If you could set your own hours, what would you do?

[LndnGrl]

20 hours a week. After a month of 5 hours a day, mon-fri, I can set my own days/hours.

Curious how everyone else would work it, just because I'm nosy.

I work 9-2 Tuesday and 9-5.30 Wednesday and Thursday. That’s what I requested when I applied for my job and my employers set the days. I like having Monday and Friday off.

Yes if I did 3 days I'd probably Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.

I don't know if they have a set lunchtime for everyone, they probably haven't as they seem very very flexible.

8:30 to 5 Monday and Tuesday, 8:30 to 12:30 Wednesday

Will they be set days/hours going forward, or you could change them around each week?

If they are set days, note that majority of bank holidays are on a Monday. I can't recall the answer (hopefully another mumsnetter does) but someone asked the same and was either advised to NOT work Mondays, or to have Mondays within their set work days. Something to do with missing out on bank holidays or the pay.

Actually if driving to work, I'd prefer to start at 8 and finish at 4:30 for less traffic (also longer evenings)

Do you get bank hols off?

I work in the NHS and they allocate a certain amount of hours for bank hols. If the bank hols come to more hours than they have allocated then you have to use some of your own annual leave hours.

Therefore Monday is my non working day and I don’t lose any of my own hours to cover any of them.

No bank Holidays are given, and 25 days holiday, pro rata.

They said they'd prefer the hours to be set once I'd worked out what worked for me, but obviously I could change them occasionally if I had an appointment or something.

Sorry, I meant bank Holidays are given, I don't know why there's a no there.

@LndnGrl

I'm thinking 10-2 Monday to Friday. No children/school runs, but I have an exercise class 8-9 m,w,f. But they proposed 9-3 with an hour for lunch. Why I'd need a lunchbreak, I don't know, but maybe they don't want me to work while others are on their lunch.

I want to get another job around this one though.

I originally suggested I work 8-1.30 and my work insisted if I worked past 1 I had to take lunch even if less than 6 hours. However they would've had no problem with me doing 8-2 and taking lunch at 1.30. As it happened once it became wfh wouldn't be permanent 3 full days worked out better for me so I never tested this.

I'd do 2 longer days. Factoring in a 30 min lunch. 8 till 6 30 x2

In my old job I opted for the 12/13 hr shifts x3 a week and done.
Did wed thur fri one week
Thur fri sat the next

We had to do a 2 week rota and inc 1 sat a fortnight

8.30 - 5.30 Tue, Wed, Thursday with a 40 minute lunch break (so 8 hours, 20 mins paid per day).

Doh my previous post was 25 hours sorry lol.

For 20 I'd do Tues, Wed, Thurs 9.30 - 4.30 with a 20 min lunch (6 hours, 40 mins paid per day).

Personally I find that, while it’s popular, if you have Monday and Friday off it does soon merge into the weekend and not feel like “extra” free time. If I was only going to work 3 days I’d have either Tuesday/ Wednesday or Wednesday/Thursday off and that way you get two full weekends each week. So much nicer. I find 4 day wkends only really useful if you go away and who does that every week?

I used to do Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. I liked this because never more than 2 days a row in work and never more than one day away so no big things missed for more than a day. Friday often a nice atmosphere in the office, and Monday to sort the home after the weekend or have a long weekend.

9.30-5 with half hour lunch suits me because I like to exercise in the morning when wfh, or used to do school run.

I basically do mon-fri 9.15-1ish.

I think if I had a choice I’d prefer fewer longer days and full days off, but I am grateful for the flexibility and the fact it fits easily around the school run.

Business need means I do really need to be present daily so that things don’t build up and then that means there’s not really enough work for a full day.

I feel it’s a good work life balance, and it works for our current childcare (primary school and school nursery so 9-3 mon-fri).

I'd rather do 2x10 hour days, so 8-6 or 7-5, ideal if I wanted another job on top if they could be set days because that then gives another 3 out of 5 days to offer a second employer and still get 2 days off.

8-6 Tuesday Wednesday. This is coming from a shift worker so I'm used to long days. I much prefer to get it out the way and a long weekend every week sounds like heaven to me

I’m in this situation slightly and am doing 8hrs Tue/Thur and then can do extra hours from home. Once I’ve finished studying early next year I’ll probably do 4 shorter days with increased hours, so I can be there for after school activities (no one else around to do it)

Totally depends.

You have said no dc's schools runs to work round but not clear if you are still wanting to sit down for an evening meal with others.

Depends if you are traveling in to work or not. If you have a commute, then 3 normal (well slightly short if you are only doing 20 hours) and have 2 days off.
If you are wfh - and, like you say, like the idea of doing an exercise class each day - then 4 hours a day might be better. Or 4 days of 5 hours. (You only have to have a break if you work more than 6 hours in a row).

But then it also depends on what the job is, and if it relies on you being available to others - be that clients / customers / service users, or be that colleagues for meetings / collaborations etc. Also if people rely on you to answer queries you need to fit in with colleagues.

It's completely remote.

I think I like 9-1 mon-fri. I can do my exercise class and have afternoons free (hopefully for another job) but keeps me available each day to everyone else.

How does this work with the Bank Holidays? I wouldn't be doing myself out of anything there, would I?