Does anyone work 0.9??

[louloutheshamed]

I have just started my 2nd mat leave. I am a teacher and went back ft after ds. I am considering going down to 4 days after this mat leave but my school has a 2 week tt and other pt colleagues have had trouble in negotiating full days off and for these to be the same day each week.

One thing I have considered is asking to go .9 and have one day off per Fortnight. I think this would make it more
likey that I would get a full day. It worries me that I would reduce my contract to 4 days and then find myself with half days here and there, different every other week. So I think at least this way there is a much better chance of having a full day. I am less likely to lose status/classroom/a level classes and pay cut not as bad.

I would relish the extra day with my children as having been ft even one day a fortnight seems like a
Luxury, although I realise to people working 3 days etc it might not seem like much!

I realise I would have to 'ring fence' this time so as not to spend it on housework etc. I already have a cleaner!

On the week I wasn't off dh could be off- he is self employed and went to 4 days after ds- so effectively we'd both work .9.

Does anyone have any experience or foresee any disadvantages that I haven't thought of??

[louloutheshamed]

Thank you.

Yes that is what worries me- a lot of people say 4 days is
Virtually full time Never mind .9!!

[kalidasa]

I work full time but both DH and I have some flexibility about our hours. DS has Wednesday afternoon "off" the childminder each week and we take turns to have him then, so although I work full time (and obviously make up the time elsewhere) I have a weekday afternoon with him every other week. I love my job and am in a career where anything less than full time isn't really an option (or, if it is, is career suicide) but I really appreciate this arrangement. Partly it is handy for practical reasons - to schedule a GP appointment or health visitor or whatever for him, but also to keep up with friends who are at home with children, and when he's older I'm sure we'll do more outings (he's only 9 months at the moment) but also use the time for things like buying shoes for him. I also like it from a domestic point of view - it's nice to have a couple of extra hours in the middle of the week to cook something that takes a bit longer - I often do a roast that day, or bake a cake.

It's worked so well for us that we've chosen a nursery with the same arrangement for when he's nearly two (Jewish nursery so has Friday afternoons off every week).

[CountBapula]

DH and I both work a nine-day fortnight. So one Wednesday DH has DS, then the next Wednesday I have him.

I think it's a great option precisely because you are almost full time - it has minimal impact on my work. I did 4 days a week over the summer (my company offers unpaid leave over quieter months) and I really noticed the difference - I felt much more 'part-time' and less connected to what's going on.

As someone said upthread, Wednesday is a good day - it breaks up the week in childcare for DS and means we can do an interim food shop, washing, tidy up etc halfway through the week.

It also feels nice and equal sharing childcare 50-50 with DH - though it helps that we earn roughly the same, so there's no real breadwinner.

[purplescarf]

I work 0.9. DGPs look after DD one day every 2 weeks and I have one full day off every 2 weeks. It is like doing a full time job but I'm thankful to have just that day off. I try to arrange an outing (zoo, museum, beach) on that day so I'm not sucked into housework or errands. We call it our 'mummy and DD' day and it's very special. I'd love to work less but we just can't afford it right now.