Is this a good idea or am I being too precious?

[brealsp]

So far I have managed to have a day off one day a week with my child. This has been using annual leave. When they turn two my holiday allowance runs out. I don’t want them in full time childcare at age two, it seems so young. Would you ask for a temporary change in contact so you work four days a week for a year? My concern is that it’s my pension and savings etc that will be hit while DP continues as he is. Am I being silly to do this? Will it even benefit my child much?

If you worked full time I assume the childcare for the fifth day would be a joint cost? Using the same logic, could you increase your pension contributions and your partner could increase their share to the joint pot?

@brealsp on gov site as quoted by @JamSlags and (probably) in your company Parental Leave policy, also ACAS will give you same advice or speak to your HR department. It is extremely commonplace

I work 4 days; all employers have to consider any flexible working request and can only reject it with very good reason.
I’ve done it since I went back after maternity leave!

Why don't you both reduce to 4 days per week and only use three days childcare?

Ultimately this is a choice OP, your pension and earnings are taking a bit because you are choosing not to use full time childcare (fair enough - your choice) but you can't be cross if DP chooses to work full time as this is also his choice, presuming he pays his way in terms of childcare for the day he's choosing not to drop - so you split 3 days childcare cost 50:50 and the 4th day he pays for.

I disagree with those saying that it'll be a small 2 year hit. The odds are you won't go back to FT straight away (school is actually harder to manager around work unless you have excellent wraparound care).

Personally, unless I was married I wouldn't be refusing my earnings.

Personally I wouldn't be reducing my income any further if I didn't have the protection of marriage.

@BlackBean2023 i thought school would be easier in the sense that they have to be in so I may as well work. Obviously there’s wraparound to consider but if that’s there then not really any different

@fieldsofbutterflies this is my main concern really

@stayathomer because I like working too
Sorry but what I mean is you work five days then have two days off don’t you? I don’t understand how your op says you only see your child one day a week and you have to take a day’s leave? (I’m genuinely confused and may be really slow here!!)

I dropped to 4 days when my youngest was a baby and I really enjoyed that 1 day per week with her. Yes it impacted my pension, but I don’t regret that. She’s 16 now, they grow up so fast.

Everyone I know who's gone to four days in any job has ended up doing five days work for four days pay and regretted it. Might be different for you as you're already doing four days - how's the workload ATM?

If you do it, I'd get it in writing that you can go back to full-time - my employer doesn't guarantee you can up your hours again.

The impact of one year at 80% probably wouldn't be too bad on pension and progression, but will you feel any better about her going to nursery five days at three than you do at two? And she'll be in school before you know it, so no harm keeping an eye on that - how would you feel about working three full days and two mornings and then you'd be sorted for two days after school?

Having said all that, both of mine have had five full days at nursery since the baby room and it hasn't been an issue at all, so if the answer is to work FT (and it does read like you're ambitious), then you should do so without a shred of guilt.

I have only ever heard of parental leave being used in week blocks and even if you only use one day that week has been “used up” The difficulty with parental leave is that while the employer does have to give it you they can decline (they do need a good reason) as long as they offer you an alternative time within 6 months so it could be refused when you want it. I would think it would be very few employers would agree to this sort of arrangement for a full year in advance because of the impact on other staff leave etc.

I think there are some timings about applying for it and your employer agreeing it? It really does depend on your job whether this arrangement would work or you would be able to rely on it.

Everyone always talks about how legally the company has to grant parental leave and then never complete the information with, they can decline it for business reasons as long as they offer an alternative within 6 months.

I think your child will be fine. I think working 4 days a week and not being paid regardless of how the leave is given will mean you end up doing 5 days work and only getting paid 80%.

The DC has four days in nursery, one day with OP (her day off using annual leave) and then weekends with both parents.

Obviously its very personal, but after my mat leave I've dropped to 3 days a week so I can have 2 weekdays home with my little one. Her dad has dropped to 4 days so he has a day with her, then 2 days in nursery. We're skint and will be until she starts school, but we've decided to prioritise that quality time whilst she's little. I plan to make up the pension deficit by further upping my contributions when I go back full time. I'm lucky that my work are very flexible, it is stressful during work hours trying to fit everything in! But for me, its worth it 🥰

Yep this one is you! She means one day off her usual work week with the child to avoid nursery. Normally works 5 days a week but has taken one day a week off that so child only goes to nursery 4 days. She has 3 days of the whole week off.

My child is in nursery 4 days a week and my partner and I both cover the 5th day half and half. I work 90%, and it works ok. Sometimes I think I'd be better off doing compressed hours but I actually prefer the formality of the reduced hours. It's nice to be able to give our child 1on1 time with us both

Unpaid parental leave needs to be taken in full week. Max 4 weeks per year. You cannot take single days unless the child has a disability (my employer accepted DLA as evidence)..

TeaKitten

ah thanks- sorry Saturday morning brain fog (woken by cat at 4!!)

CelesteCunningham
ah ok, duh!! Thanks a million!!

Can you afford it if you drop a day and can you afford it if your DH also wants a day with your DS?

I have done a 4 day week permanently, bloody love it.
But it was actually advantageous financially as it put me back in 20% tax so I didn’t lose as much net if that makes sense.

I have found the day with DD really rewarding. But I was already at “career peak” so no worries about career.

@NuttyNuthatch you are incorrect. Employers can give parental leave in single days (but do not legally have to). I'm senior HR and have put 5 of such arrangements in place in the last year - some for 1 day off per week, others for 2, to run until such time as the permitted 18 weeks per child have elapsed. OP, your employer may refuse & say they will only allow the legal minimum of week blocks, but it's certainly worth asking as it would mean your annual leave would continue to accrue on a full time basis.

@wannabebetter thanks. Could I do half a day of parental leave or not?

Yes, I think it would be good if you could work 4 days a week until your child is older. Any reasonable employer will consider this. I wouldn't worry too much re implications for pension etc, you have years ahead to work full time. I raised my son on my own and always worked full time due to financial reasons. In an ideal world, I wouldn't have but needs must.
Take care, all will be OK

It's not unheard of, it would be up to your employer - taking PL in portions less than a week is allowed if employer agrees which is often dependent on how they track leave and whether they could track it effectively (as you would be using against a fixed allowance of 18 weeks) there's absolutely no harm in asking!