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

[BabyNextYear25]

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.

Full time, I’m the breadwinner and my husband couldn’t make up the shortfall to cover our bills. I worked part time for a year after I had my 1st to study for a masters. I would love to work part time again if our finances allowed, just to feel less tired and rushed all the time. But my kids are happy and have benefitted from being in nursery/after school clubs so no regrets about that.

Work approx 55 hours
Two youngest, 19 and 18, are in Apprenticeship/College
Really enjoy earning money/being busy
Nice big house plus two investment properties
Plenty of savings
Retirement six years away but can’t see me giving up anything LOL (unless poor health)

When the kids were little I worked 0.5 (teacher) gradually increasing to the four days (0.8) I do now, my youngest is 15. This equates roughly to a 36 hr week.
I do it for my own wellbeing, the fifth day allows me headspace, time to exercise, get the shopping, do the life admin, make medical appointments, and generally feel able to cope. I'd work less but I wanted a senior post and this is the compromise I came up with with my employer.
My husband works for the NHS and does 37 hours (full time) over 3-4 days so 2-3 days a week there's somebody home to keep up with the washing and be home for the teenagers, I still maintain they need us far more than younger kids do.

With my first I went back full time initially and literally cried at my desk every day for 6 months. I was dropping her at nursery at 7.30am and getting home at 6.30pm 5 days a week and hardly seeing her. I have a professional job but I was lucky enough to find a job share 5 miles from home which made such a big difference. I found myself a single parent down the line and went full time for financial reasons. It was hard, long days etc but I continued to progress my career.

I recently had my 2nd child and have gone back 3 days. I have a well paid job and it really isn’t worth working full time for the extra money I’d come out with. I’d pay 40% tax on all my extra income, I’d pay £4800 extra per year in childcare and I’d lose £2000 per year in child benefit as it would take me over the threshold to claim. I’d end up with a few hundred extra per month so I’d rather have the extra time with my kids

I’ve been part time since my oldest was born. Mainly because we could afford it - it actually didn’t make much of a difference because I could save on childcare. And it was lovely to spend time with them. I recently got a promotion that required me to go back full time. My youngest is in school now and I feel like I’m needed less and it’s time to earn a bit more. I do work from home mostly now though which makes the changes less painful.

Part-time - 3 days a week after DH died

I work 30 hrs, 4 days (37 is full time). The government counts it as full time though.

I went to 4 days when DD was born, partly because I wanted time with her and partly because it was actually better financially!

She starts school this Sept but I will stay on 4 days, there’s no budget for me to return full time at work but also we would lose Child Benefit and also my BTL income would be taxed at 40% so it’s still better for me to stay part time rather than seek full time elsewhere.

I absolutely love a 4 day week, I expect if the tax thresholds get sorted out I will eventually go back full time but I’m not keen! The balance is lovely.

Full but compressed, DH does the same. We have family support that makes this do-able, and financially we have 2 full time wages but don’t need full time childcare.

Part time because we have a toddler. We'd only be slightly better off financially if I was full time because of the childcare costs, so we made the decision to lose that extra money and give our daughter the childhood we want her to have. I went part time rather than DH despite (at the time) earning slightly more because my role was doable part time and his wasn't, so we knew my request would be approved. Since then we've both been promoted and my FT equivalent would be less than his new wage so we made the right call.

I enjoy my job, but equally the lifestyle we have as a family with me being home 2 days in the week means I may stay PT once DD is at school so our weekends can be family focused and not housework focused. I'm also lucky though that I earn more for 3 days than many of my female friends would FT so I'm still pretty financially independent.

I work four days a week (term time) in a freelancing role, the plan was to increase to full time hours once DS was entitled to 30 hours funding, but he has additional needs and requires a 1:1 so is only in nursery for 3 days a week (term time), DH has him on a Saturday. It took me a few months to adjust as I thought “I should be back working full time” but eventually I came round and I love the balance it gives our family.

Part time because its saving me a fortune on childcare and means I can spend more time with my kids

Wait is this after maternity? Or did she go part time & now wants to go full time?

I work part time, 0.8FTE and currently for a short time 0.6FTE, mainly for funding reasons. My employer can’t afford me at FT salary. It is handy because I have a lot of shit I need to do outside of working hours that takes a lot of time, but I would appreciate the higher salary.

Full time always have been. I have 3 children. I was in the same boat as you after my second I couldn’t pay the bills otherwise.
I still have to work full time to afford everything now but also my job role doesn’t really facilitate part time there is nobody in my company who does my job and works part time.
Most of my friends also work part time who have children.
It is what it is. I’m not bitter or upset about it. I’m raising children who understand why I work so hard for them. I am however lucky to have quite a lot of holiday ls.

Part time (30.5hours). I work in a school, term time only, and previously worked 5 days a week. After my 4th baby, the childminder I wanted only offered 4 days a week, so I returned to work term time only, but 4 days a week instead. Means I get to have a full day at home with my youngest, and still get all the holidays off. Once my youngest starts school in a few years I don’t plan on picking back up the day I dropped, I plan on using it as my day to get lots done so that it’ll free up more time during evenings and weekends with my children.

Part time between 26 and 35 hours a week.
We have 2 primary school aged children and no family near us.
Also my partner earns almost 4 times my salary and often works 60 hour weeks and is doing an MBA on top. So haven't really got a choice. But I also like being there for the kids some weekdays.

I work part time, school hours, from home. I wanted to be part time so that I can take and pick up my 5 year old from school every day. We can afford it so decided this was the best fit for our family at this time.

4 days to achieve a work life balance, spend time with retired dh, spend time with ddog, spend time with dm,
hospital appointments, dentist car issues
all able to be slotted in on my day off

This is me- after so many years working I couldn't sit back now, even if I could afford to.

A friend does 3/5 days per week so she can keep her income low enough to receive Universal Credit (including the 80% they pay her back for her 3 years oldest nursery), but she always complains that she's bored. Go figure.

It's also about whether or not you have the option to though. We couldn't afford it, despite both being over the average salary (just). We rent on the edge of an expensive city to be commutable to our jobs and the rent is so £££ we have no hope of ever saving for a deposit, owning our own pkace and therefore starting to build equity.

In my experience, part time working seems much more common with those with low enough incomes to receive financial help, those with high-earning partners or people who are currently are early 40s+ and had time to benefit from easier mortgages and have built up some equity (or paid off their mortgages).

Think a lot more people are becoming trapped in to full time working- whether they like it, or not.

I work part time 3 days a week. I went from full time to 4 days a week when my first DC was 2. Took redundancy and was a SAHM for 9 months before going full time again with 2 DC for a year then reduced to 3 days. So I could have a better life work balance, be around more for the DC and it allowed my DH to change job where he's working shifts. We'd be a lot better off if I worked full time but we have a much happier life which is more important to us.

or sometimes @AutumnColour89 people cut their cloth to suit their lifestyle.

I went back part time after 1st child, suffered anxiety and depression, followed by cardiac problems. Work (NHS midwife) wouldn't let me reduce hours any further and were pushing me about my sickness absence, so I went zero hours. Got pregnant with child 2 and never went back. Deregistered shortly before their 2nd birthday and now work as-and-when for my husband. I didn't even go back to that hospital for my 3rd baby and chose a home birth. My former NHS trust can go duck themselves. I get anxiety just walking into the reception of that place. They broke the law when I was pregnant, forcing me to attend sickness absence meetings when I was suffering with hyperemesis and PGP. Occupational health had to tell them to back off. You'd never think it was a maternity unit when pregnant staff were treated so terribly.

Part time some weeks full time as in a job where extra always available. Anymore I would burnout

@mustardrarebit

They shot themselves in the foot, now a midwife down when they could of had you part time. Typical NHS