7 day fortnight?

[Brendatheblenda]

Hi all. I currently work 4 days per week and was thinking about compressing this to work a 7day fortnight, so 4 days one week and 3 the next. Does anyone have any experience of this? Is it too cheeky a request? Im a lone parent and feel like having that one day (when I would keep DC in nursery for at least a half day) would really benefit my mental health by allowing me a bit of time and space to myself. My employer is generally very welcoming of flexible working requests but seeing as I already have one in place for part time I don’t know if this is pushing it? Does anyone have thoughts or experience? Thanks in advance.

[BackforGood]

Do you want to work fewer hours, or the same number of hours, spread over fewer days?
If it is the latter, doesn't that mean you will either have to stay later or start earlier to put the hours in, and if so, doesn't that create it's own issues with childcare etc on those days?

[Brendatheblenda]

Compressed hours really as don’t want to take the salary sacrifice. You are right in that a longer day will have it’s own issues, however at the moment I work 8-4 ish (which includes a mandatory half an hour for lunch which I obviously work through at my desk for!) So my day would only be about 10/15 mins longer as would now be an 8.2 hour day. I think that would work with nursery as they are open til 6.Obviously I would see my daughter that bit less each working day which does make me feel a bit guilty. Her father has tentatively agreed to collect her from nursery one day a week so I could even work a bit longer on that day to compensate maybe? Although he is unreliable so don’t want to bank on that working out.

[BackforGood]

Surely if you are spreading the hours from 1/2 a day a week, over the other 3 days, you will be having to work almost an extra hour per day on the week you work 4 days and an extra hour and a 1/4 on the day you work 3 days ? (This is going on the fact you work 7.5 hours per day).
You'll have 3hrs 45 per week that you will be taking off, to put back somewhere.

That then has you leaving the workplace at a busier time of day for traffic. Don't know your commute, but you need to factor the fact it will take longer, later in the afternoon than it does at 4.

[Brendatheblenda]

All good points, thanks!

Admittedly I’m not the strongest at maths but I will try to outline my thinking on that point:

standard 7.2 hour day plus mandatory 30 mins for lunch = 7hrs 42 mins total.

28.8 hours x 2 weeks = 57.6hrs
57.6 / 7 =8.2 so each day is 8hrs42 including lunch

Currently in office 8-4.15 = 8hrs15

So actually you are right, it’s actually an extra half hour a day, so a bit longer than I thought. Hmmm

Taking that aside, I commute via train into London, so travel time would be roughly the same.

[Brendatheblenda]

Feeling a bit more confused now!!