. They are required by law to reveal much of the communication that comes their way. Employees should always ask first if their question or request subject can be kept confidential before making a request. The HR person can then tell them if they can keep it confidential or not.

First I would research all company policy documents. Then, if I still couldn't find the info, I would make a phone call with the question "What is the company policy about number of work hours per week to receive full benefits?" That should be a simple enough question to be answered over the phone and should not trigger a communication to your supervisor.

What about if you made a phone call to HR instead of sending an email? Then HR wouldn't have anything to forward to the boss. I suppose the person you talk to could always call the boss afterwards, but that seems less likely. It is so much easier for them to CC the boss on a response to an email! You might feel more comfortable knowing that there is no paper trail. Good luck, however you decide to proceed!

I agree with calling instead of emailing. In my company if you work part time you have to pay more for your benefits and also loose some of your PTO time - but I am sure each company is different. Anyway, just call and inquire.

As others suggested, I would call and ask why they CC'd your supervisor. HR exists for confidentiality and this would peeve me big time.

In this economy, your wanting to go part-time me be welcomed by the company.

Perhaps, suggest to your supervisor a conference call with HR?

When I had issues at work, my HR coordinator told me he had to share this information with my supervisor and he did, however, he made her keep the information confidential.

Do you have a website where you could look this up on your own? We have a "Job Share" where you can share your "Job" with another employee, if they are eligible, willing, and their department supports it. It is all done by request. With that, our benefits are divided, therefore you have to pay your part of insurance, longevity is divided by service hours, which obviously is reduced.

Try to do this first online, then through HR. I would suggest asking the girl at the counter in person as opposed to in writing. It would take more effort for them to communicate your question to your employer.

I would make a phone call and not tell them my name and say you have a general question.

It may depend on the state, but I work 20 hours/week and get benefits. I do not take them since my husband's are better. In some cases I heard you need to work 32 hours/week or more to get benefits.
This is certainly a question you could email an HR person about without mentioning anything else: "what are our company's requirments for benefits eligibility?"
I would also just float the idea by your supervisor. Mention over the coffee machine in the AM or in passing that with responsibilities outside the home increasing you would like to explore the option of reducing work hours. In some case it is better for them - they get a part time person who probably is as efficient as a full time person since you will not be chatting and taking coffee breaks but truly spend the hours per day you are at work really working. Either that or explore to work from home 1 day/week or whatever works for you. I would just ask but perhaps be prepared for getting an answer you may not like. In my company there is another part time person, I am an employee and she is a temp. I offered that we could perhaps job share, but it would require 2 requisitions, since she would also have to be offered benefits, so it did not work in our company to job share, even if we both not sign up for their offered benefits. So just go ask.