My husband is a senior Civil Servant who has worked full-time from home since last March due to Covid. I work 30 hours a week for the NHS. After working from home last year during the first lockdown, I returned to the office last September. I do not work Fridays.
My dh used to travel quite a lot pre Covid, which involved some overnight stays every few weeks. I enjoyed the space to do my own thing and it worked well for both of us. He is hoping to resume visiting other offices again once restrictions lift further (whenever this happens now!). I have been really looking foward to having some periods of time to myself (our dds are grown up - one attends college full-time and the other will be moving out when she gets her first job in the next few months). I really want a return to how things were, with some space to enjoy my Fridays off work. My dh works very hard, but does not have hobbies and when he is not working, enjoys nothing more than staying at home watching sport and playing on his XBox in our living room. He does not enjoy ‘doing’ things like DIY or other activities outside the home and although he pulls his weight with shopping, cooking etc, he can often feel like a heavy presence around the home.
He has just announced today that once he is allowed to travel for work again, he wants to compress his hours and work a 9 day fortnight, having a Friday off every other week. I visit my sister who has a learning disability and lives in supported housing every Saturday (since my mum died nearly two years ago). I really value having some ‘me’ time and a chance to potter by myself on a Friday. AIBU to not be entirely happy about his new preferred work pattern? If he didn’t want a Friday off, this would not be a problem, but I think he would be upset if I suggested he took another day off instead!!!