A 9 hour day not too long?

[itsalwaysthesame]

Hi, I'm looking to compress my working week to 4 days from 5. In order to do so I'd be working 9-6pm, my job is hybrid so I am always home for school pick up, currently meant to finish at 4pm but I never do, it's always around 5-6pm

Friends and work colleagues are saying it's too much of a long day and my manager won't approve it, I've been in the role a year, others for over 10 years, maybe they have a point? Mimi don't think 9 hour day X 4 a week is too long?

I started a new job yesterday where most of my shifts are 8-6 (potentially finishing half hour earlier depending on the day) but have just come from doing 8-8:30 so being at home at 6 in my pjs having dinner was amazing.

I wouldn't say 9 hours is a long day. Don't think I have had a job less than 8.5 hours in last 20 years ranging from retail, office based, management and how healthcare.

I guess it is up to you what you feel capable of. I would rather more hours in 1 day with more days off!

I used to work 3x11-hr shifts for the council (1hr lunch and 30min tea, both unpaid, signified new shifts in their view). I then worked a 7-hr shift to complete the week. It was hard in the winter but I got used to it and it was customer facing in a public building so could be stressful but not physically hard. Retired 6 years ago - couldn't wait!

9 hours is a normal work day for many, many people

But you're doing it already anyway. And yeah loads of work places are moving to this now.

Do it, and if they say no, then stop working at 4! They have no incentive to change anything if you're picking up the slack and giving them free time.

Even an extra hour an evening, 5 days a week (over 48 weeks) is an extra 240 hours or 10 full days, or 30 working days of free work you're giving them!

Your manager might not want to approve it as you're not currently able to finish in your normal hours - if you compress then what would your plan be for the extra you're currently working? As @CutthroatDruTheViolent said, you're currently doing 30 working days free for them a year, they have no reason to compress.

@MonsteraMama and my point was that in many industries, nine hour shifts are very much not the norm and wouldn't be approved for a whole number of reasons.

I've worked plenty of 9-10 hour shifts in the past by the way! I know full well they're normal in many jobs but a request for them could just as easily be rejected in others.

I went to compressed hours when I went back to work after having DS. Mine ended up being a 10 hour day though. I had to fight to get it and appealed the initial rejection (they wanted me to finish at 6pm but I needed 5:30pm so I could pick DS up from nursery at 6).

I didn’t even make through the 3 month trial. I hated it. My mental health plummeted, I was burnt out, more stressed, started getting migraines etc and (this was the turning point where I realised it wasn’t working) I started to dread my day off with DS because I was so burnt out I didn’t have the energy to enjoy him. It was not what I imagined. I went back to 5 days the moment I told my manager and I’m a better person and a better mum!

That said, many people I work with do compressed hours and manage them just fine. So why not try it? You are entitled to submit 2 flexible working requests per year. And if they reject it they have to give you very specific reasons why, and you also have the right to appeal the decision. Like a pp said, if it is rejected then stop doing the extra hours you’re doing now.

Yep - I think this is going to be a bigger issue than the change in hours.

9 hours is the standard working day in my industry, however I’ve seen a lot of people slide into working an extra day for free because they look at mails and do admin on their ‘day off’. You need to be very clear that you’re not available unless there’s an actual emergency, not just an inconvenience.

It sounds fine especially if you get a full 5th day off.
There's usually a trial period built in to flexible working requests so if your manager has concerns you can suggest a 6 month trial and if you feel like the days are too long then revise the plan

Wow thanks for all the replies!

Lots to put forward to my manager, I work in the community doing home visits so I work my appointments around school time, I take the legally required 30 minute break to collect child from school then work the rest of the day at home, that's what I'm going to suggest,

I worked 14-15 hour shifts when I worked as a domiciliary career but we had 2-4 hours breaks in between am & pm shifts. I work in the civil service so there is a lot of flexibility but no one in my team works more than 7.5 hours a day.

Yeah, and they have no right to do that. If they are declining, they need to provide a business case in writing. They need to demonstrate how agreeing to this will negatively impact on their organisation from the operational perspective. Hypothetical scenarios or vague comments about "too long a day" are not a valid reason.

Agreed. 9 is normal.
My working day is usually between 10 and 12 hrs.

They can't decline flexi-working for that reason though.

My compressed hours are 9-7, 4 days a week. Can't see any issue with what you're proposing.

I work a compressed week. My contract is to do 9 h 15 a day, 4 days per week. I usually do 10h 30 m per day and build up Flexi time. I much prefer having the extra day off. I don't have any children or caring responsibilities so much easier for me to manage than it might be for people with different circumstances.

I would request it as trial period and see how it works for you and your employer.

12 hr shifts are not unusual in the nhs! I was in a non nhs healthcare role with annualised hours, my first manager was fine and I flexi’d my hours for 5 years as 9-6 meant I didn’t then spend extra time sat in rush hour traffic. …..but on returning after mat leave and a change to a dick head manager who took a dislike to me suddenly it became a “ concern”. It’s utterly dependant on job role and your own work circumstances/ needs of the organisation so good luck with arguing your case.

Now that you’ve said you work for the civil service,..that then explains it all!!

Yes I do know that, but it will likely be the reason, hence the initial vague manager response

They can't decline flexi-working for that reason though.

No, but they can just easily deny it because it doesn't suit the needs of the business.

Well I worked more than 9 hours, some days in full time job , in public service role, nothing unusual, but I’m not sure what the routine is now.🤷‍♀️

The onus is on the business to prove it will be detrimental to the business – the proof has to be hard proof. At the very least they have to allow her a trial to then establish it harms the business.

Any manager up to the job of being a manager would know that’s not adequate though.