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Original poster

Working full time job, getting paid for four days

39 replies

gpage · 05/03/2011 13:45

Hello

I am currently contracted for and paid for 4 days a week however I have quite a senior job, with six staff and am essentially doing a full time job. I have stopped reading my blackberry on my day off which is progress but I wish to approach my boss to recompensed for doing a full time job.

Boss has acknowledged I am doing a good/exceptional role (signed on my end of year appraisal) and my job desc scope was increased during the year.

I feel I have enough evidence but would welcome any advice. Has someone done this before? Are there any tribunals I can quote to back up my case? Please help!

Thanks.

OP posts:
flowery · 05/03/2011 14:13

Are you wanting to increase your hours to full time? Do you think your boss won't be happy with that?

What kind of claim do you think someone might have brought at a tribunal that would help you? Just not clear what sort of thing you're thinking of.

hairylights · 05/03/2011 15:44

Just stop doing the extra day. Become
unavailable. The world will not end!!

hermioneweasley · 05/03/2011 16:08

gpage, i suspect that the reality is that your peers who are full time do even more hours than you, and you have the flexibility of not being in the office one day, choosing when you check emails, take calls etc. if you want that flexibility, then there ought to be a financial difference between you and colleagues who are in the office full time, and probably do a lot of unpaid extra hours as well.

Grevling · 05/03/2011 16:15

If you're doing work on your day off its poor time management on your part. Just stop answering the phone / doing work and its sorted.

If you're asking to be increased to full time becuase you want more money that is a different question.

hairylights · 05/03/2011 16:21

Bit si hermione the op is contracted for
four days but is working five!

Original poster
gpage · 05/03/2011 18:16

I do not want to do full time! I don't like my job as it is so doing 5 days would be hell.

Hermioneweasley - I agree that my full time colleagues are still doing crazy hours too but as hairylights says - I am doing a full time job. THere would be no additional work that could be given to me IF I did go full time as I am doing it all now therefore I should get a full time wage.

Flowery - I was think of a claim of a company abusing the flexible working position. Just wondering! I have no intention of doing this to my company, I would prefer to resign which would present bigger problems to them than a tribunal tbh! I'm not arrogant to think they can't replace me but the learning curve for someone new would be troublesome for my boss.

OP posts:
flowery · 05/03/2011 18:56

You don't want to work full time but you want to get paid the same as your full-time colleagues? I can't see that happening tbh. If you are struggling to get your job done in the time you have that's a workload or time management issue.

They are not going to pay you full time salary if you are not prepared to work those hours so if you're struggling, have a think about what both you and your employer can do to improve things,

Original poster
gpage · 05/03/2011 19:37

Hmm I don't have the most sympathetic boss, she has decided not to have children to devote herself to her career.

I see your point though about even though I am doing a full time job in four days I am still not there a full week. I'll just have to carry on being a mug!

OP posts:
crw1234 · 05/03/2011 20:05

Friend of mine was working 4 days a week but doing loads more hours and so went back to full time - but more working from home - and her work back dated her full time pay!
I think you have the benifits of presuamly seeing your children more and a bit more flexibility -
and presuably good pay for your role
I guess you mean you are delivering in 4 days what other people are doing in 5 - well i think maybe you need to get that message over - that the win-win of part-time work when it works
The only other option would be a jobshare maybe

thinkingaboutschools · 05/03/2011 20:09

I have the type of job which is not 9 to 5 and very often either work at the weekend or the evening. I am afraid it is very often the case if you have a senior role. That said, I think that what you can do is make it clear that you will not be available on the day that you are not working - eg putting your out of office on on your email and indicating that you will not be able to review emails. It would also be worth speaking to those who contact you regularly and letting them know that you are trying to keep to your 4 days. Very often people don't realise that people are part time if they constantly answer emails on their day off.

BeenBeta · 05/03/2011 20:14

I know two women in a similar position in professional jobs. Both get paid 4 days but always get phone calls on the day off and take work home.

I would never advise anyone do 4 day week. Your colleagues dont know they are not supposed to call you and on top of that management immediatley assume you are not commited and pass you over for promotion and bonuses while paying you 4 days a week.

Sounds harsh but find a job you like and get paid 5 days or just stop picking up the phone.

I dont think you have a chance at a Tribunal.

thinkingaboutschools · 05/03/2011 20:21

I agree with BeenBeta

lurkingsnurker · 05/03/2011 20:21

I do this - we call it compressed hours and many others in my company do it too. I get paid full time, but work 4 days a week

I don't agree that just because others work even longer hours you should get paid less - what an old fashioned view!! My view is that at a senior level, you are paid to do a job, have a particular level of knowledge, and take a certain level of responsibility, and whether that takes 30 or 60 hours a week is largely irrelevant.

Additionally, my job is a full time job, and I should get paid for it. The company don't get someone else in to cover my 'day off', and if I left, they would probably get someone FT to replace me. Why should they benefit when they get the same result as if someone worked full time?

Finally... It is not a walk in the park. I work long hours, (though often at home in the evenings), but it is worth it to enable me to spend more time with my dds.

KatieMiddleton · 05/03/2011 20:26

Is it realistically possible to do your job in four days? Have you told your boss your workload is such that it's more than four days work?

I suppose the question I'm asking is whether the issue is with the job or your management of your job/time?

Fwiw I know someone full time who does compressed hours (ie 4 days instead of 5 but longer hours each day). She still checks email on day off and works at the weekend. But equally I know full time people who do the same.

Original poster
gpage · 05/03/2011 20:52

My time management is pretty good and I am focussed so I can do the job within 4 days (mind you I do long hours and work in the evenings). Lurkingsnurker has summed it up nicely though.

I feel hard done by as 20% of work does not go to anyone else and I have to ensure the job is done however I do not get that additional 20% of salary...

Beenbeta - I am trying to find a job I would love and would even do it for 5 days but I can't really find anyone who loves their job. Or just perhaps it the area I am in (I'm an accountant in industry), all senior roles in finance seem unjoyable as far as I can see!

OP posts:
KatieMiddleton · 05/03/2011 20:58

From your last post I'd say talk to your manager and see if you can negotiate compressed hours. It sounds like that's what you're doing and you are right to ask for full time pay if you're working full time even if it is on a flexible basis.

You'll need to be able to demonstrate this is the case though and not poor time management on your behalf.

Original poster
gpage · 05/03/2011 21:06

My predecessor worked five days a week and the role of job has increased in scope since they did it so I have reasonably good evidence that my time management is robust. Compressed hours sounds the way forward!

OP posts:
flowery · 05/03/2011 23:03

Compressed hours is fine if you work in the kind of environment where people usually work their contracted hours, take a lunch break etc

But if you work in the kind of role/company where it's unusual to take an hour for lunch and most people don't go home at 5, then arguing that you should be paid full time because you can squeeze your 40 hours into 4 days probably won't go down too well, if most people are doing miles more than their 40 hours and only getting paid for 40. I've refused flexible working requests on that basis before- people have come in wanting to leave early in the evenings and making up the time by taking a shorter lunch. All fine until you point out that they never took an hour fir lunch previously and were usually in by 8.30 and left at 6. In fact their request to 'compress' their hours was actually a request to reduce their hours.

Of course whether those kind of hours in terms of a culture are a good thing is a much wider debate, but my point is that 'compressed' hours just don't work in some cultures where the potential for resentment is huge.

Are you working the same hours as everyone else or are you managing to do the job 4 days by being more efficient?

Suzihaha · 06/03/2011 07:12

I agree with flowery. If your FT colleagues are actually working 50 hours a week for their 5 days and you are working 40 for your 4 days then you getting paid 20% less is fair. You do get paid for the hours you work. If your output is more perhaps you should ask for a pay rise and/or expect more for a year-end bonus; but I don't think you can ask to be paid a FT wage.

Original poster
gpage · 06/03/2011 11:27

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Much appreciated.

OP posts:
lurkingsnurker · 06/03/2011 11:58

But flowery, isn't it completely irrelevant whether people take lunch breaks or not? Isn't it about getting the job done? If my manager had turned down my flexible working requests on the basis you describe I would be mightily hacked off. You are basically saying 'I know you're only contracted to work 35 hours a week, but because you do more, and I expect you to do more (without being paid) I'm not going to let you work less, even though i know you work more than your contracted hours'. Hmm

LadyBiscuit · 06/03/2011 12:03

Where I used to work (big accountancy firm) you couldn't do compressed hours if you were manager grade or above. Because basically you are expected to work longer than your paid hours. It sucks, but it's the culture.

4 1/2 days seems to be a fairly good compromise for a lot of people but I went back full time from 4 days when I realised that I was doing the same amount of work but getting paid 20% less for it.

lurkingsnurker · 06/03/2011 12:16

We also have that culture LB, the difference is that my business seem to recognise that it's not acceptable for senior management to perpetuate it!

Xenia · 06/03/2011 12:30

Plentty of j obs you do the hours it takes to get the work done and no overtime and indeed work all night sometimes. It's just how some jobs are.

You might find though going back full time ie better though. I htink most women do and you earn more and you have a more equal relationship at home and promotion is better. Try it. The more women we get full time the better.

LadyBiscuit · 06/03/2011 12:55

Thing is that if you're trying to make your way up the greasy pole, your chances of doing that are vastly increased if you're the one there helping the partner get the accounts out of the door. So compressed hours basically means your career stalls.