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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think spreading 3 days work across 5 days is a mugs game

50 replies

breathing · 14/02/2011 19:51

At the moment I work 3 days a week...3 full days with 2 dfays to "myself" (cleaning and keeping up with the house stuff). I am considering working my hours across the 5 days.

Given the choice, would you spread hours across the 5 days so you worked 9.30-2.30 each day or keep it to three full days with 2 days "off"?

Im thinking working across the 5 days would give an illusion that I work full time and people would expect more..

Id also have to go to work every day AIBU thinking that working part time across the 5 days be ripping myself off big time?

OP posts:

TotemPole · 14/02/2011 20:15

breathing, wouldn't there be extra travel expenses that cancel out some of the saving.

If you work over 5 days, will you spend more on incidentals. Things like coffee, lunches, bar of chocolate, dry cleaning.

gordyslovesheep · 14/02/2011 20:18

Oh it's a tough one - I am consider the same when DD3 starts school - and then do 3 full days in schools hols

but my friend who does this has a practically full time case load and is treated like a FT member of staff which is shite

that said it would save me a fair amount in childcare

but swim has just thrown a big sickness spanner in the works - that's really made the think again ...

kafkanightmare · 14/02/2011 20:18

Before DS went to school I worked 3 full days.

Now I work 4 days with one long one (til 5) as I wanted to pick him up from school.

I much preferred 3 days personally but I think he would rather I did shorter days.

That's not helpful is it!

Also, when I worked 3, nursery gave him tea but now I have to rush in at 330 and start cooking so I'm not sure how much quality time he gets.

LindyHemming · 14/02/2011 20:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bunbaker · 14/02/2011 20:21

I was considering splitting my two full days into three short days, but with the cost of petrol as it is I would far rather do two 32 mile round trips a week than three.

bluebump · 14/02/2011 20:23

I have to work 5 mornings a week and i'd much rather work 2 1/2 days instead.

I find only working mornings is good as after 4 hours I can just go home but it's hard to make a day of things like going out with my DS etc. Also it's hard just working the 4 hours to fit everything I need to each day into those hours.

Original poster

breathing · 14/02/2011 20:23

Yes, I get no public holidays as I dont work monday. I get 21 days annual leave/y though

OP posts:

LisaD1 · 14/02/2011 20:23

I do 3 full days with 2 weekdays off and can't imagine what they could offer to make me want to give that up! Our family time is so much better at the weekend as all houseowrk/shopping is done, would you still have time to do those if you did the 5 half days? Also, school holidays (which seem to be endless) are much easier to handle with 2 full days off.

AnnoyingOrange · 14/02/2011 20:25

Employers should pro-rata the public holidays for P/T employees, so if you work 3 days a week you should get 3/5 of the public holidays.

This should be added on to your annual leave and taken as they fall. If there are more public holidays on your working days that the allowance, then you have to use annual leave or come in on a non-working day to make up the time.

Nomorerain · 14/02/2011 20:27

I would stick to the three. While you're at work you might as well see the day through and get it over with and then your days 'off' are your own to with as you will.

AnnoyingOrange · 14/02/2011 20:27

some info here

BrianAndHisBalls · 14/02/2011 20:35

i get public holidays even though i dont work mondays, seems unfair otherwise. i get 7 public holidays a year (its 8 then pro rated then rounded up) surely its illegal to stop you having ph just because you dont work on a monday?

i work 4 days because if i spread over 5 the cost of the commute would be more.

AnyFucker · 14/02/2011 20:35

You guys that are being shafted out of public hols are being treated illegally

Look into it, you should get the full entitlement pro-rata

I work 2.5 days a week Weds-Fri, no way would I spread that over 5 days

Going to work 5 days a week ? No thanks, not unless I have to

gordyslovesheep · 14/02/2011 20:37

AnnoyingOrange that's how work does it - but it's a total pain - I work 7.3 hrs - for every Bank Holiday on a working day I can only claim 4.8hrs - but for every BH NOT on a working day (IE Thursday/Friday) they credit ME 4.8 hours - I'd rather just have the mondays off and sod the others!

dixiechick1975 · 14/02/2011 20:38

I did 3 days and switched to 5 shorter days when DD started school.

It definitely feels like i'm working more over 5 days.

Pros - can drop off and pick DD up each day, I can take her to various after school activities, term time childcare bill is £0.

Cons - I much preferred having days off in the week, much easier to get laundry etc done. Easy to fit in apts/house stuff etc - our boiler needs servicing first date we can do it is April 24 when DH is off.

Holiday childcare depends on what you'll use. The football/dance schemes near us are school hours only.

Work have agreed to altering my hours to do them over less days during the feb school hols and i'm hoping to do the same every holidays.

I also have virtually no communte - less than 10 mins from DD's school to work.

Original poster

breathing · 14/02/2011 20:40

I would be dropping ds at the bus at 8.30 to get to work for 9.30 and then leaving 2.30 to get to the stop for 3.30/45.
I dont think Im going to go for this option tbh.

OP posts:

TotemPole · 14/02/2011 20:49

An hour each way, 5 days a week? I'd stick to 3 days.

AintMissBeehiving · 14/02/2011 20:54

I've done both - when I had 1 DC at nursery I did full days at work. Now I have DS1 at school and DS2 at nursery I do 4 days spread over 5 - 2 full days and 3 days 9.30 - 2.30 so I can do the school pick up and drop off. Strangely it feels that I have more time at home with the children doing it that way.

crapbarry · 14/02/2011 21:12

i do 9-2.30 5 days a week, and although it's often tiring, it means I don't miss meetings (we have daily meetings at the moment, which is a pain!) and I get my afternoons free, which is great. I initially did these hours to allow me to keep breastfeeding DS (who was 7 mo when I came back). It still suits me :) I love having lunch on my own every day too!

I do have one horrendous day on wednesdays because we have meetings scheduled from 4-6, which I call in on from home, whilst wrestling with a toddler! however, it's a 45 minute commute, and the CM doesn't like having children past 5pm, so I'd miss the meetings anyway. And I'm not changing the CM, she's a gem!

findingthisdifficult · 14/02/2011 21:42

well I started working 5 short days a week but realised I was spending about the same on having to have childcare for most of the holidays than I now do for 3 days of the holidays and after school for 2 days (my mum picks up one day a week). I also don't feel guilty when my DS goes to holiday club for e.g all of the 3 days I'm working in half term as he then has 4 days off with me whereas I felt really guilty if he spent all of it in holiday club.

Plus I get to do all the chores on the days I'm off so there is no shopping or housework at the weekends and I get time to go to the gym!

SuperSaint · 14/02/2011 21:45

Breathing

I have done exactly what you are suggesting. I work 21 hours a week and initially did it over 3 full days and had 2 days off. Last Sept when DS started school I changed to work over 4 days. I work 10-2 for 3 days and one long day. The shorter days enables me to drop off and pick up from school and as MCos says I can help with homework and take DCs to after school activities. It also means they can have friends for tea which they get so excited about.

DD is 7 and for the first 3 years at school she went to after school clubs or childminders for 3 days a week. She found this very tiring and it also meant that she crammed her activities into the 2 days I was off work and we never any chill out afternoons at home.

My commute is the same as yours 45-60mins depending on the time of day. it's a pain doing it 4 times a week but I think it works out much better for the children.

I never have any issues with leaving early. everyone knows I have to leave at 2ish to get back to school in time. I just get up and go!

ivykaty44 · 14/02/2011 21:47

I work on days that are less likely in the main to be closed school days.

Statisticly that is Mond and Friday.
So I work Tues, Wed, Thursday

meaning i don't have to worry about teacher training days

i would have to have to get up more days than needed just to go to work - that would suck.

i never get the sunday blues

Linnet · 14/02/2011 21:50

I would keep it to 3 full days.

Sidge · 14/02/2011 22:00

When DD2 started school I got a job working school hours, 0930-1430 Monday to Friday.

I hated it, the commute every day was soul destroying, and I felt like I never had any time to catch up or have any time for me. I was either at work or with the children so finding time to do housework, paperwork, meet friends for a coffee, all fell by the wayside.

I spent every evening trying to do the housework and laundry and felt like I had no "life". Weekends were constant playing catch up. No fun at all.

I now work similar hours but over 3-4 days which is much better.

lesley33 · 14/02/2011 22:54

I think if you made it clear you had to leave on time because of childcare - whether this is true or not, people generally respect chilcare reasons as a reason to go on time. Then yes it would work.

For someone like me whose children are grown up, I would always choose 3 days over 5.

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