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Original poster

Redressing the work/life balance?

11 replies

plus30 · 10/08/2007 11:40

I currently work full time and have done so since I returned from maternity leave. However, I would now like to reduce my days from 5 to 4 a week and wondered if any of you ladies might have any experience of doing the same thing. I gather are under no legal obligation to let me do this and also wondered if it's right to expect a fifth of my current wages to be deducted? Any stories/advice much appreciated.

OP posts:
Original poster
plus30 · 10/08/2007 11:41

Should read "i gather my company are under no legal obligation...."

OP posts:
Baffy · 10/08/2007 11:45

I did just that - 5 down to 4 days, when I first returned to work.

They were excellent about it. I expected a bit of a fight but they were extremely accomodating and let me choose which day I wanted off (which I could also change if necessary with 2 weeks notice!).

Everything (salary, holidays, benefits etc) was just pro-rata so I got 4/5ths of what I had before.

Loved it!

(Back to 5 days now for financial reasons )

Definitely do it if you can. It made a big difference to me.

flowerybeanbag · 10/08/2007 11:49

plus30 your company are under no legal obligation to agree but they do have to seriously consider your request and if they decline, have to provide decent business reasons why it is not possible to accommodate you. (Assuming you have a child under 6).

And yes your salary, holiday etc will reflect that you are working less hours, will be pro rata as Baffy says.

flowerybeanbag · 10/08/2007 11:49

plus30 your company are under no legal obligation to agree but they do have to seriously consider your request and if they decline, have to provide decent business reasons why it is not possible to accommodate you. (Assuming you have a child under 6).

And yes your salary, holiday etc will reflect that you are working less hours, will be pro rata as Baffy says.

flowerybeanbag · 10/08/2007 11:49

ooh sorry

dylansaunty · 10/08/2007 14:47

Sorry to but in, but i have a simialr question.
My husband is considering cutting his days from 5 to 4. He works for a small company, (about 10 staff) and all the others work part time, and flexibly.
He is the only one with a young child.

However, as he is the only full time member of staff, would the boss be able to refuse saying that the business would suffer if he went part time, or has the precedent been set and the boss would have to allow him this request?

Baffy · 10/08/2007 15:58

dylansaunty I think the rules are that the employer just has to give it serious consideration, and if they say no, give good business reasons why they have said no.

It's still at the discretion of the business though.

Hopefully if all of the other's work flexible hours, then they will be used to accomodating such requests and be fine with it.

(Unless your dh is extremely vital in his role and they really need him there full time.)

Good luck

flowerybeanbag · 10/08/2007 19:49

dylansaunty difficult to see how they could say that the business would suffer unduly by your DH working p/t when everyone else can, so they should agree to it.
Depends on his role though, obviously, but they do need to give good business reasons if they want to refuse his request.

Diege · 12/08/2007 22:40

Just to add I went from full time (uni-lecturer) to 4 days a week last year after dd3 was born. Tbh, I'm doing more hours now than when I was full-time - just a friendly warning to keep your eye on the ball re: work loads! Oh and resist the temptation to open e-mails from home on your 'day off!!'

squiffy · 13/08/2007 10:39

I went from 5 days to 4 but had VERY informal discussion with my boss before officially putting in a request... I promised him I would return straight to full-time if he felt it wasn't working out, and also we agreed that I would keep up same levels of full-time output (so he needn't find other people to fill in for me) and in return he agreed to continue to pay me full-time salary (he did this by giving me big annual payrise). Means I work my butt off (cept when I'm on this website ) but get paid the same and everyones happy... worth a shot if you have a good relationship with your boss (and bear in mind that you often end up having to do the same amount of work anyway...)

HappyMummyOfOne · 17/08/2007 10:10

Going from 5 days to 4 they will usually pro rata you pay and holidays accordingly. Its also usually harder for the company to get a job share person in for 1 day so you could end up doing the same work in 4 days that you did in 5 for less money.

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