Page 16 | To ask if you work full or part time and the reasons why?

Verv · 12/01/2024 11:45

Full time - Im not a parent and have a mortgage etc.

feastfeastrepeat · 12/01/2024 11:52

I know I'm in a London bubble, but most of the mums I know are highly educated, moderate-to-high earning corporate workers who have almost entirely opted to go back to work full time, or at least four days a week. I think once you earn a certain amount and have progressed so far in your career, the opportunity cost of stepping back is very high, and it's hard to get back on track. I also suspect it's because these women and their equally high earning partners can afford the childcare required to support both working full time, which is no easy task given the cost!

I completely agree with this, @belladonna22 I wouldn't want to lose such a significant amount of money by going part time, and we can afford excellent childcare when we need it. I also have enough goodwill built up at work that I have lots of flexibility should I need it.

Xmasbaby11 · 12/01/2024 12:05

Part time, 80% with Fridays off. I teach at university and many of us work part time. It’s easy to do.

kids are 10 and 12, 12yo has ASD, Dh and I both have elderly parents who are starting to need our support. Dh works long ft hours as social worker.

honestly we could do with more money but I’m already stretched.

ColdWaterDipper · 12/01/2024 12:33

I worked full time until our youngest was about 18 months old (had 6 months maternity leave with each baby), mostly because it was what I was used to, my career was still developing and my work were not keen for me to go part time as I had a high responsibility / senior role. After going back from mat leave with my youngest though I suffered with work related stress just due to the overload of trying to juggle my work and home life, and so then work agreed for me to go down to 3 longish days per week and despite moving roles within the organisation since, I have kept to that working pattern. It’s great as it allows me to do all the housework / errands / admin within my 2 non-working days (children are all at school now), so we’re free at the weekends to spend all our time with the children. We don’t need the extra money anymore, and we save a tiny bit by not needing so much childcare or a cleaner etc which we needed when I was full time. I earn a pretty decent wage and my husband earns the same but full time, so we’re ok for money. If things changed I suppose I would go up to full time but it would be to the detriment of family life.

feastfeastrepeat · 12/01/2024 12:36

Thepeopleversuswork · 11/01/2024 07:35

I could have written this. I am a bit of a workaholic and people usually hate us on Mumsnet but it’s how I was brought up and my work ethic is a big factor in my life. Work hard, play hard. I am lucky to be healthy enough to do this.

Also we need the money. And I get really bored and anxious if I don’t have enough to do.

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Me too. I'm actually very antsy if I have a lot of downtime.

Dinomum79 · 12/01/2024 12:39

Full time mainly for mortgage (thanks again Liz Truss 🤬) but also for progression.

Thepeopleversuswork · 12/01/2024 12:41

@feastfeastrepeat

Me too. I'm actually very antsy if I have a lot of downtime.

Good to find a fellow-traveller. The Mumsnet dogma seems to be that if you enjoy working or can't relax its some sort of pathology so I have started to wonder if there's something wrong with me 😀

I actually find doing nothing unbearably stressful. Give me too much to do any day over too little.

Louieloves · 12/01/2024 12:54

I am full time, but in a job with total flexibility, where going part time would mean the same workload for less pay (professor at UK university). I love my job, and can still do school pick ups/attend school events in the day, which is a priority for me. I chose a career path that would allow me to do those things as I never wanted my DC to be in full time wrap around care.

ALJT · 12/01/2024 12:59

I work full time but 3 days at home so not bad

Nyns · 12/01/2024 14:01

Barely at all (5hrs a week). I do have another income though.

The reasons
Redundancy, another baby, Covid, unwell older child needing care led to me having 5 years out of work. Now I don’t have any confidence in my skills and also worry I wouldn’t cope well adding more to the mix as I sometimes get very overwhelmed just trying to keep on top of the house and laundry and life with 4 children.

We have a nice life at the moment but I do feel like I “should” be doing more. I’m in awe of people who manage to work FT, raise children, keep house, cook healthy meals, take children to activities etc. I used to work 30 hours before my employer went under and I felt like I was constantly trying to catch up and failing at stuff. There was basically no downtime; work, cook, take kids to activities, chores, sleep. I haven’t worked full time since my eldest child was in nursery.

I’m applying to volunteer for a few hours a week to try to get my confidence back up and see how it feels having more hours taken up. It feels so pathetic admitting it as plenty of people do it all and manage 😳

OutYerEd · 12/01/2024 14:06

FT

Want the money! Could rely on DH’s salary, but I want my own pension, want to be able to buy myself nice things when I choose, don’t want to feel totally dependent.

Need the structure & routine of FT work, too, or otherwise I just waft about daydreaming

I’ll be fucked if I’d cut my hours to do more housework

weebarra · 12/01/2024 14:13

Very part time - 2.5 days. Went to 3 days when DS1 was born and dropped a half day (can't remember why!) after DS2. Also have DD.
DCs are older now but have a lot of hospital appointments so it's easier for me to be pt. Also work in the public sector as a manager and there's no budget for extra hours.
I've recently picked up a project role though and overtime has been agreed for me to do this.

Mumof2girls2121 · 12/01/2024 14:39

Full time but flexible WFH.
I couldn’t carry on with my ‘career’ job and have time to be a mum and all that entails. I know others can do it but I couldn’t

OhYeahOhYeah · 12/01/2024 14:46

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.

When we had our eldest daughter, I had to return full time as my role was needed on that basis, and we needed the money.

Dropped a day when she was around 2.5yrs old as I felt I was missing out on her early days. This worked well as there wasn’t a huge drop in income and also nursery costs were reduced a little too.

fast forward to second child (6 years later) and I didn’t return at all as we were fortunate enough to not need my income to survive.

when she turned three I started working from home in my field of expertise on a self employed basis and I still do now. I pick the amount of time I work and it fits round school runs and any other ‘life’ going on.

Stumblingsideways · 12/01/2024 15:15

Full time, I like my job and have worked hard in my career to get to the level I have.

I worked 4 days a week for a few months between having my 2 kids but didn't enjoy it, I found I had the same work load for less pay. So went back full time after 2nd mat leave.

Minecraftminecraft · 12/01/2024 15:20

Part-time, due to mental health.

LolaLouise · 12/01/2024 15:25

Full time, but 12.5 hours shifts so its 3 shifts a week, and 4 days off unless i pick up extra. I am considering dropping my contract to 24 hours and picking up the third as an extra each week as it works out as more money for the extra shifts so my monthly income would increase, but i need to work out the effect on my pension.

Beezknees · 12/01/2024 15:27

Full time. I did do part time until DS went to secondary.

I'm a single parent and bills need paying is why!

cockadoodledandy · 12/01/2024 16:06

honeylulu · 12/01/2024 10:50

Full time, for feminist reasons. I did not want to be in the position of having a "little job" whilst husband had a "big important job".

Also liked the cushion of two full time salaries - money is very useful!

Also, personal satisfaction. I always wanted to have a career and work my way up the ladder. I get a lot of enjoyment from my job (lawyer). Take my hat off to SAHPs but that was definitely not the right choice for me!

No regrets. Has worked out fine.

Exactly this. And for the pension as well; I work hard now in a full time well paid final salary pension role so that when I retire I can be rewarded by a high quality of life in my retirement.

I also believe being financially independent is incredibly important. We share everything, joint account for bikls, holidays, our daughter and domestics but I also have the confidence in knowing that I’m financially independent and although we do go 50:50 on most things, if anything happened and his wage disappeared, I / we would be financially secure in my wage alone.

Sugarfish · 12/01/2024 16:17

Full time, love my job and the money. I earn around the same as my partner and we’ve already decided if either of us needed to go part time it would be him because he doesn’t enjoy working.

feastfeastrepeat · 12/01/2024 16:18

Thepeopleversuswork · 12/01/2024 12:41

@feastfeastrepeat

Me too. I'm actually very antsy if I have a lot of downtime.

Good to find a fellow-traveller. The Mumsnet dogma seems to be that if you enjoy working or can't relax its some sort of pathology so I have started to wonder if there's something wrong with me 😀

I actually find doing nothing unbearably stressful. Give me too much to do any day over too little.

That's so true. I have lots of hobbies and friends (breaking the MN mold again 😀) but I really enjoy work and can't imagine choosing not to. That's why I enjoy my time off so much - it's the novelty factor!

AuntieMarys · 12/01/2024 16:23

I work PT , dh works full time...we are mid 60s.
I have a great private pension ...he doesn't. I love my job and will carry on regardless

gemma19846 · 12/01/2024 16:46

Was full time until i had children then it was impossible without spending a fortune in nursery fees. I went to 3 days and stayed on 3 days. I get alot of time with the kids and dont have to rely on childcare/clubs during the holidays but still get to work which is also important to me. DH is full time and we work around each other

spriots · 12/01/2024 17:08

cockadoodledandy · 12/01/2024 16:06

Exactly this. And for the pension as well; I work hard now in a full time well paid final salary pension role so that when I retire I can be rewarded by a high quality of life in my retirement.

I also believe being financially independent is incredibly important. We share everything, joint account for bikls, holidays, our daughter and domestics but I also have the confidence in knowing that I’m financially independent and although we do go 50:50 on most things, if anything happened and his wage disappeared, I / we would be financially secure in my wage alone.

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Thing is there is part time and then part time. I am part time - 4 days - but it's not a little job, it's a senior role and I am very much financially independent.

My DH has the same working pattern as well..

DoughBallss · 12/01/2024 17:22

I always worked full time until I had children, now I work 30 hours (9-3)…not sure if that’s classed as full time or part time tbh.

I much prefer work to SAHP life, kudos to anybody that does it and stays sane. When the kids are older I will most likely return to full time work but with a 3 year old and a 1 year old it keeps the cost of childcare down.