AIBU to feel flexible working means you just end up working for free

[satbythefire]

Hopefully they’ll be many of you familiar with this and can help me please. I get paid for working 4 days a week and I spread this over 5 days, so I work shorter days to do school pick up. Yet to get my job done I end up working most evenings and increasingly weekends. I’m working the equivalent of least 5 days a week on 4 days pay. I’m in a senior role and feel that I have no choice.

AIBU to think it shouldn’t be this way. Is there anyway to make 4 days a week work? If so, how do you do you manage it?

In most places I've worked, there is a clear expectation for those in senior roles to work additional hours for the high salary they receive. I would check that this is not an expectation where you work before you start pushing back.

In the meantime are there things that you can do to use your time more effectively? Daily stand up with your team, delegating more work to others, more efficient email system etc.

When I went part time I went to 3 days a week equivalent, partly to prevent the issues you are having.

If you work 4 days, I think it is too easy for everyone to just try to get you to compress 5 days to 4. Whereas if you are at 3 days it is far easier to pushback to yourself and colleagues 'sorry, can't do, no time, not top priority'.

Before I went part time I also looked at how many hours above contracted I was doing, and then I did 3/5ths of that extra on top of my part time, which I thought was fair.

When I worked a 4 day week I really did work a 4 day week but that in the days before smartphones and standard working from home and so when I wasn't in the office, I wasn't available.

Later I worked 4 days spread over 5, and I did check emails and answer them out of hours. But, you have the power not to. You can go out, do what you do what to do, and look at them on your own terms. If you choose to answer on a day off to help colleagues out, that's up to you. But you are not being paid for those hours, they are (presumably) being paid full time, so are being paid to cover when you are not there.

Part-time working isn't the same as flexible working, a part-time job can be very inflexible, but for me, the pro's of flexible working completely outweigh any cons.

I work 30 hours per week Monday to Friday, 9am until 3pm. Outside of these hours I have childcare responsibilities, therefore I am unable to check and respond to emails and voicemails

Almost, don't mention childcare. I would suggest

I work Monday to Friday, 9am until 3pm. I will respond to emails and voicemails during those hours

Instead of sending emails at 8pm I draft them then send them when I'm working the next working day. Partly because a few of my colleagues will reply when they shouldn't

I was talking about this yesterday. I do think this is an issue. I am guilty as anyone of working when it suits me and sending emails whenever. But the problem is that someone sees it on a Sunday evening and even though they don't want to think about it, their brain starts working on it and it's a distraction. I think we should all schedule our emails to arrive at 8.30 on a Monday morning (or whenever) but not at 6pm on a Sunday (or indeed 2am any night).

I’m not in a senior position but I do a 4 day week working for a team of people who task me. I’ve taken over from a full time person and they’ve acknowledged that they haven’t reduced the workload ( because if I don’t do it they would have to do it themselves and they don’t want that). The last person used to be able to go to the gym in her working day and I definitely can’t manage that. Some weeks I have to work late every night but the difference is I do get paid for that. I stick it out because the work is more interesting, they’re not breathing down my neck and micro managing me and I get to work from home somewhat. As a commuter this saves me a considerable amount of time and enables me to get to school events or cover when my DD is unwell. It’s a definite trade off.

It really depends what sort of role and working environment it is.

Does everyone routinely works beyond their contracted hours?

Do lots of people work 4 days a week (or would your employer prefer you worked 5 days)?

In some professions its the 'golden handcuffs of part-time working'. You suck it up because its better than working full time and never doing any school pick ups.

Its the reason lots of people in senior roles game it (ie work full time in theory but flexibly to suit their own needs).

I agree it depends upon your level of seniority - when working in these levels - and earning the corresponding salary your pretty much have to work extra hours at times.

I am now semi retired and work 25 hrs over 4 days - and that is what I do. If I do extra one day I take it as TOIL - your are only paid for these hours and that is all you should do.

But I have to admit I have had to be very strong and firm before my current employer has grasped that but it has made life far better for others in the organisation as well.

But it was easier for me standing my ground and I am slowing down work for retirement and not asking for consideration for a short period of time.

Leave a polite message as some of them suggested above and then simply do not answer the phone - turn it off of you can.

Did you push back and not answer emails out of hours when you worked full time? You need to do the same again. Jobs don't magically come in 40-hour weekly packages - if you have too much to deal with in however many hours you work, you need to discuss with your managers.

Some employers do expect all flexibility to be one way - I applied for one that offered flexible working but required you to be in the office, 9-5,Mon-Fri, no exceptions...

I hear a lot of people say this about 4 days week PT. Personally I've only ever done 3 days max and haven't really experienced this. I think maybe it's a 4 day a week thing not a flex/PT thing per se. You're there enough that they don't feel the need to reduce the work or expectations.

Oh I remember this when I was working four days in a previous job. When I raised to my manager that my workload was too high for 4 days all she had to say was that I needed to work more efficiently in order to get it done. Such a bitch!

I had the same Puff. Workload v capability.