How many hours a week do you work? Want to drop to part time

[Knowingmeknowingyou1]

I work on average 37/38, 31 years old, have a partner but no children.
I know some people work way more but I even feel like this is too much and I'd like to reduce it by 5-10 hours.
I get paid hourly so it varies, but for 37 hours I can come out with around 1700 net. Dropping to 25 hours would see me coming out with around 1300 (as of July)
Part of me just wants to go part time and learn to manage on the 1300, thinking that life is too short. Another part of me thinks it'd be 'lazy' of me, that I should work full time hours as most people have to, and that I can put the extra 400 in savings.
Anyone else?

My concern about this would be basically: these are the years which are in many ways most valuable for your pension, when you have the least expenses and the opportunity to be FT and the most years for the money to grow. If you choose to reduce hours with no DC, you won't ever be subsidised by a partner's pension for these years, and it's not ever going to get easier to go back FT. Do you have a plan for later life?

36 hrs. Work in NHS. Used to do 37.5 hours but the 4 day 12hr shift every 6 weeks killed me. Can do bank shifts i I want, but very rarely do.

As your income is low, and your partner is on a 0 hours contract, personally I consider this unwise. You don't work an excessive amount as it is and you will have better security if you carry on as you are. You could then save the extra to practice living on less before reducing hours down, using the savings to top up if needed. But while you're still young and have no actual need to reduce hours I'd personally work more now to afford working less later.

I work full time and I am my mid-50s. Unless you have a plan for your increased leisure time -study, hobby- I wouldn’t do it.

Do you own your house and have a decent pension? Are you prepared for if one of you can't work and for retirement? Don't forget that you will lose pension contributions too.

I have had a few health scares, been made redundant and have a disabled child that limits the hours i can work

I now view money as something you have to accumulate as much of as you can when you are young, fit and healthy as you might have times when you cant earn at all. Make hay whilst the sun shines. Only you know if you already have enough hay!

I do understand life is for living and you deserve to enjoy yourself too. I dont think its lazy to work part time either.

I work 27.5 hours a week, school hours, from home.
My husband works 40 hours a week, sometimes from home - in the office 2 or 3 days a week.

I did work full time before I had my child though.

I think it's irrelevant what other people work, and you need to give more information about your current situation before any can comment appropriately 😄.

Do you own a house / have any debts / plan to get married / plan to have children / have a good pension organised? From what you've said, you don't sound like you're at a life stage anywhere near considering this.

25.5 hours as I have two small children. I guess I could live off this wage forever but we'd be able to do more fun experiences if I go back full time eventually. Plus I'm very money motivated so not happy earning less than I could!

If you can afford it and want to id6say do it! Doesn't matter what others think. I've worked part time since I had my first child 6 years ago.

I currently work 25 hours spread over 5 days..previously I worked 3 full days (22.5 hours). I prefer spreading the hours over the full week, as I found it really hard being out of work 4 days each week as I missed a lot. Also often ended up having to check emails on my days off (this does depend on your job though whether it could be an issue).

20 hours per week. 10-2, m-f. No kids. Work from home. Admin. I love it, gives A good work/life balance. It will eventually go full time but I prefer it like this tbh.

I do 32 .4 eight hour days.. works well for me.. not a huge drop from F/T

I think it’s better to work FT when you can. I know someone in their late 30s who’s healthy, no DCs and only works 20hrs a week. She then expects her FT working siblings to pay when they go out to dinner and moans she can’t afford things. It does rankle.

I do 30 hrs per week over 4 days, works for me and having that extra day makes a huge difference.

I would say though be careful that dropping hours now doesn't result in you having to work extra years when you're older, to get a liveable pension.

Make sure you consider any employer pension contributions in your calculations.

My pension took a massive hit going from 36 to 30 hours following maternity leave.

I recently moved from 37.5 (5 days) to 30 (4 days) and I love it! I have a whole day a week for the appointments/jobs that need to be done and then still have a whole weekend! Yes, my pay has dropped but not back as much as I had thought it might due to the amount of tax free allowance. Have you calculated your 30 hours (or however many you want to drop to) using an online calculator that will take into account your tax/national insurance/pension contributions? Or did you just take off the amount of pay you will be losing?

I do 30 hours over 3 days so 8-6.30pm top band 7 NHS. I absolutely love my work life balance as I have more days off than on. Single Mum to 2 teens (off to Uni this year and next) so have exh maintenance at the moment, may increase hours next year to full time but do 3 long days no way would I ever go back to 4 or 5 days a weeks unless forced to.

I am currently in the sweet spot, part retired, work 20 hours a week and also have a workplace pension. My net income has not changed much because I pay less tax and don't pay NI on the pension. But it took many years of full time slog to get here!

I’d never drop my hours at your age with no kids. In fact I’d be doing extra. Looking for promotion, increasing earnings and earnings potential!

I work 45 hrs over 5 days/wk. But can easily do 54-60 hrs wk. Salaried so where possible (it hardly ever is) I can book TOIL in max 3 hrs blocks. I'm 37 married with one kid. Work weekends and Bank hols as well.

It sounds grim but I love my job and it's an escape. Pay is alright as well. Take home approx. £2200 net 4 weekly. Plus bonuses and commission.

Day dream about cutting back on my hours but would rather shove as much into pensions and onto the mortgage as poss. You never know when your circumstances can change. Prefer to work my ass off now while I still can.

@Knowingmeknowingyou1
Are you coming back to answer anyone's questions ?

but I have heard many tales of children who had full time working parents and they really really hated not having their parents home and them always being at work. Just ONE parent being home more (the mum OR the dad) would have been OK.
and I have known may well adjusted, happy young adults who have had very happy childhoods with parents that WOTH.
Not that is has anything to do with this thread.