Condensed hours or part-time?

[SpringTime2023]

Hello everyone, we’re planning our back to work plan alongside nursery fees. We were looking at a 4-day work week, where I take one day off to look after baby.

However I’m interested to hear experiences over whether you’d recommend having an official part-time agreement, or exploring/negotiating condensed hours (e.g 8.30 - 5.30 with limited lunch break for 4 days) in order to maintain a full time salary? I mainly WFH so the commute isn’t an issue these days. I guess it’s a significant increase in wage, and I often end up doing more hours than contracted at the moment anyway (but not sure how sustainable with baby!). Thanks.

I do compressed hours, 8-6 on 4 days, and really like it. It was really easy to do when WfH the whole time, a bit harder when adding in a commute once or twice a week. It's pretty common where I work so people respect the time off. Means long nursery days for DC, but figure it's still nicer for them than 9-5 five times a week. I like having Wednesdays as my day off as only ever doing two days before having a break (as much as a looking after small children can be described as a break!).

Of course you can.

How? If you work part time you can’t lose out (Part time workers regulations) and if you worn full time hours in fewer days you get the full
entitlement.

I did 8-6 until DD started school and I loved it.

Posted too soon. It was M-Th with Fridays off, so condensed hours

I chose part time as my hours would be logged even in a senior role. I’d recommend it to anyone who could afford it, such a better work life balance! Yes things are tight but it’s worth it for having a bit of balance. It took work some getting used to not having me in on the non working day but it was soon fine. Also now I’m pregnant with #2 I think I’d struggle to do the long days involved with condensed hours.

I sadly have to work full time but if you do end up doing 4 days in the office choose Monday as your day home with baby. You still have to pay nursery fees for bank holidays.

Re the P/T Monday off, typically you are given the prorata amount of leave for the bank holiday but you then have to use that to book off any B.hols that fall on your working day. As the majority fall on a Monday the worst day to work leave wise is a Monday.

I do condensed hours 4 long days 8-6. It is long, but I love having Fridays off with my DC. And saves us about £100 on nursery cost every week. My partner is great with pick ups/ drops off for nursery etc. It would be hard to organise all childcare and work long days etc.

My hours aren't monitored by anyone. As long as the work is done, no one cares.

My work are big on wellness. In my PDP I'm tasked with being an example of how well flexible working can be managed and my boss told me to not ever work on my day off.

I think it depends on your home set up and childcare.

Oh and echo having a Monday off. I get 5hrs 55 mins of flexi leave for each bank holiday Monday which is a life saver for sick days etc. (I do have to use 1hr 29mins or something like that for each bank holiday that doesn’t fall on a Monday but the majority do so I get a nice bank of hours to use flexibly!)

I considered asking for condensed hours before I realised that:

a) that would take us outside of the 8-6 nursery hours (those would be my hours but I’d not have any time to get there and back).

b) those are very long days for the baby and me

c) my job is super flexible so I could drop late or pick up early often

d) I get 7 weeks holiday a year to spend time additional time or if he needs a day off etc.

e) full time discount means 5 days is only £10 a week more expensive than 4!! The saving of £10 is not worth us both being knackered and with less flexibility.

All of these factors would vary massively for each family though.

Our nursery fees only increase a small amount between 4 and 5 days. So for me it is not worth switching to part time or condensed hours. I like having my lunch hour to do do some life admin or go to the gym and just have a bit of free time. It also means I can sometimes drop off a bit later or pick up earlier. When I first returned to work I temporarily did 4 days part time but found that I actually had 5 days worth of work anyway.

I think it depends on your situation I didn't want to do condensed as I knew I would get 5 days work on 4 days hours. I do 3 days and one of my days off is a Monday - It's great because I get the bank holidays (pro rata) as holidays so I can take them when I want :)