To not go full time?

[WhoWants2Know]

Work have offered me a chance to increase my working week from 4 to 5 days. 8 hour work days, with an hour commute each way. It would allow me to take on a bit more of a type of work I enjoy, but there doesn't seem to be much scope for advancement.

When I calculate the effect on my finances, it turns out that adding an extra day each week would only leave me £73 better off each month.

Unfortunately there's a policy that says people at my work base aren't allowed to work from home, so I can't reduce commuting costs. (It's a shame, as most people in my role across the country do work from home)

Overall I have mixed feelings about my job. I have great days and days where I come home tearful and frustrated. Some of my colleagues do drive me nuts and I don't know if being with them all the time would help or hinder things.

I keep going back and forth and don't know what to choose. Kids are in school and don't need me home as much, but it's nice to have a day to get on top of laundry, etc.

Anyone have any ideas?

There is no way I would go full time from part time for only £73 extra per month. The work to life balance ratio would not be worth it.

£73 a month? Screw that!

Why would you??

Adding on the commute you're essentially working an extra 40 hours a month for less than £1.82 an hour.

Yanbu. Why give up 4 days a month for 73? It doesn't work for you to give that up for such a tiny increase.b

Sure you don't mean £73 / day?

Absolutely not - 4 extra days work for £73 is ridiculous. I'd decline and explain that it makes no financial sense to do so if your attendance is required in the office

4 days a week sounds fine - why would you want to go up to 5 days if it doesn't bring you any benefits? especially with no chance of advancement.

do they need someone to take on the extra work? you could offer to do 5 days only if they let you wfh and then see what they say.

And no job should regularly leave you tearful and frustrated. What is going on there?

£73 a month??!

No, I wouldn’t do this!! What does that work out as per hour for that extra day??

This is why people who are struggling with their work/life balance are told to consider dropping from five to four days. Because of the personal threshold you end up losing far less than 20% of your earnings.

Similarly you won't earn an extra 25% by increasing from four to five.

I don't think it's worth it, OP. In fact I think it's a bonkers idea.

Do you really need the £73? Will you go into debt without it, or be unable to afford food or energy? If yes then take it, if not then no way.

I’d decline and use your day at home to look around for another job. Either one with flexibility or one with opportunities for advancement.

It sounds like you have a lot of working years ahead of you and that yYou don’t exactly love your current job.

If I’m wrong and you don’t want to move, the extra money doesn’t sound enough to be worth it. Especially if you need after school and holiday care for DC on that extra day

Don't do it, it already sounds like you are a bit unhappy in your job and all it will do is mentally grind you down and you will have no space to breathe and relax, I'd tell them you are happy with your position for now as it fits in with your lifestyle or whatever else you want to say. If it was a job you 100 percent lived, I'd say go for it.

Loved not lived*

How does it only come out to £73 per month?

Even if you are on only £10 per hour that’s 10x8x4.3 = 344 per month gross, so where is the extra money going?

Absolutely no way would I do this.

No chance.

Not a chance. Stay 4 days. I would be reducing by a day not increasing it!

Only £73 a month extra to work 5 8 hour days instead of 4 works out an hourly rate of around £2.10 after tax. Min wage is £9.50 an hour. How is it possible you're working for so little?

Are you sure your calculations are correct OP? Why is the fifth day so much more expensive to work? Makes no sense.

I went from 4 to 5 days when youngest started school and threw the 5th day all into my pension- you'll avoid the tax hit this way and start to recover your pension pot

Add on tax, NI, pension contributions, student loan? and commuting costs and it could well come right down.

@orwellwasright
Ahh. That makes sense. I thought OP was just calculating the difference in her take home pay, not deducting other costs too.

@orwellwasright

But if a 5th day was only worth £18, how it be worth working the other days? She's paying tax and commute on them too, once she's pass the tax allowance

@lancsgirl85 No it doesn't, otherwise she's basically taking home only 300-400 after tax for a 4 day week at present...makes no sense unless she takes a personal helicopter to work

I didn't realise until I went down to 4 days just how little that extra day a weeks work was worth to me financially. Extra commute. Extra nursery fees. It was pointless!