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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:
Glitterbaby17 · 12/01/2024 07:50

80 percent - 2 long days and 3 shorter school hours days now my youngest is in preschool. I feel guilty he doesn’t get a Mummy day on Friday like my daughter did but as a single parent to a DS3 and DD6 spreading my hours across the week works better than them doing wraparound and 4 long days. Being full time I’d be worse off after paying for wraparound as I’d lose child benefit and go up a tax band.

GinLover198 · 12/01/2024 07:50

Part time after kids. Unfortunately this has impacted career progression. I will have to increase to full time if I want to return to a more promoted post like I was in prior to having family.

GeWhizzy · 12/01/2024 07:51

I work full time but I work flexible hours. I am a child protection social worker. I pick my kids up 3 days a week from school and do 2 long days where they have childcare. However most evenings I work until about midnight, after they have gone to bed. I love picking the kids up but it is so stressful if I have something urgent at work and can't just leave. I'm supposed to work 37.5, I reckon I do at least 50 hours. I am planning to reduce my hours but as social workers are at 50% vacancy, it is not the right time at the moment. I have 2 children, 8 and 11. The 11 yo has ASD and is being homeschooling from year 7 due to me refuses to send her to mainstream

leitrimlady · 12/01/2024 07:53

I worked part time (school hours) when DC were younger, once heading to towards uni I changed to full time and went for promotions not available to someone working PT. I'm now in a senior challanging role and I really enjoy it.

GeWhizzy · 12/01/2024 07:55

Oh and forgot to add. Full time by choice. Husband also works full time

Pamcakey · 12/01/2024 07:56

I long to work part time.
I work long hours in a stressful job and I burn out frequently.

We are just about getting to a point where we could afford for me to drop some hours, which my partner fully encourages, but I worry about the reduction in pension and feel it would be unfair on my partner.

celticprincess · 12/01/2024 07:58

Part time but when I went for the job after being made redundant after having my children I was only offered part time. Single parent and the tax credit top ups initially were enough to to me up to what I’d get full time so it was never worth increasing hours. Now I’d probably earn more full time but I’m used to the pay. Worked out in my favour as one child has additional needs and I needed to take them to a lot of assessments so would have had to take a lot of unpaid leave as these things are always during the school day. The extra travel and work I’d have to take home if I worked full time and the extra child care actually made it difficult to see the benefit of full time so stayed part time.

jodes88 · 12/01/2024 07:58

Before our Daughter was at school I did full time hours over 3 days 13 hour shifts (2 weekdays 1 Saturday) while her Dad did Mon-Fri meant I spent loads of time with her and it saved on Nursery fees it was a good balance.
Job was rubbish senior position but rubbish industry and pay but it worked. I changed the summer before she went to school and went Mon-Fri flexible where I could do the school run the majority of the time.
She's 9 now and I'm in a different role hybrid - head office 10 minutes away and I drop her off and then take my lunchbreak to collect her from school.
What I'm trying to say is sometimes you don't have to choose part time/full time it's about finding the right role at that time even if it's not your dream career.

EsmeeMerlin · 12/01/2024 07:59

30 hours a week term time. I have a child with additional needs so he would not manage more childcare than what he already does. It works for us.

Floofydawg · 12/01/2024 07:59

Part time, 4 full days. In my 50s and trying to slow down from a high pressure job before retirement by 60. Have been PT for a year now and never intend to work FT again.

HalloumiGeller · 12/01/2024 07:59

I currently work FT (37.5hrs a week) and have done for the past 4.5years, however I'm due on maternity leave in April and really don't want to come back FT. However, I'm unsure what to do really! I know I will find FT work too stressful with a young infant (I have 2 older kids aswell) do need to decide how PT I want to be, whether that be shorter hours over 5 days or 3-4 8hr days.

Dollmeup · 12/01/2024 07:59

Part time, I planned to go back ft once kids were both at school but my eldest is autistic and can't attend after school provision so we rely on family childcare instead. It would be too much to ask them to do this every day so part time is best for us.

I like my job so would have gone ft in different circumstances. We manage ok with the reduced earnings as we are used to it now.

Heyhoherewegoagain · 12/01/2024 08:01

Part time, average 24 hours a week, but work shifts so I do 4x8 hours then have 6 days off.

Made the decision before we had kids that if we were to have them we both wanted me only working part time, so we bought our first and subsequent houses based on me having a part time wage.

Life threw a curveball with severe parental ill health so me being part time was all I could have managed until 3 years ago. Kids now in their 20s, us in our 50s and I’m still part time because frankly I don’t need to be full time, it works for our family set up, and if I’m honest, I can’t be arsed!

Zanatdy · 12/01/2024 08:02

Full time - single parent, love my job

scaredysquiggle · 12/01/2024 08:05

Full time because I need the money to pay the bills. It would be a dream to only need to work part time.

I'm out from 8-6 5 days a week and weekends are about chores. I haven't had a days holiday since last June due to changing jobs and lack of holiday entitlement and I'm on my knees. AL in 3 weeks and I need a break so badly.

ZombieGirl86 · 12/01/2024 08:05

Full time. I briefly dropped a day a week after my youngest but after 6 months really missed the money. Now i just couldnt afford not to.

I am lucky enough though to do compressed hours so every other week i get friday off for working a slightly longer day the rest of the time.

TrashedSofa · 12/01/2024 08:05

Part time. I actually really enjoy my work, but not every day.

MirrorBack · 12/01/2024 08:05

Part time. I was lucky enough to find a pt professional job that paid enough to do so, it’s flexible too. I’d hate to have to go back to being chained to daily can’t take time off work

Doggymummar · 12/01/2024 08:06

Part time, no kids no mortgage. I worked full time from 16 to 50 already paid in my full pension amount so don't need the money to contribute to that. I work 21 hours and run my side hustle the other 4 days which brings in a little bit, maybe 10k a year

Tiredmumw · 12/01/2024 08:07

I’m full time - need the money. But there’s also the fact that my workload would remain the same (if I was to reduce to say 30 hours ish. It might be different if I was to significantly reduce my hours). And the thought of having the same workload but being paid less does not appeal. Husband also works full time. We have a 7 year old. Breakfast and after school clubs are heavily relied on.

tryingeverydayagain · 12/01/2024 08:10

Part time. I work 30 hours a week Tues-Fri and have Mondays off.

My reasons are that I want to spend to time with my 2 year old before she starts school, so I have Mondays with her, and this also keeps the childcare bill down. However, this is only possible because I earn quite well so my PT wage pro rata'd is still good, and my partner also earns reasonably well. If it weren't for this combination of factors I'd probably have to work FT, so I'm aware of how fortunate I am to be able to do this. I'll probably increase my hours to FT when my youngest goes to school, but tbh by then I'll have got so used to having Mondays off I think it might be a struggle. 😂

I havent always been so lucky though. I'm almost 40 and I've only been working PT these past couple years since returning to mat leave after my youngest. Prior to that I was always working FT and for many years of that as a single mum to my eldest, trying to make ends meet. I'm in a place in my career now where I can afford to drop some hours but it's been a long time coming!

DaftyLass · 12/01/2024 08:10

30 hours a week, because it strikes a balance between a reasonable wage, and my health.

barkymcbark · 12/01/2024 08:13

Full time as my job couldn't be done part time. I did ask to compress my hours once so I didn't work Fridays but it was declined.

Wellhellooooodear · 12/01/2024 08:14

I have a PT job in an office for 3 days and run my own business so FT. Not financial reasons although the extra money really helps, more because I'd get bored and demotivated at home.