To ask your opinion on increasing work hours?

[narcdad]

I currently work 3 days a week and have done for the last 9 years, I love it but with the cost of living it's harder to stretch my salary.

At the moment I do Mon - Wed 8.45am to 3.45pm, both kids go to school wraparound club which is £60pw I work 21.5 hrs pw

I'm considering going to 5 days 😬 so Mon - Fri 8.45am - 2.45pm, Also partial term time, so 6 weeks summer, 2 weeks Easter and 2 weeks Christmas off. Wraparound care will be £50pw as will only need morning cover. Increasing hours to 30 pw

Salary will increase by £4.5k pa

I'm scared of losing my 2 child free days and regretting it, at the same time, I can collect kids after school every day and I get main holidays off. Can use AL for other school holiday.

Having worked 3 days for so long it's going to be a shock. Can I ask what you lovely parents think.....?

I’d go for it. You’ll get used to it really quickly and your hours and holiday allowance allow for good quality of life. The extra money will be worth it.

Is a compromise to go to 4 days? You have to do whatever works for you- with the full afternoon wrap around with your current hours, is it that you have to pay a blanket fee no matter what time you pick them up? So picking them up at 4 is the same as 6.30? If so, would it make sense to do 4 days 8.45-2.45 which ups your hours a bit and takes away the cost of afternoon wraparound?

Do you currently have the partial term time arrangement? Is there a dad involved?

@maybein2022 thanks for reply, dad around and main earner but he is out the house by 6am and home by around 7pm.

Wrap around is £5 until 4.30 then goes up to £12 till 6pm, if I did 4 days childcare would be more as I'd need morning too, which is £5

@TiraMissSue this is what I'm hoping!

@maybein2022 currently not term time so usually short of AL and have to pay for summer camps

In that case I’d probably go to 5. Term time only (as you can use AL for other holidays) and finishing at 2.45 is pretty good. Good luck!

I'd go for it too to not have to use wrap around care...I work full time so have to use afterschool club almost every day and I can tell DS1 is tired and ratty by the end of the week. Plus he misses out on non-school clubs as they tend to be on weekday evenings.

I'd keep one child free day esp since dh works long hours. It's so handy to have a day that doesnt involve children.

How old are the kids?

Thanks!

Yes, I find girls tired when I collect them at 4.30, they've been st school since 7.30am, also if they want to do after school activities I still have to pay for ASC as they usually finish at 4ish

Just not looking forward to getting up at 6.30am everyday 🤣

@Hankunamatata this is what I'm worried about - although I do have very good AL entitlement

@KarrotKake almost 10 and almost 7, 10yo has asd and my worry is when she goes secondary she won't cope at home alone during my days at work but will be too old for most camps as cut off is around 11/12 years, which is why the TT appeals

I think what you need changes as the DC get older and it sounds like 5 days a week will suit you more now. We changed our hours when our youngest started school so we were around in the afternoon for them most days and it has worked well. Go for it.

I think school hours + a lot of holidays off would be fantastic! You don't say how old your children are but I think by the time DC get to mid primary and need less hands on attention, it's much easier to get on with other "stuff" around them after school etc. and it gives you more flexibility to fit in things like clubs and playdates. What things do you do on your days "off" that you would be missing?

I know you say DH is out the house from 6-7 but is there any flexibility for him to change (e.g. go in a bit later one day a week)? It might just make that bit of extra difference.

Can I ask if you're sure you've done your sums right? On the one hand you're working extra hours (though I can't work out how you manage 21.5 hours now working 8.45-3.45??) but on the other hand you're getting a lot more holidays

If you wanted to keep a day free, you could work 3 8.45-2.45 days and 1 8.45 - 5.15 (or however late gives you time to pick up) day which would keep childcare roughly the same. Or you could work an even longer 4th day, if DH was able to pick up at 6, just on that day?

I really value having one day a week that I don't work so I would try to have a four day week – that said, the days I work it is to 5:30

maybe the solution of the previous poster that you work one longer day so it balances out. It is just so nice to have one day childfree and work free for you to get loads of jobs done – or just be able to occasionally have a relaxing time and some time for yourself to go for a swim, or whatever.

I would sit down and work out the finances. Yes you’ve got a bit extra coming in, but that has to cover extra child care, plus some will go on NI and tax. Your monthly extra may not be as great as you think.
i fell foul of this - thought it would be great to get another 12.5 hours a week. Except that I’m actually only taking home another £5 per week for those extra hours. 😳

@redskyatnight thanks for the reply,

DD's are almost 10 and and almost 7, husbands work offers no flexibility unfortunately, so he is out of the loop.

Currently do 8.45 (usually 8.30am) to 3.45 no lunch so 7hrs straight (get 20 mins paid break) so that's 21.5 the 0.5 I make up by staring at 8.30am 2 days.

New hours would be 6hrs per day, again no lunch 8.45 - 2.45 straight so 30 hrs pw

Girls finish school at 3.30 so gives me 45 min commute, in rush hour takes a good hour, but I'll miss peak times as leaving early.

On my days off, I either clean, laundry, decorate, life admin, sleep, shopping etc, nothing really exciting, occasionally meet friends for lunch

Pro rata i get around 5 weeks as I've been at job a long time

I need to submit new hours by Tuesday 😬
I keep panicking that I'm making a mistake!

😬 I've gone over sums I'd be £150 per month better off inc tax NI, will have more petrol costs though!

Also the girls really dislike after school club, my childcare would only be £10 per day, £5 each for breakfast club

I pay £20 per day now for breakfast & ASC

My ASD child couldn’t go holiday clubs so I worked term time. Now at secondary I’ve switched to a part time WFH job so I am there for them . Only thing with the hours you are planning to do is there is no time for yourself you are either working or looking after the kids it’s quite tiring

So for £150 per month £37.50 per week, plus extra fuel costs (so even less extra in your pocket) and more stress all round - is it worth it to you? It may well be for future promotions etc. only you can answer that!

I work similar hours to you currently and have increased mine temporarily. Also like you my lo is on the spectrum.
I have temporarily increased my hours and it's hard work as I'm still juggling the additional responsibilities associated with my child's additional needs.
I'm a lone parent and won't lie, I do now have greater appreciation of those non working days.
Luckily, we manage the school holidays fine and I've a few years before secondary hits.

£150 per month better off isn’t much if you have more petrol costs BUT the term time only thing is a huge bonus. Will you be paid pro rata so that you get the same income through the holidays?

It’s such a tough one.

Is it a normal expectation to have days off work when kids are all at school?

I don't know anyone who does this really, except a couple of loaded "ladies who lunch" and don't work at all.

Working 5 days pretty much school hours AND with that amount of school holiday off sounds amazing, I'd definitely take it.

Normal?

Think it depends on other circumstances.

I care for my child with additional needs and a family member. So yes, 5 days ft and juggling school holidays would be too much for me at this time. Part time when not on a term time only contract, means there's just enough flex to cover school holidays etc when a lone parent.
That's before adding in my own health needs.

Yes I'll be paid pro rata so will always have a monthly salary.

@InChocolateWeTrust - great user name by the way! Yes definitely a thing to take some time off when kids are in school, my eldest is autistic and can very challenging, demanding, so for me a few days off kid free are my mental health days.

Some great advice, thanks everyone, I'll make my decision in the next day or so 😬