To ask if anyone here is part-time as a lifestyle choice?

[bodgersmash]

I recently reduced my hours at work and went temporarily part time due some difficult personal issues.

Those are largely resolved for now, but I simply don't want to go back to working full time! I'm less stressed, evidenced by my heart rate tracker, have much more free time and I think I could cope with the drop in income, although things will undoubtably be tight now and then.

I don't expect my DP to support me - I'll continue paying 50% of the bills as it's my choice.

But it just feels a bit like people will judge me for being lazy! Perhaps I'm judging myself. Is there anyone who works full time despite not really needing to from a childcare perspective? Do you regret it?

Quite a few people do this. You won't be alone.

It's no one's business. As you say you are still contributing your half. And even if your OH was supporting you thats a choice you would make together. Do what works for you. I went PT for a bit after my Mum died. When I became single I went back to FT but at the time it worked for me!

I've never worked in an employed job FT for various reasons, so when my DH was struggling with his FT job, I encouraged him to drop hours. It's worked really well & the gradual reduction has helped now he's retired.

It's normal in his company for people to work less than FT, which helped.

Anyone who judges, well, it's not their choice or their life to live. My employers always got my best efforts, just fewer hours, as that helped my mh.

I worked 2.5 days a week for ten years (and the half day was an afternoon as I hated getting up in the morning). i had previously been full time and approached work to go half time as I wanted to spend more time in salsa clubs at night and sleeping till late! I generally found full time a bit much and could afford not to do it. Then, when I was 47, I gave up work altogether. I'm still dancing but also rescuing cats and I could never find time to even do part time these days.

I've no idea if anyone judged me or not. But I would have been much to happy to care if they did.

too happy, not to happy, gah

My DP works 3 days a week. He is contracted full time and can be expected to work 12 hours each day but rarely does. It’s a job and knock kind of affair. It’s suited us lovely. We spend quality time together and with the kids. I would much rather have him happy and at home more than foreign holidays, a bigger house etc.

We also save lots of money because he tackles lots of work in and around the house himself as he has time.

Me! Only a little bit part time but I did get a few when I asked at work as I don't have kids, and I'm not close to retirement age (which is mostly when / why people are part time in my office). I love it, and I'm shortly about to ask to reduce my hours further. It'll make money a bit tight but I feel it's really worth it, it just makes life much nicer

I reduced my hours following a breakdown and I’m much much happier. Financially things are a bit tight but for me it’s worth it overall.

I went from five to three and a half days six years ago in what was a very stressful role. My health improved, I had more time to do things for myself, we finally managed to get pregnant and this year I managed to complete a masters. It made a huge difference to our lives. Thankfully, I’ve been able to keep promotions as I go so, on three and a half days I was only earning about £200 less a month - which with fuel/childcare saving etc. hasn’t made much of a difference.

I’m currently two days, which has been too little time in work now that I’m no longer studying and so I’m hoping to go back up to three days soon. It’s all about finding the right balance for the right point in your life :)

Isn't it always a "lifestyle choice"?

If you can have the lifestyle you want on a PT wage then why not? Lots of people drop hours to facilitate caring responsibilities, or to facilitate other interests like sports training or other outside interests.

I plan to drop to 4 days when I hit 40. Going to make hay whilst the sun shines now and over pay mortgage, whack loads in my pension and then do the sums. Will either formally go down to 4 weeks or purchase an additional leave block to be able to work more flexibly.

My brother has always worked 4 days. Before children. During the baby years and still. He’s just getting his day off back now his children are all primary aged and he loves it. Gets to go out for a long bike or a run, do some house jobs, relax, and can go see friends and have a late night Wednesday.

I think it's a valid choice
I work 0.7 FTE in a profession with unpredicatable hours and a high level of burnout. The average career is eight years. I have been going at it for twice that, and the fact that I have stayed part-time even though my youngest is 8 is no small part of avoiding burnout. I might work full-time at some future point, but I've no plans right now.

When I worked full-time, before I had DC, one of my child-free-by-choice colleagues worked four days a week. She and her partner were both in their earlier forties, and he did the same. She was evangelical about it, saying that it threw their lives into much better balance, and said everyone should try it. I'm now just as evangelical as she was!

I don’t think working 4 days is the sort of thing that attracts judgement. If you can afford it and you enjoy it, why not?

I’m 4 days a week and have no intention of going full time at the moment but it’s not just your salary you need to be aware of but the impact on your pension. My friend was very part time for a few years and should be able to retire from her public sector job this year after working 30 years, but it’s having to stay on because her pension was decimated. At the time she went part time she was married but has been divorced in the meantime - it’s something you need to consider.

I think it’s fine but I would keep an eye on your pension as one day that will be important to you and it seems to come around suddenly. My pension forecast is not great (periods of part-time and maternity leaves) and I am now divorced so only myself to rely on.

Cross post saying the same thing there!

I loved doing 6 shifts a fortnight when the DC were little.
I could help at school and do all the family admin stuff. I now work full time and struggle with my share of the family admin. DH struggles with his share of family admin as well, maybe we need a PA?

Its for my own mental health. Even working four days a week drove me to the edge as it was hard to keep up with two dcs at school and a massively stressful job.

Why would you still pay 50%? Do you have children? If not then fair enough but if you do then I’d argue differently.

Yes, I work ‘part time’ (24 hours) as a lifestyle choice. Although that is the maximum hours I can work in this particular role, which is the perfect job for me .

I haven’t worked full time for nearly 20 years, was. a SAHM for 12 years, by choice. It works for me, plenty of time to follow my own interests. My DH also chose to work p/t hours for several years (self employed so could choose his own work schedule). He now works f/t again but would love to negotiate 4 days a week.

But we are older & have paid off our mortgage which obviously makes things a lot easier financially.

I gave up work just after having my first child as I wanted to be home with him. I've recently gone back to work part time, youngest is 10. I've only gone back because the job is lovely. My partner is happy whatever I choose. Our kids like having me at home with them. I have plenty of time in the day to sort out little things that are time consuming and would cause stress if we both worked full time. It makes everyone's life easier. I couldn't care less if people judge me, it works for us.

I do. My children are old enough now that I should be working more hours, but frankly my job (teaching) makes me so miserable that part time is about all I can manage.

I do a 25 hour week, so that I can leave at 3pm. It started off as a childcare thing. My children are hulking teenagers now so I don't need to be at home, but it suits all of us and we can afford it, so we're carrying on.

It only recently occurred to me that my mother did exactly the same and continued to be part time till she retired. At that point she was running her department and also doing voluntary work in her spare time. Her boss contacted me when she died to express his admiration for everything she had achieved, so I feel pretty proud to be following in her footsteps.

Thinking about this myself. Our mortgage is tiny, and we don't give a shit about big cars and holidays really, so time is the more valuable commodity right now

I work 4 days in a very senior role. I have no intention whatsoever of ever working 5 days again as I like having one day a week to do my own thing. There’s no reason for me not to be full time other than I don’t want to

Working all hours and skiving off in work to avoid childcare responsibility is also a lifestyle choice... I used to work with a male teacher who admitted to staying late and also hiding in his study doing marking to avoid bedtime and the witching hour with his two under 3 year olds. Also knew men like that when I had an office job - "working late" wasn't cover for affairs but just for skivving, chatting, surfing the internet, drinking coffee and not going home until their wife or partner had done all the domestic work because the poor souls "worked their arses off doing long hours"

That's what should be judged.

Otherwise if you can support yourself then do what works for you. There are a lot of puritans on MN, who's views seem overly influenced by some kind of Calvinist mindset, but choosing a good work life balance is better than expecting to be admired for working all hours - equally a choice.