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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you work full or part time and the reasons why?

533 replies

BabyNextYear25 · 10/01/2024 18:26

My sister received news today she would not be able to return to work full time as there isn't capacity. She was a little annoyed as her youngest will be in school and she's bored at home.
It got me thinking, the vast majority of my female friends and family work part time. It would be my dream to work part time but it's not feasible at the moment. Um curious to see how many women work part time, and what is there reason behind it? But also full time as well.
My reason is simple- I was single parent and I couldn't pay my mortgage on one wage.

OP posts:
OwlSock · 10/01/2024 22:38

Part time - we are a home ed family so I am at home/clubs and classes all week with the kids and then work weekends in an amazing job that I love. DH works from home Monday to Friday, so we all see each other most of the week. For us, we have a perfect balance.

Rosebel · 10/01/2024 22:39

Close to full-time. 35 hours, over 3. 5 days. I would love to do less but will probably have to give up work during the summer so need to make money while I can.

Ireolu · 10/01/2024 22:41

Part time. No one copes doing my job 5 days a week. Yet to meet a single person that does. Most common is 3-4 days

Metallicant · 10/01/2024 22:42

Part-time

To fit around children, dogs, other commitments.

Looking to go full-time in the next year or two but it needs to pay enough to justify cleaners, dog-walkers, etc that I don’t need at the moment. I don’t want to give up my hobbies and social life to do all the domestic stuff that I manage to fit into daytime at the moment.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 10/01/2024 22:45

Full time. I see no reason to take 20% pay cut and cram a ft job into 4 days and be on call whether I like it or not anyway.

CatNeedsFed · 10/01/2024 22:46

I work full time. I worked p-t when DC were small and promised myself a couple of months more PT before going back FT when last DC went to school so I could use the other 2 days to gut the house, clear out baby stuff, etc.

Then an ideal FT job very local to me was advertised that started on the same day as youngest DC started school. I got it and the house never did get done!

It was just as well I took it though as DH then not long after had to take a pay cut and his overtime disappeared during a long down turn in his industry. So we never got the benefit of it really (but it was obviously much better than me still being PT in that situation).

Ejismyf · 10/01/2024 22:49

Full time because my children are all in school/left school now so why wouldn't I increase my earning potential/pension as much as possible.

EvenLess · 10/01/2024 23:01

Part time, 3 days. My DD is still young and I'm fortunate not to need to work FT. I did try a FT role last year but longstanding MH issues that had been under control started to reoccur and I quickly looked for something else.

All my team work PT due to emotional nature of our work/caring responsibilities, and it's lovely to work somewhere that part time hours are seen as the norm and that everyone has a life outside of their job.

Teder · 10/01/2024 23:05

I work 32 hours across 4 days. I would prefer to work full time for financial reasons but also I love my job. Unfortunately, my health is poor so I imagine it’ll only decline in the future. For now, I have a good balance and I feel very fortunate

pumpkinfarm · 10/01/2024 23:18

I condense 4.5 days in to 4 and have a Friday off. Easier than trying to condense 5 days in to 4. Technically it's 33.75 hours a week I think, but no one monitors it too closely.

Means I almost get a full time salary, and ironically I'm better off every month than when I earned a FT salary but had to pay for an extra day's nursery.

Love having Fridays off with my toddler.

ChristmasSparklePoop · 10/01/2024 23:24

I work part time but it's still 32 hours a week. I collect my kids from school nursery 3 days a week and it makes me present for them
At the school gates and my eldest can attend various clubs that take place straight after school. I hate my job. My manager despises me for going part time. Said she didn't know why the big bosses agreed to it (she wasn't manager at the time that came later) and she managed to get me replaced and shipped me out the office to an office on the other side of town by myself. It's a terrible situation and she's one nasty piece of work. I stick it out because there's no jobs in the town that will allow me these hours. It means I'm there for my children.

Ginslings · 10/01/2024 23:29

Full-time. Mainly because we need the money, but we could just adjust our lifestyle and live on less if we had to.

Also my job role wouldn't work as part-time.

My dh went down to p/t though when kids were small as he earnt less than me.

DrCoconut · 10/01/2024 23:39

Part time as I have DC with additional needs and cant get childcare. This means I have to claim UC and have people looking down their noses at me but it is what it is. If they can find me a childminder for an autistic secondary school child and who also picks up from our primary school I'm all ears.

Letsbekindplease · 10/01/2024 23:40

Full time. I work 12 hour shifts so my full week is done 3 days. If I was to do part time it would be 2 days. An extra day isn’t much

Rapunzel91 · 11/01/2024 06:29

Full time. Recently went back to work after being a SAHM for a couple years and could only get full time positions. Massively struggling with it and wishing I wasn’t in such a rush to get back to work, it’s negatively impacting my mental health health

Trinity69 · 11/01/2024 06:33

Full time, term time only. Both of my kids are in secondary school but my autistic son still needs me around during the holidays.

Passingthethyme · 11/01/2024 06:33

I briefly worked part time before having DC and would always want to do this if finances allowed. I think 30 hours would be my maximum, although 20-25 would be better. Even though I love my job, I've always been able to find much more fun and interesting things to do that work!

missydem · 11/01/2024 06:37

Full time, single parent - part time is not affordable for me (large late stage mortgage and general teen costs!) and would also limit future opportunities...

Mummadeze · 11/01/2024 06:43

Full time. Never considered part time. I have always been the breadwinner and it isn’t usual in my type of work to go part time.

Goatymum · 11/01/2024 06:54

ive never gone back f/t since having DC (most I’ve done is 4 days) and even though they’re at uni now I’m still p/t!
My health isn’t the greatest so p/t still suits, although I could do more hours. I also work hybrid which is great. P/t also means I’m more around when DCs are back for holidays. DS’s MH also isn’t great and I either have to support him from afar or when he’s home.
Having said all that, if a great hybrid/local f/t job came up I would still go for it, but there would need to be caveats!

Willmafrockfit · 11/01/2024 06:58

the job offer was 2 days, then after some time it became 3 then 4
so now i am sticking with 4 as i am busy on my day off

AnotherCountryMummy · 11/01/2024 07:00

Full time for money and career progression. I'd prefer to not work at all, but that's not possible at the moment so instead, we are overpaying mortgage and slamming into the pensions to try and retire earlier 😅

TiaSeeya · 11/01/2024 07:00

When DC were at primary I worked 15 hours pw
When they were at secondary I upped it to 20 hours pw
Now one at uni and one going this year I upped it and took on more responsibility and do 30 hours pw

Uni is expensive so we need the £ but also I much prefer working and I still have a day off a week. Perfect balance for me.

HighQueenOfTheFarRealm · 11/01/2024 07:01

Part time. Full time in my role meant longer hours than the usual 9-5 and I didn't want that anymore when I had dc so I went part time.

Selenitetower · 11/01/2024 07:03

Im part time and also at university, once I graduate I will work full time.