Working term time only

[stclair]

Has anyone done this? My employer has suggested I look at the possibility of working term time and taking school hols off. Basically, my colleague is leaving (we are nurses) and they want me to extend my hours (I currently work 3 days a week) so have offered the carrot of more time off with children. Is the only option to work full-time and do you get all schools off or can I request 4 days a week and not all school hols? I don’t know anyone who is doing this and am in a bit of a quandary! Is it too good to be true!

Plenty of people do manage this.
I'd want to know how if they say offer 5 weeks equivalent annual leave for a FTE role, how will they pay this over the year if you're taking 13 weeks? Will you be treated as though.working 39+equivalence of annual leave, so 18 days paid annual leave, meaning you'll not be paid for the other 47 days? Or some other arrangement.

If they need FT, I'd think they'd be reluctant to offer it at 0.8 as that's an additional 39 days a year they don't have someone working.

Could you manage the long terms of 5 days a week to allow for the 13 weeks?

Is it 9 to 5? So wraparound care needed? Is this more or less expensive in school holidays than in term time?

Thanks for your thoughts @MotherExtraordinaire. I could stretch to 4 days a week term time, hours at the moment 8.30-4.30. The worry is when will school clubs restart though when they eventually get back as there was no before/after school care after the first lockdown . I’m wondering about 4 days term time then 2 days during school hols. If I took allocated annual leave during school hols would I effectively get more hours off? Do you think this could work? I’m hopeless at this.

I’m wondering about 4 days term time then 2 days during school hols

I do this. I love it! It means me and my husband can just about manage all hols and inset days between us (and one week family holiday together).

When I requested this when they offered me the job I was amazed they agreed to it. But they said they try to be family friendly.

I'd want to know how if they say offer 5 weeks equivalent annual leave for a FTE role, how will they pay this over the year if you're taking 13 weeks?
My employer asked me how I wanted my salary paid and I opted for equalised over the year - so the same each month. (I guess that will create difficulties if I leave though, working out if I owe them money or they owe me money...) I think my hours average out at 3.5 days a week.

Yes look up 'annualised hours' this is what you want. Work a different pattern as you want.

I used to do two longer days in the hols and five short days in the term time, but I just had to work my hours across the year, not evenly.

@CrispsTasteSoGood
Great! This sounds encouraging. How many full weeks off a year would you say it works out to be?

@ScrapThatThen
I haven’t heard of that. I guess this makes it easier for the employer in the long run, would just have to keep tabs on hours worked and a flurry of working hours at the end of the year if you haven’t done enough ? I guess it allows for flexibility

Great! This sounds encouraging. How many full weeks off a year would you say it works out to be?

Oh gosh I dont' know, and your situation will be different depending on your full-time holiday entitlement/ bank holidays in the country you are in. You need to work out what your pro-rata annual leave would be, then look at the school hols, inset days, bank holidays and work out how you can cover them. Its bloody complicated adn takes me ages to do this each year!