Working hours

[WellWellWellWhatHaveWeHeree]

If you're someone who works compressed hours how do you squeeze that into a week and what days/hours etc?

The company in question is 37 hours and I can work from home and they are extremely flexible so the world is my oyster.

I wondered if those with experience of this could share how they work their compressed week please as I'm looking for tips. Thank you.

I work 4 days, witha slight reduction (15%) and compression. So I do 8hrx4 for 36hrs, and take the 15% from 37.5 as a pay reduction. I used to do 2x7.5 and 2.8.5 but it got complicated with holiday.

I work 32.5 hours - 8-6 Monday, Tuesday and Friday, then 4 hours at some point over the weekend

We need more details, do you have kids? Nursery/school drop offs?

Not really worth everyone telling you if you’re requirements and lifestyle aren’t the same surely?

I just wanted a range of ideas and tips as I'm not sure how to split my hours really yet. Yes I have school and nursery runs to do- nursery is open 8am-6pm and my son can be in 4 full days a week (even though I have mum guilt he's my last child and I want to prioritise my career for a while - he's 2)

I also have a 7 year old son at school who equally can be in school 8-6 with breakfast and after school clubs. I also have grandparents willing to do school pick ups in the afternoons to avoid so much after school club etc but they can't look after the younger son as they're older and unable to cope for long with the little one.

I also have a husband who will do various school drop offs and also has our son 1 day a week for a full day.

I work full time but over a 9 day fortnight. I do 9-5.30 7/9 days and 9-7 2/9 days (because I have some evening meetings so this works for me). I do have some flexibility with this so can swap days / times a bit depending on diary commitments so will sometimes start or finish a bit early.

I think a 9 day fortnight is best tbh. Not stupidly long days and a day off EOW.

I do full time over 4.5 so 8-5 Mon - Thur and then 8-1 on Fri. Friday afternoon is then chore time and I love it because psychologically, it feels like I'm being paid to do my housework 🤣

Tuesday to Friday 07:30 - 16:50. DH does nursery drop off in the morning and I collect in the evening.
Monday is spent at clubs with my DC, food shopping etc.

I work 25 hours over 5 days. 8-1.

About to move to 30 hours (I’ll eventually go back up to 35 by the end of the year). My place of work are really flexible about how I do my hours as long as they see me in the office 1-2 times a week.

I like routine though, so trying to decide if I do Mon, Wed, Fri 8-2 and Tue & Thurs (have 2pm medical appointments) 7:30-1:30.
Or if I do a couple of full days and then spread the rest out into really short days.

DH compressed his ours to have the kids on a Monday, he does officially does 8-6 Tuesday to Friday although he is a senior manager so he just does what he wants 🤣 sometimes 11-5, sometimes 6-8!

I think if I were you I'd work 4 days per week. And take Wednesdays off. It splits up the week nicely
You either start early and your husband does the morning routine and drop offs and you do the evening bit or the other way round or a combination so you get to do both.
So eg. Monday and Tues you work 7-5. Thursday and Friday you do 10-7.

I do 37 hours over 4 days wfh. I used to have a long weekend EOW but then changed to having the Wednesday off and I love never having to work more than two days in a row. I work 10 hours 4 days a week, half an hour is unpaid lunch, so 38 hours, the extra hour gives me an extra weeks leave in TOIL over the year.

Wednesday off is good.

Try not to do different amounts each day or your holiday has to be counted in hours

It works best if you have a company with traditional 9-5 and regularly take your lunch as a full hour break, so can reduce it.

Eg i know a home worker who does 30h as 9.-3 daily but taking no lunch. I do 30h, but 2 normal days & 3 short days, but i take lunch.

A lot of companies have pushed people to longer standard hours - 37.5 or even 40h/week. Its hard to compress 40h into less days, even with no commute, its logistically hard to have a child in childcare 10h.

I do 35 over 4 with half hour dinners

Mon 7.30-3
Tues/wed 7.30-5.30
Thurs 7.30-5

I keep a monday at 7 hours as most bank holidays fall on them so I would lose holiday allowance each time if I worked it. I learned that the hard way on my previous flexible work pattern.

See this is what I was looking for! An extra weeks leave in TOIL is a bloody brilliant idea. My company is very flexible so likely would be ok with this too. You say you work 10 hour days with 30 mins break- what times do you do?

Also helpful, hadn't thought of bank holidays. Everyone has helped a lot thanks.

I used to do 9h 15 x 4, roughly 7am-5pm (or 5:15pm) with half an hour dinner = making up around 30 mins a day and would have long lunches later in the week to go running or finish early on a Friday/whatever.

I now work 9h 15 × 3 and 2 days with my baby. I still do the roughly 7am-5pm ish pattern and run at lunch!