I shouldn't have to justify working part time just because I don't yet have children

[fecklesswonder]

I worked hard in London in my 20s, lived like a student even after getting a decent job.

So come 30 I moved out of the city to a small house that I could afford outright. Seeing as prices are crazy for the next jump up I'm staying put.

As i own outright I want to go down to two days a week, money will be tight but I would be rich in time so its all worthwhile.

Everyone seems to judge me on this.

For work to agree with it I will have to make somthing emotive up.

It doesn't affect anyone else, but everyone always say "what will you do?". Ffs I will do nice things, I'm not some office drone without any hobbies / interests!

Ignore them if they're critisising. If they're genuinely interested talk about it of you want, brush it off if you dont.

If someone said to me they were going part time I'd smile and say that sounds great.
If a friend said to me they were going part time but money would be tight I'd suggest 3 to 4 days a week instead. It wouldn't be a critism or jealousy.

I'm a contractor and occasionally drop down to part time and I love those weeks.

Scrumbled - I love your name. This is our family's invention words for when you put your clothes on too quickly and the layer underneath gets all messed up. As in. My t shirt is all scrumbled under my jumper. .
Sorry for thread hijack - it made me smile x

It's definitely jealousy.

The one person who constantly gave me a hard time was consumed with jealousy.

Notnaice - not automatically jealousy, the OP says that money will be 'tight' on 2 days a week, you can't see why family might be concerned that someone they care about is doing something that will take them from being 'very comfortably off' (which you must be if 3 days a week wage is just excess non-bills money) to 'finances being tight' when there's no need to?

Plus the OP says: "For work to agree with it I will have to make somthing emotive up." - that could put up the backs of people who really have those 'emotive' reasons.

No, I don't think its necessarily jealousy. I'm guessing they may just be worried that the OP is going to be skint, is scuppering her chances of career progression, is potentially chucking away a good job, is not saving for her future as she should be at this high-earning stage of life, etc. If parents are any good they generally want what is best for their children.

I would work 3 and make sure you have an extra pension. Your circumstances may well change.

Yes OP, htere's a world of difference between chosing to live frugally and having to. There's a world of difference between renting and owning when something like the roof leaks or the boiler breaks down. Having little wriggle room finanically is very shit long term. Chosing to say 'no' to things and having to say 'no' are very different and can wear you down.

3 or 4 days would be more likely to get a 'yes' from most companies and give you more scope to save/spend on your extra days off.

If your company has is happy to accommodate you, and it's what you want then go ahead. It's no one else's business really.

It can be hard to find part time, well paid, interesting work though. This could be a stumbling block.

Spare money for repaired and stuff won't be an issue. I have a very large 5 figure amount in the bank, that's partly why I want to go part time as I've got all this money I just add to my savings account each month while being exhausted from work.

Pension well I have a decent amount built up. But for people my age its unlikely to ever retire. I'd rather have some time off for the rest of my life than work till I'm 80 full time, then have a few years of not working when I'm old.

Realistically I will need to ask for 3 days as they won't approve 2. But even at 2 I would be way above the national average and have no mortage to pay, so calling me on the breadline is just stupid.

I don't think it's necessarily jealousy.

Perhaps those others love their job and are ambitious and are just surprised that you don't feel the same (I doubt it keeps them up at night).

Obviously, the OP neither loves her job nor is ambitious. That's cool.

I know lots and lots of writers/artists etc who work part time to accomodate their true vocation (which they see as work too, though not necessarlily of the paid kind).

Obviously I'm very ambitious ffs! How many people do you know that own a home outright from in their 20s, have a first class degree, and can afford to go part time in their early 30s?

There is more to ambition than owning shit!

I meant ambitious in your job!

It's hard to make meaningful headway in most professions on two days a week.

But it seems that this thread is about people observing how terribly fabulous and special you are...

Im ambitious in all areas of my life. Being ambitious in just your job often means serious sacrifices in other areas.

I'm not saying I'm wonderful, its not about that it about people deeming children or caring the only acceptable reason to work part time.

I think you have to accept that most employers (fairly or unfairly) are not keen on full-time people cutting their hours. Many will (albeit sometimes grudgingly) accept that those people, usually women, who have caring responsibilities really cannot be in two places at the same time and therefore they will negotiate flexible working hours for them. Wanting to work part time because you want to pursue your hobbies would be regarded by many as lack of commitment to the job. Women who drop hours because they have children or relatives to look after often find that their careers suffer as a consequence; I think it would be better to find another job that was part-time from the outset or become freelance if that is possible in your sector.

And that's why sadly I will have to make up a emotive reason to work part time. As that's the only way my employer will agree to it, from the experiance of others .

Savings are fine for emergancies, but only if you can replace them for the next emergancy, otherwise they won't last for 50+ years, you said in your OP money would be 'tight' so the assumption is 2 days will give you just enough to live off giving your current spending habits, but not to significantly add to savings. (even more important if going 2 days a week would mean smaller company pension provision).

If 3 days means you can continue to save or easily do silly fun spending, then go for that. If you don't mind not taking a step up in your career or as many companies have to do, the more complex projects can't be given to someone who's not in the office every day, then sacrificing that career ambitions would be worth it for the additional time. You might also find it's easier for a company to do a higher level job share on both doing 3 days a week with a day handover, so more likely to get a 'yes'.

If you haven't asked yet, worth thinking about your office, are there any pregnant woman or woman with young children in a similar job as you, would they be interested in you both going to the boss asking for a job share? Having 'fixed' the issue for your boss (so they just have to hire 1 full timer, rather than a PTer to take on your other days, or share out your other days work with others), would increase your chances of getting a 'yes'.

Having done PT work before, I would say only agree if there's clearly someone else taking on the work on the days you aren't in the office and are not being paid, otherwise you will field calls on those days/be expected to work from home. I know several woman who dropped to 4 days or 3.5 days a week after having DCs then back up full time as they were working late on their work days / working from home on their non-work days to get stuff done, and realised over the week they were doing full time hours, but not being paid full time. (worse of both worlds!)

oh and x post, have others had reduced hours requests for non-emotive reasons rejected? If any of those are at your level, see if you can take a job share request to your boss, so take them a solution, rather than a problem.

They take you both part time covering one person's work, and hire another full time person to take up the gap.

Thanks Mary. The savings I have are for emergency, I would still be contrbuting to them on two days a week, but in the hundreds each month rather than the thousands.

I think my description of tight is just about having to think about what money goes on. I'd still have way more dispoable income than many familys have, but I would have to budget and plan Luxury's and activities.

Pension well I have a decent amount built up. But for people my age its unlikely to ever retire. I'd rather have some time off for the rest of my life than work till I'm 80 full time, then have a few years of not working when I'm old.

Sorry but this is a bit daft. You may not be well enough to work into your 70s and 80s. You might need (or prefer) to pay for expensive private medical care. You may develop health issues earlier in your life - at which point you might not be able to work. You might have children one day - they are expensive! You might want to travel or do further education or training. You might want to move for some reason, to something/somewhere more expensive.

There are all sorts of reasons why you may need more money in the future than now. If you are lucky enough to have the option of earning and saving enough for a decent pension/large financial cushion, then do it. I saved a LOT during my 20s as did my DH and we are so glad we did, it gives us so many more options now and in the future and means we are not scared about our old age.

I also wonder how will your employer view 2 days a week? Many high flying/highly paid full time jobs are not really feasible to convert to 2 days a week. You might find that your employer won't agree to it for valid business reasons - or if they do you may find you get given more than 2 days' work (so you've lost the pay but not the stress) or that you don't get given the interesting work, or that you go to the top of any redundancy lists. Even if your employer agrees to 2 days, and sticks to it, what happens if you lose this job for whatever reason? Your chances of finding a highly paid 2 day a week job elsewhere will be small, and your CV experience won't look great after a few years of only doing 2 days.

I'm not saying you should stay working 5 days a week. But 3 or 4 would be a much more sensible move than 2, IMO.

Minipie I've spent my whole life saving. Have enough in the bank even if I don't work to keep me for 10 years and a large asset that I could remortgage if I wanted to. Money worries are the least of my worries.

That's great. I am the same but I still feel the need to save more, I think this is especially because I have DCs and so I want to be able to give them lots of options in future, and also ensure I can pay for my own old age and not rely on them. Do you hope or intend to have DCs? If not then it does change things.

Didn't you say up thread that you had 5 figures of savings? That would not be enough to keep you for 10 years if you don't work.

You sound totally switched on and have life sussed. People will question your choices because they are insecure and it will make them question their own life choices. People like to go with the mass consensus to make them feel secure. If someone dares to be a bit different, instead of admiring them for it, folk ask questions because they cannot imagine themselves having the guts to do similar.
I admire you from afar. Go for it

yabu and people who comment about whether you will get bored would probably stop working themselves if they could.

I just came back from 3 week leave and it was bliss and you know I spent less in the those three weeks than I do when I am back at work!

I am also planning to drop my hrs and throwing whatever spare money I have at overpaying my mortgage ( I hope to be free in 10 yrs time) at which point I will consider dropping down to 3/4 days or whatever days I need to to bring in an income that I need to cover my bills and activities.

I may even go contracting instead and just pick up work as and when and take long breaks in between.

Life is not about working and my 3 weeks off work made me even more determined to get myself into a position where I have real choices - a choice to work less/go self employed as a contractor etc.