To think 32.5 hours is full time?

[tillyandmolly]

I'm at work 35 hours a week (5 x 7 hour shifts) with a 30 minute break, so technically it's 32.5. AIBU to think this is full time work?

Was out with some of my mum friends the other night and was straight up told how "it must be quite nice to have part time work even though the DC are in secondary school". My DC are in secondary school yes and I'm working full time because of that? (Not implying people have to of course, but it's full time surely?)

Interestingly x I'm a teacher and the highest contract in y profession is 32.5 hours 🤔

That’s the thing… IME jobs that claim FT working hours of 35 (or fewer) hours a week rarely mean that’s what you work.

I had several academic posts where the claim was that a FT working was 35 hours but, of course, you were supposed to just work whatever hours you needed to. So the workload you were allocated always meant that you were working more than 35 hours on just teaching and admin tasks and you were supposed to treat research as some sort of hobby. But, if you wanted career advancement, the hobby bit would be the determining factor. 🙄

In other sectors I’ve been contracted at FT as 37, 37.5 and 40 hours. This sounds worse but, in practice, you generally worked those hours with much less expectation that you’d treat sizeable chunks of your basic job as some sort of hobby to take up your ‘spare’ time.

So I’m now quite wary of a job that claims a short sounding working week.

Teaching is a great example of the problem. Sounds great. Short working week. Loads of holidays.

But the reality… 🤦🏻‍♀️

My FT contract at work is 9-5 35hpw (there is a one hour lunch). I don’t have a choice to increase those. pay in the sector reflects that compared to the larger salaries that seem the norm on MN.

Yes - I’d describe as full time. In all the places I have worked full time is 35 hours ie 7 hours a day 5 days a week. I work part time, 3 days which is 21, ie 3x7.

Why? Does your employer consider it part time?

Full time is subjective to the job so other people's experiences/opinion aren't relevant to you.
Full time as a teacher is different to full time as an air traffic controller to full time as an Uber driver etc.
Average "full time" contracts in uk are generally between 35 and 42 hours so yes, technically, your pattern falls below this but so what? Your employer clearly thinks it's fine! What matters is the work you produce, not how long you are present.

I do agree that those who say that there's no benefit to shorter hours if you work five days are underplaying some of the effect. Before my current four days a week flexi arrangement I had one where I worked five days a week but left at 4 some days, 5 on others and 6 on others. The days I left at 4 were so much nicer than the 5 days in terms of actually getting an evening, it did make a difference.

🤣 lol

It's very nearly almost full time! Feels nitpicky to say it isn't, but 35 hours work (40 hour week, 9-5 with an hour lunch break) is full time.

I work in the public sector and a full time contract is 36 hours. They changed the contract about 10 years ago and increased it from 35 to 36.

I wouldn't call anyone working 5 days a week part time. Or consider it any of my business!

Your ''friend'' sounds jealous.

You are actually at your workplace 35 hour a week so you cannot describe this as a ''part-time'' role.

I work part-time 3 days a week/21 hours by the way.

That's FT hon. Anything over 6 hours a day, 5 days a week is FT which is why you're legally entitled to the break you get x

37.5hrs a week with 1hr lunch break per day is full time where I am, so 32.5 actual working hours.

In the NHS, 37.5 hours is FT. That's my bar so I'd say you are part time. I work 30 hours a week and consider myself part time.

Plus, I am at work for 32 hours a week. Breaks times are irrelevant IMHO and cannot be added to your actual hours to establish whether you're FT or not.

I think the problem is saying part time sounds like you’re pissing around working 10 hours a week. It’s not quite full time, there needs to be a word for not quite full time😂

If you work 5 days, can’t increase your hours to “full time” as these are the hours everyone works in your company/position full time then I’d say you’re full time, not that it matters! I’m jealous of the hours you do also but wouldn’t put you down for it, good for you for having a job in a company that promotes a work life balance, you enjoy it. I love my 35 hour week and wish my place would do the 4 working days trial to be honest, but they never would. Still, I know how lucky I am working for such a great company, it’s sad your friend can’t be happy for you!

37.5 is full time where I work; standard contract at a multinational household name corporation. No one thinks about lunch breaks. We take breaks when we want / need.

Read your post twice. Almost full time because you are actually working the 35 hours. People will always have something to say.

What do your mum friends feel you are doing exactly with just 5 hours less than them a week?

As a nurse, my contracted full-time hours were 37.5, plus at least another 7.5 hours of uncontracted unpaid overtime, so that obviously prejudices me towards the OP’s measly 35/32.5 as not being full-time.

Personally though, I think all full-time jobs should be over 4 days a week - that extra day off can make all the difference to one’s work-life balance.

Outpatients often operate on a 4 day week. You should apply if it's making you feel like this.

I’m retired now! But yes, nursing is pretty good anyway for part-time/flexible working hours - even full-timers on (frankly exhausting) 12.5 hour shifts get 3 or 4 days off each week to compensate.