Should I work 4 days or 5 days?

[MonsterRehab23]

I’m starting a new position (civil service) next month and I have the option to ask for reduced hours. My training has to be full time, which is fine as OH has switched stuff around at work.

My main reasons for wanting 4 days are:

1. Childcare issues on one morning meaning OH will need to work through lunch so he can have a half day off to stay at home with DD. This is also a temporary arrangement with his management whilst we wait for a morning place to become available. We don’t have any family to help and no childminder in the area will drop DD at nursery in the afternoon.

1. DS has ASD and is struggling with the fact I will be working full-time. He attends after school care 2 days per week but this will be increased to 5 and he is struggling with the proposed change to routine. His diagnosis is also fairly recent so it’s been an emotional time.

I currently work 18-20 hours over 3 days, but 4 days at new job would be 30 hours and 5 days- 37.5 hours.

However, I’ve had to get approval of certain working hours to suit drop off/pick up needs from the head of unit, so I don’t want to be ‘difficult’ before I’ve even started, by asking for 30 hours. Do I start full-time and ask for flexible working if 37.5 is too much, or is it better to ask before starting this role? Any advice would be appreciated.

if you drop down to 30 hours would you also have less work to do, or would it be a case of same work to be done in less time and for less money? That would be a big consideration for me. Or could you finish early each day in order to still do pick ups instead of having a full day off? I do 26 hours spread over 4 days, it works well for me but I’m lucky and have a manageable workload and can’t carry work over to the following day, so there’s never a build up when I have my day off.

Thanks for your reply. I honestly have no idea about workload, this is a completely new role for me that will require a significant period of training. But yes that might be something to consider as it involves a lot of casework.

I'm a civil servant (HMRC) and currently work 27 hours over 5 days so I can do the school run. I also have flexible working hours and sometimes days that I work from home. If there's a particular arrangement that would make your work life easier, just ask for it, they won't see it as you being awkward. There are a lot of part time civil servants. I've worked a lot of different patterns over the last ten years. But yes, the downside is that you often get a full caseload and it can feel like full time work for part time pay.

Having worked F/T with kids and now P/T with kids (3 days a week) I would always, always, always advise parents to try to cut back on their hours if they can afford it.

The difference to my MH has been amazing and I no longer feel like I'm slogging it out all day at work and then trying to cram everything (cleaning, returns, shopping, socialising "making memories", appointments etc) into the weekend.

My quality of life is significantly better. If you can afford to work less go for it!

Congratulations! I would ask to reduce now. They'll bite your hand off to increase it later if you want, whereas if you go in FT and it doesn't work they may not let you drop work or hours.

If you can afford it then consider it but be really careful that you aren't still doing a 5 day a week job in 4 days. I've known people over the years that have done 4 days and they take the 20% cut in pay and annual leave but the workload is the same and they invariably end up doing extra unpaid hours to keep up. For this reason I work 5 days.

Thanks for your opinions. I’ve emailed to ask if 30 hours is a possibility.