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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it’s ok to work 4 days a week if you don’t have kids

100 replies

letsremovethewap · 17/03/2022 22:49

I’m in my 20s, a teacher and don’t have kids, ideally I would like to have a teaching job with 0.8 hours. However people I’ve spoken to say that employers would find it weird that I’m not looking for full time work if I don’t have kids.

OP posts:
WonderfulYou · 18/03/2022 07:29

You can work 1 day a week if you want to.

As long as you can afford to pay your bills then any extra money you earn is ‘spending money’ so you can choose whether to earn more money or have a better life balance and work less.

EarringsandLipstick · 18/03/2022 08:07

Why was OP's post deleted? A bit odd to delete it leaving the thread in place?

TrippinEdBalls · 18/03/2022 08:16

@EarringsandLipstick

Why was OP's post deleted? A bit odd to delete it leaving the thread in place?
Surely an error? It was completely innocuous and not at all outing.
mjf981 · 18/03/2022 08:22

I do about 0.7 and don't have kids. Its great. Plenty of time to go to the beach, exercise, read etc. Suits me perfectly.

SpinningTheSeedsOfLove · 18/03/2022 08:28

Maybe the OP had a secret code in it ordering the glorious uprising of the workers or something.

FrenchApple · 18/03/2022 08:29

What??? What did she say???

pawpaws2022 · 18/03/2022 08:32

I don't have DC and if I could afford to drop to 32hrs or even 35 I would like a shot!

Oilyoilyoilgob · 18/03/2022 08:37

I work three days a week, no kids. Absolutely love it 😁

MsRinky · 18/03/2022 08:42

I do 25 hours a week, no kids. If you can afford it, why wouldn't you?

Kite22 · 18/03/2022 15:22

Why was OP's post deleted? A bit odd to delete it leaving the thread in place?

I can still read it Confused

However, the pay difference when dropping days in teaching is huge due to the limited days you're paid for

It works the same as anyone else - if you drop a day a week you lose 20% of your pay?

It does work the same as for everyone else, but you don't lose 20% of your takehome pay, due to the way tax works. Remember you pay nothing on the first £12K ish, so the first two days a week income are tax free.
I think it is the opposite of a huge drop in pay, when you look at what you take home (and I realise this doesn't apply for OP, but for many, when you factor in paying for 2 days less at CM or Nursery)

Hugasauras · 18/03/2022 15:25

Of course it's okay! I work three days for childcare reasons but when both DC are at school and I technically can move back to full time, I'm not sure I will as three days feels perfect for me and we are lucky enough we can afford it. At most I will go to four days.

Konstantine8364 · 18/03/2022 15:33

If you can afford it then go for it! I'm early thirties and I've just dropped to 0.9 and next year I'm planning to drop to 0.8 (no kids) I've 2 other close friends who do 0.7 and 0.8 with no kids. Life is too short to work all the time!!

YellowLemonYellow · 18/03/2022 15:36

@Chocomelon

You can do what you like if your employer is okay with it but personally I would question your work ethics and ambition.
Really?

I think it's great if that's what OP wants to do this and they can. I'm sorry but I find this comment quite amusing.

berlinbabylon · 18/03/2022 15:37

You can do what you like if your employer is okay with it but personally I would question your work ethics and ambition

Why do you need ambition or a career? Why can't you just do a job well and get paid for it, and go home and have enough time to enjoy life.

It's so sad that there are still people around who think your job has to be your life and you aren't allowed outside interests.

OP, I work a 0.6 week and my son is grown up now.

balalake · 18/03/2022 15:47

Perfectly reasonable. Though I think you should be willing to have a different non-working day than a Friday.

OutlookStalking · 18/03/2022 15:57

I used to teach ethics. I can't see qhat ethics would be in question! It could become an ethical issue if trying to work less for same pay or not pulling weight at work. But simply having a smaller contract - can't see it!

DoWhatYouLike · 18/03/2022 17:02

It's your business, nobody else's. I'd think many people will be envious.

Dreamstate · 18/03/2022 21:57

I moved to 4.5 days a week, making up the time by doing slightly longer hours on other days so my pay nor my holidays were affected.

I love it! Fridays afternoons were dead anyway, noone wanted to hold meetings and just seen like a waste of time working when I coukd use that time much better.

Whilst I dont have to give a reason, my manager still tries to find out what I do with hat time 🙄 none of her business.

So long as it doesn't impact work she doesn't need to know why.

Best thing I ever did! Love it so much

Villagewaspbyke · 18/03/2022 22:30

I think it’s entirely up to you but you must be set up financially to be doing that in your 20s. But if you are you are. I would absolutely choose to work part time only if I could afford it.

Bunnycat101 · 18/03/2022 22:40

Not teaching but I hope to never work proper full time ever again. I have to admit I have a colleague who I knew did 4 days when I joined and I made the (wrong) assumption she had children. That was on me tbh- it would be lovely if it was more normalised for more people to request part time working.

You do already get the advantages of school holidays so less applicable but if I was ever in the situation of having to go full time, I’d try and negotiate 0.9 on an annualised basis to get extra leave. There is someone really senior at work who has negotiated that and seems to get an extra 4/5 weeks of annual leave out of it and probably doesn’t lose that salary after tax deductions.

Dreamstate · 18/03/2022 23:16

@Bunnycat101

Not teaching but I hope to never work proper full time ever again. I have to admit I have a colleague who I knew did 4 days when I joined and I made the (wrong) assumption she had children. That was on me tbh- it would be lovely if it was more normalised for more people to request part time working.

You do already get the advantages of school holidays so less applicable but if I was ever in the situation of having to go full time, I’d try and negotiate 0.9 on an annualised basis to get extra leave. There is someone really senior at work who has negotiated that and seems to get an extra 4/5 weeks of annual leave out of it and probably doesn’t lose that salary after tax deductions.

This is similiar to what I do, I have Friday afternoons off but those hours are done mon to fri so no chnage to my annual leave. Aince I tend to take long weekends win win for me because instead of booking a whole day off I only have to book half a day which means I end up having more leave iyswim
Tiddlywinkly · 18/03/2022 23:22

Do what you want. I'd just check the projected difference in pension first to be clear about where you'll stand when the time comes.

Chocomelon · 19/03/2022 06:16

I think it's great if that's what OP wants to do this and they can. I'm sorry but I find this comment quite amusing.

Don't be sorry. We all think differently.

I actually find it funny how a lot of mums betters don't seem to grasp that or can say others are wrong for thinking differently from then.

We all make judgments in life based on different things.

parrotonthesofa · 19/03/2022 06:42

I thinks it's an excellent idea, especially for teaching. You can use your day off to do prep etc and hopefully that will mean you don't have to work weekends.

bellabasset · 19/03/2022 07:18

Why on earth not? It will give you a better quality of life and an opportunity to do other activities or hobbies you're interested in. It could make you a better teacher.

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