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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Using all my annual leave so I work ‘part time’

51 replies

Weloveflowerss · 31/01/2024 19:21

Hi, has anyone got any experience? I work 5/6 full days a week and can’t really afford to go part time but was thinking of spreading my annual leave days out so I have one day off a week with the kids (1 and 3). Does this seem sensible? Thanks

OP posts:

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Original poster

Weloveflowerss · 31/01/2024 19:50

This will 100% not affect anyone else due to the nature of my work. I just want to do what is best for my kids, even if that means I may struggle and burn out.

OP posts:

Workwhat · 31/01/2024 19:53

I couldn't cope with out a week or few off. Also what about Christmas? Sounds like a grim way to live in my opinion.

Codlingmoths · 31/01/2024 19:53

Never having time off wouldn’t be ok for me. Never to be able to take a day off, or have an actual holiday…. I don’t suppose you can both wfh, and you could wfh on the same day and you drop to 4.5h? And pretty unlikely your dh can do this too anyway?

HDready · 31/01/2024 19:55

Weloveflowerss · 31/01/2024 19:50

This will 100% not affect anyone else due to the nature of my work. I just want to do what is best for my kids, even if that means I may struggle and burn out.

I see why you want to do this, but having struggling/burnt out mum would not be best for them either. It’s bloody tough, but I don’t think this is quite the answer.

user1984778379202 · 31/01/2024 19:56

Weloveflowerss · 31/01/2024 19:50

This will 100% not affect anyone else due to the nature of my work. I just want to do what is best for my kids, even if that means I may struggle and burn out.

Is reducing to an actual four-day week not an option?

Noicant · 31/01/2024 19:57

Where we live covid restrictions were quite burdensome for travelling so when things opened up DH just used his annual leave to do a 4 day week (DD was 1 at the time and I had suffered from PND so it was really helpful). His manager was fine with it. If you aren’t planning a holiday and can manage workload then it’s a perfectly reasonable thing to do.

AprilRoche · 31/01/2024 19:58

How will you manage Christmas? Or any other period when the nursery closes?

Noicant · 31/01/2024 19:58

If you think you will burn out don’t do it.

PurBal · 31/01/2024 20:06

I did this. It’s bloody hard. You’re still expected to output the same amount of work. If you take a 2 week holiday, people accept that you’re away. When you have just a day off, they don’t cover you. It’s really unusual for employers to allow it too and having been through it I can understand it. I stopped when I went on maternity leave again. And I opted to just take my annual leave in one chunk this time.

ETA FWIW I also ended up getting signed off with stress and antenatal depression when I was pregnant because I was trying to do a full time 37.5 hour job in 30 hours with no time off to recuperate. Whilst also being exhausted from being pregnant. I had my baby to look after when I got home. The days off were not a break, just different work.

HAF1119 · 31/01/2024 20:11

Do bear in mind you sometimes need to take time off short notice for children being unwell. If they suddenly get pox, then a bout of D&V etc it can really eat up the annual leave, or you have to take it unpaid

If you do the one day off a week I would budget for the fact you may need some time off for children illnesses and check if work will let you have unpaid leave for that without insisting on it being a block of a full week at a time etc (a diahorrea or vomit at school/nursery is highly likely for one of them within a year and will have them out Min 48hours) long as you or your partner can cover things like that you're fine!

foursdqy · 31/01/2024 20:28

I've been doing this (alternate weeks) for over a year, alternating with dp to reduce nursery to 4 days/week.

It's a total win for us as we don't have family locally to help with childcare. At 5 days we were over the cap for tax free childcare so dropping that day made a big difference financially.

Manager discouraged it at first but agreed to trial and it's kept going. They were concerned I wouldn't get a full week off often, but I argued it on the basis that we couldn't afford to go away on holiday anyway while paying for 5 days nursery, can't inflict ourselves as guests of relatives for a full week, and a week looking after a toddler at home is not a holiday! With the 4-day arrangement we get away more often to see family for long weekends so toddler sees family more than they otherwise would.

This only works because we both have long service in the public sector so higher AL entitlement than many people, and also flexitime and good provision of other leave.

It is tough when the workload is high and I'm squeezing 5 days into 4 but I generally catch up the following week. We've had one actual week's holiday other than Christmas and a week spent potty training

WandaWonder · 31/01/2024 20:30

Have you checked its allowed

foursdqy · 31/01/2024 20:30

Sorry posted too soon. I do feel a bit wrung out when work is busy but it's definitely the best balance we could find.

uhtredsonofuhtred1 · 31/01/2024 20:32

I do this over the summer holidays but couldn't sustain it for the entire year. I didn't realise how exhausted and in permanent work mode I was until I actually took 10 days leave in the October. I'd not had a block period like that for almost a year. I came back so refreshed and felt so much better all round.

gamerchick · 31/01/2024 20:37

You'll burn out OP. In the long run you won't feel any better for it because you'll be too tired to enjoy any time with the kids.

It's up to you though. Personally I don't think there's anything like looking forward to a chunk of time off work.

JetBlackSteed · 31/01/2024 20:48

My work also would not allow this on a regular basis. The words "duty of care" and "work/life balance" would be cited.
Some people use up leave towards the end of the year in this way, but that is in addition to actually having a longer holiday and a break during the year.

Paw2024 · 31/01/2024 21:05

I do this but I don't have DC and I don't take the same day off every time
Basically take a day off every 2 weeks, I don't go away so never take 1-2 weeks off

Janedoelondon · 31/01/2024 21:31

Weloveflowerss · 31/01/2024 19:50

This will 100% not affect anyone else due to the nature of my work. I just want to do what is best for my kids, even if that means I may struggle and burn out.

OP, just remember a burnt out and tired mum isn't what is best for your children either, as you won't be the best version of yourself around them. Sorry, I don't mean this to be unhelpful to say, but it is important I think

wubwubwub · 31/01/2024 21:36

Weloveflowerss · 31/01/2024 19:50

This will 100% not affect anyone else due to the nature of my work. I just want to do what is best for my kids, even if that means I may struggle and burn out.

Just ask to go part time down to 4 days. A burnt out and unrested parent who is at work every week of the year isn't great.

Surely you want to be able to take annual leave for family events, holidays, time out etc??

Mumaway · 31/01/2024 21:45

Our work specifically say that leave must be spread evenly, including not being allowed to take the same day off every week in this way. Does yours have anything similar?

BaconAndAvocado · 01/02/2024 07:36

If your employer allows it then go for it. It's obviously something that you feel would work for you on a practical and emotional level.

How you feel about your DCs and their relationship to your working hours is HUGE.

And, as someone upthread commented, being able to do things with your preschoolers during term time is lovely but a very small window.

Good luck to you, I hope you get what you want.

Sunshineandrainbow · 01/02/2024 07:43

Paw2024 · 31/01/2024 21:05

I do this but I don't have DC and I don't take the same day off every time
Basically take a day off every 2 weeks, I don't go away so never take 1-2 weeks off

I do the same. Because I don't have a holiday away I use my leave to do shorter weeks. Taking either a Monday or a Friday off.
28 days leave here so just spread it out.

minisoksmakehardwork · 01/02/2024 07:45

Could you ask for compressed hours - a 5 day week in 4 days? So you get the best of both worlds.

Gazelda · 01/02/2024 07:50

If it works for you, and your employer is supportive, then why not try it for 3 months?

As a manager, I'd refuse this on the grounds of you needing proper rest away from work and the duty of care the organisation has to help you achieve a healthy work/life balance without risk of burnout.

And it wouldn't work at my workplace as negotiating leave is difficult at the best of times, without the added complication of one colleague's standing day AL each week.

As a colleague, I'd resent you for this as if it fails it jeopardises future flexible working requests for others.

NewYearNewCalendar · 01/02/2024 07:51

You being burnt out is NOT good for your kids either.

Have you run the numbers on how much you would lose by dropping to 4 days a week (if that’s possible with your employer)? It might not be as much as you think because of the way tax works. And/or have you checked out if you’re getting any benefits you might be entitled to, and whether they would increase if your earnings dropped?

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