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Original poster

To ask if dropping a day would really make that much difference?

64 replies

stayingatthebottomofeverest · 27/01/2019 09:04

Dh and I both work full time, are skint and have small kids.

It's pretty full on and exhausting and all the rest of it, and I have the opportunity to drop a day at work in a few months.

However, I don't know about it. It would mean the work would absolutely pile on in the four days I was in, and tbh I struggle to manage as it is.

Then there's a financial implication - everyone says you barely notice it.

Childcare costs would remain the same more or less as we get a discount for two FT places.

So is it worth it? I'm leaning towards no, but selfishly I am pining for that one day Grin

OP posts:
BringBackDoves · 27/01/2019 09:06

Whenever I’ve seen people drop from 5 days to 4, they’ve ended up doing pretty much the same work but with a 20% pay cut. Depends on the job I suppose but unless you can do 4 long days and maintain salary then I’m not sure it’s worth it.

LilyRose16 · 27/01/2019 09:08

Ask your employer if they can accommodate compressed hours, where you do your full working week over 4 days instead of 5.. I do this and it’s really difficult and full on but the rewards are full pay with an extra day at home.

Pickled0nion · 27/01/2019 09:10

I have just done this. I’m lucky that my 0.8 salary is still a very good income.

What everyone warned me would happen has happened though - I’m still doing 100% of the work. I’m working on reducing that now.

Original poster
stayingatthebottomofeverest · 27/01/2019 09:11

Doesn't work like that Lily

OP posts:
KatyN · 27/01/2019 09:12

I work 4 days. I check emails in my day off but I definitely don’t work 5 days. My work is mainly self governed so I am in control of what I do.
I don’t get many jobs done on my day off but it’s just nice to have a bit of balancex

madcatladyforever · 27/01/2019 09:15

You do notice it, dropping one day in the NHS cost me £300 a month and when I couldn't cope they wouldn't let me go full time again without a full new interview against other candidates.
I had to go and find another full time job in the end.
I also found they pretty much expected me to do my full time workload in 4 days instead of 5.

clary · 27/01/2019 09:17

I used to work fours days a week, and the nature of my job was such that you couldn't really do the fifth day's work ahead of time, so it was good. I liked the day and made sure I did loads of things (helped at kids' school, met friends) so it was good. My salary back then was good (much better than it is now haha) so I could take the hit.

Sounds like your situation might be different tho op.

MaryShelley1818 · 27/01/2019 09:18

I do 30hrs over 3 days - could you drop a day and then condense your remaining 4 over 3? I love doing this, it’s amazing having 2 full days off :)

Mysticbottom · 27/01/2019 09:20

It depends on your salary, but I disagree it's a huge drop from 5 days to 4.

Have you thought about seeing if you can work one day a week from home - I'm not sure what you do and if your role can accommodate this.

On the day I WFH I drop my daughter at school and she plays in her room when she gets home from school. I'm less tried as it removes the commute on that day. I can also put on a couple of washes. My employer gets the same hours of work from me. I do it on a Wednesday and it really helps me recharge.

ragged · 27/01/2019 09:20

Don't do it if you're paid 80% for a full time job.
Yes a day off in the week, esp. if you could keep the kids in childcare that day, would be bliss! You'd get huge amount done on that day & actually relax a lot more on your weekends.

TheBigBangRocks · 27/01/2019 09:23

You just end up doing the same amount of work for less money unless the company employ a job share. It's not worth it for most people.

Whether or not you notice it salary wise depends on what salary you are on, whether you save a little on childcare etc. It would also reduce any pension pot so that's another consideration.

Depending on the job, part timers can be seen as "lesser" than full time employees and often overlooked for promotion etc.

HugeAckmansWife · 27/01/2019 09:24

I used to have one day off and it made a hugely positive difference. One day when I could take and pick up the kids from school, see their classroom, make some contacts for playdates. One day when I could chuck jeans on, do the shopping, run errands, have a coffee in peace and a weekend that therefore more free for activities with the kids. Obviously it depends on the way your job works but on terms of the benefit to home life it was great and I miss it.

CountessVonBoobs · 27/01/2019 09:24

I work 4 days, but I don't ever work on my day off. Things are full on in my 4 days but would be even more so if I worked full time. But I started a new role at the same time as I dropped to 4 on coming back from mat leave so that made it easier. If you do it in the same role, you have to have v clear boundaries and be aggressive about explicitly reducing your responsibilities/deliverables by 20%. Otherwise you can easily end up in the old full-time work for part-time pay trap.

MrsSchadenfreude · 27/01/2019 09:25

If you are just over the threshold as a higher tax payer, the difference is negligible.

TeenTimesTwo · 27/01/2019 09:27

When I worked part time I did 3 days per week, partly because I felt at 4 days people would expect a full workload to be done, whereas at 3 it was more obvious that wasn't possible, so I could clearly say 'No, not a priority, not happening'.

4 days doesn't seem worth it for you OP. Can you use a small part of your leave allowance to get the occasional 'me' day?
or Quit altogether, you drop the income, but save the childcare?

CastleCrasher · 27/01/2019 09:28

Watching with interest.
I've been contemplating this too. The drop in wage would be significant, but definitely affordable.

Regardless of what work say, everyone who goes pt in my place will tell you that you end up doing five days work in four, so I've tried doing that for a while (using annual leave) and it is doable.

So essentially I'd be buying a day off a week through the drop in wages (and pension, and reduced leave entitlement...), but still having the same amount of work to do.
I'm starting to think I'd be better staying ft and using the extra money to outsource (get a cleaner!) Instead.

Original poster
stayingatthebottomofeverest · 27/01/2019 09:28

On 46k as things are.

OP posts:
Justmeagain123 · 27/01/2019 09:29

Only you can work out the sums to see if it's worth it. I priced up dropping a day and for me it was too much of a hit, over a year a cost of a holiday for example. It's certainly not a decision I'd make if "skint". I compromised and changed my working pattern to work from home one day a week instead, makes the week feel less intense being at home an extra day.

Original poster
stayingatthebottomofeverest · 27/01/2019 09:32

I'm not sure how, tbh! Because tax and pension and all the rest of it - haven't a clue how to work out what my take home pay would be!

OP posts:
mintbiscuit · 27/01/2019 09:34

Whenever I’ve seen people drop from 5 days to 4, they’ve ended up doing pretty much the same work but with a 20% pay cut.

This. In my experience.

Plus you miss out on employer pension contributions, your bonus is prorated and you can get passed over for promotions/other roles (yes I know the latter shouldn’t happen but it does)

Original poster
stayingatthebottomofeverest · 27/01/2019 09:34

bonus ha ha ha but yes ... it is difficult.

OP posts:
Lundi · 27/01/2019 09:36

I went down from 5 to 3 days and it was the best thing I ever did. However I couldn't have done it without my company hiring someone new to cover my days off, otherwise I would have been squeezing 5 days work into 3.

Have you talked to your work about what will happen to the day of work you're losing? Who are they expecting to do it? If there's someone else doing it then great, you get a day off. If there's not they are taking the mick and paying you less for the same work..

could you change your childcare arrangements so you save money with one less day? My child changed from nursery to childminder when my hours changed so I barely notice the difference in wages as it all went on childcare when I was full time.

thedancingbear · 27/01/2019 09:37

I work 4 days/week. The reality is I do about 45 hours a week (including a bit on my day off and the weekend) where otherwise I'd be doing 50-ish. So they get 4.5 days out of me for 4 days's pay.

However bear in mind that your take home pay drops by less than 20% because the bit you're not getting paid falls in your higher tax bracket, so in real-world terms it may not as much of a screw as it sounds.

WhoKnewBeefStew · 27/01/2019 09:39

I dropped a day and it didn’t make that much of a difference. I spent my day off rushing round like a blue arsed fly food shopping, batch cooking, cleaning etc etc. I did more or less the same workload at work and took a 20% pay cut. So I went back full time.

What did make a difference was when I went to 3 days a week. That was ideal for me, realistic workloads, as you can’t shoe home 5 days work into 3. Time for all the household chores and some time for me. The only negative was the lost wages. I was single at the time, so this didn’t apply to me, but you’d need to be mindful that your dh doesn’t take his foot off the gas and leave all the household/kid stuff to you as he would still need to take responsibility for some of it. It would be very easy to find yourself stressed and resentful of your dh if this did happen. Plus unless all money goes into the same pot you would need to work out with him that you pay less towards household stuff too

Justmeagain123 · 27/01/2019 09:40

Salary calculator online, it's simple.