work offering to pay me for 5 days if I only work 4, wwyd?

[MamaChocoholic]

I am recently back from maternity leave and our administrator knows the nursery fees are killing us financially. she proposed today that I could stay home one day/week to save fees. I explained I couldn't because I wouldn't be able to get any work done looking after two babies. she said that wouldn't matter because it's not like I stick to contracted hours (ie most people in my job work 50+ hours/week even though contract says 37) and it would even out over time, as I have worked 50+ hours in the past and will do again as the babies grow up. she has since emailed to say my boss is 100% supportive of the proposal.

it sounds very tempting, we could really do with the extra money. but I am concerned that it will make me beholden. eg, I am planning not to do any travelling for a while (dp can't settle both babies at night) and days I am there I often can't stay late for meetings as I have to get to nursery before it closes. I am concerned that taking up the 4 for 5 offer will require me to be more flexible in other ways, and I'm not sure I can be. also, I'm not sure I will be able to do enough work in the 4 days to keep on top of everything, which will be a problem when I need to apply for another grant in 2-3 years. I would also feel guilty if I tried to move jobs in a few years, something I am half-seriously considering.

once you give up a day's nursery space for two babies it is hard to get it back, so this is not an easily reversible decision.

wwyd? are there other considerations I haven't though of?

Hi. At our place, usually mums tend to opt for compressed hours in a week. The idea that they do 5 days work in 4 days....so that would mean you would need to be at work at 7am and finish 7pm at earliest and completely have the Friday off.

However from what you have said if you are telling me that you do 50 +, I don't see how you are going to fit that in 4 days? Unless you are planning to work from 7am till 12 midnight each day.pls don't take this as negative comment or wrong way , just trying to help you see it would be difficult for more then 50 hours per week. Will you be looking after babies after they are collected from nursery or do you have other arrangements? I know I personally wouldn't take the offer if I had to do 50+ in 4 days. I feel I would be more productive doing 50+ in 5 days.

I don't think they will require you to be more flexible in other ways, they will just require to put the hours in that are expected and what you have usually done in the past prior to maternity leave. So, if that has involved travelling to meetings up and down the country then to do that.

Thinking off the top of my head, if I were in 2 minds about this offer myself I might ask to trial this out for say 1 month and keep nursery space for 5 days but keep babies at home on Friday in the trial month. If you do ask for trial then after 1 month if you can't cope then you can go back to original 5 days at work and not have given up your nursery place. Hope this makes sense!

Hope it all works out:)

I think it would depend on how the company treated everyone else. It could be very awkward if you were being offered this and you worked in a larger team, where others weren't being given the same privileges. If you are more of a 'one-man-band' then I would be honest with them about worries of "owing" them something, and talk openly with them about the possibility of you having another child in the future or if you got an offer from another company or whatever. Sounds like a lovely place to work though.

I did full time pay, work from home on friday arrangement for years. As I was the manager of my area, and my phone was always on during friday, we never had a problem. Realistically I used to work in the evenings at home after the three dc were in bed, (still do!) and as long as the week's work got done and the phone got anwered to any emergencies on the friday, nobody had any concerns. Realistically I only ever got a couple of hours of actual paperwork done on my wfh day because I could only do it when whichever baby was at home, was asleep.
Your employers obviously rate you, and don;t want to lose you - imho well worth the month trial or whatever that someone else has already suggested. My employers were in the same position with me, I'd been there 16 years and they knew I could do the job standing on my head (and actually felt like I had to at times with three young children!!) In employment terms, the situation you are currently in is very short, and they will happily take it as flexible working (which you're entitled to) to get you back in the longer term. I do see your point about then feeling obliged to stay, but in reality getting another post with young children and having to change all kinds of routines and arrangements, perhaps isn't worth committing yourself to this side of them going to school. Which feels like ages away - but again in employment/career terms, actually isn't.

On an entirely different point, does your employer do nursery vouchers? They often work out much cheaper, at the point when I had all three of mine in nursery and the nursery fees bill was actually bigger than the mortgage, we got vouchers which come off your earnings pre-tax and save you an absolute mint of money. Just another thought.

It sounds a very generous offer. Are you able to put in a couple of hours at home in the evening when they are settled for the night and during nap time on a Friday? It would show willing on your part and help you keep on top of your workload.

MrsShrek my situation sounds similar to yours. I was clear that doing this would mean I would not be working full hours. I am already not working as long as some colleagues, but I am earningva reputation for extreme efficiency :) On 4 days, even with working at home when the babies sleep, my research output will be down, and it is this I will be measured on when my job comes up for renewal in 3-4 years.

Colleagues would be told I was working 4 days, not that I was getting paid for 5. My boss tends to do whatever necessary to get the best out of people so I doubt I would be the only one with custom working arrangements.

To be clear, my contracted hours are 37, and I will do at least 34 over 4 days. Plus some evening work and I expect I will do over 37 each week. But I won't be putting in the hours that most people in my job do.

In both of the last two (very large) organisations I have worked in we would also sometimes offer something like this, without expectation of 'payback' to employees we particularly valued. It's a no-brainer and there is loads of research to show that being this flexible with staff increases loyalty, productivity etc etc.

I would take it as a genuine offer, because they value you. And I'd grab it with both hands and say thanks.

Oh, and don't breathe a word to anyone else about this. That would stop them doing it again to the next person

You are obviously valued - just grab it with both hands.

Also remember that they will not be babies forever and so childcare gets easier as they get older.

Have you ever thought about a Nanny ..... for twins its quite often a cheaper option than nursery.

I think I am going to go for it. I am concerned about research output, but tbh a month's trial wouldn't tell me much, it will take a few months to see if I can keep up. I need to have a chat with my boss first, just to check whether he really thinks I can make enough progress working 4 days to get my next grant, he knows how these things work.

And I promise Squiffy, I won't tell anyone. They will just know I am working 4 days, nothing more :)

ButHe, we've looked into it, but amazingly it seems our nursery is cheaper (for twins and a 3 year old) than a nanny, given that the price includes food, nappies, activities etc. They do do a 10% discount for multiples though.

MrsShrek, I do get nursery vouchers. Only £243/month, but it all helps :)

Op, I would bite their hand off!

Sounds like you have a forward thinking employer who is offers flexible working. I work 5 in 4 and am a teeny bit resentful at 80% pay for 100% work

Grab it!

I was offered something similar when I returned from maternity leave 10 years ago.

Will your contract be changed? i.e. will you now be contracted to work 4 days for £x, where before you were contracted to work 5 days for £x, or is it an informal agreement between you and your current line manager, that she knows you pull your weight, so is happy to effectively let you have 1 paid day a week off? I would be concerned about what happens if your line manager moves on. Will you then be at the whim of the new manager and likely to have to work 5 days again?

That said if it's a choice between taking what's on offer now, or working 5 days, then jump at it - even if you do have to go back to 5 days you won't be worse off.

MamaChocoholic if you have a DP then you can get an extra £243 per month - it is £243 per parent. Just wanted to make sure you know that?

Fork, thanks, do doesn't earn enough to pay tax, so no benefit there.

Letme, yes, it's an informal paid day off each week. My boss is unlikely to be going anywhere in the next few years, I think, so hopefully safe there.

One, I would be very resentful of 80% pay in your situation too.

Make sure that everything is properly in writing and none of the arrangement is an informal agreement as if your administrator left and it wasn't properly recorded you might be expected to work 5 days again or something.

I would say go for it, they wouldn't suggest it if they didn't think it was a good deal for them too. Sounds like you've been back at work long enough for them to know what the deal is re staying late, but if necessary perhaps ask them to clarify?