Wanting to reduce my hours after just 8 months

[bettybottersbetterbutter]

I've been in my new full-time job eight months and the work/ life balance just isn't there - i've considered quitting and finding something part-time do enjoy the job and would like to carry on albeit on reduce hours.

Ideally I'd like to go down to 4 days a week but the company aren't known for offering flexible hours so I don't know how best to broach it or whether I'd be better off waiting until my annual review in October (would rather not though!). And am I better off asking for a 3 day week in the hope of negotiating to 4 or just explain what I want and stick with it. Any suggestions how to broach this without sounding like I'm not coping also appreciated!

I don’t think it will indicate you’re not coping- the opposite if anything, if you think your job could be done in four days. Put forward your best business case for what you want, outlining the benefits for the company and addressing what you anticipate to be their concerns.

Are you suggesting that the job can be compressed into the new hours, or are you hoping for a job share?

I definitely need to put a positive spin on it thank you. And TBH I hadn't really thought about the whole compressed hours/ job share element but probably need it. I rather naively thought I'd just come in 1 day a week less and they'd pay me 1/5th less

Is your job one where if your not there that 1 day a week there will be work to be picked up? If it will mean additional work on the team think of ideas how you can mitigate these

Does your company have a flexible work policy?

Yes you definitely need to think about how the work will actually get done, putting forward a realistic proposal for that will dramatically increase the likelihood of it being agreed.

Ask for four not three, they'll either say yes or no.

A key part of any request for flexible working (part time) is to include
“an explanation of how they think flexible working might affect the business and how this could be dealt with, for example if they’re not at work on certain days”.

You need to think how your request impacts on your employer and colleagues and suggest ways to mitigate this. So often application read me me me with no thought from the perspective of colleagues and the business.

I know that sounds harsh, but as someone who advocates flexible working it amazes me how many people expect an employer to say yes with no consideration how it impacts others. For example a team of 6 where 3 don’t work Fridays and a fourth team member asks to work compressed hours with a Friday as their NWD. I was told I was unreasonable to say yes to compressed hours but no to the Friday as their NWD, but they could pick any other day. I pointed out we needed 2 people as a minimum so the 2 team members would never be able to have the odd Friday as leave. The applicant didn’t care and kicked off majorly even though I had agreed most of their request.

Thank you all really helpful advice. I am going to speak to them sooner than my annual review (although probably not for a few weeks as we just coming out of a very busy period) I will definitely work on the business case rather than just my needs. Will let you know how I get on.

Could you work 4 longer days and therefore cover the hours?

It's a customer facing role and core hours are 9-5 with and additional hour either side so with commute I'm already doing an 11 hour day so not really an option but thank you for the suggestion.

It's a customer facing role... How did you think you could just drop a day (or two!) without a cover?

If it’s customer facing presumably they need cover the whole week, in which case suggesting a job share and doing three days might go down better. Otherwise they’ll be looking for someone to cover one day a week if you go down to four days, which will probably be more difficult to find.

What is it about being full time that is making tne work/life balance difficult? Is it something that can realistically be fixed with something else instead of reducing hours? Do you have a partner? Are they pulling their weight?

You've mentioned your commute and working hours making it a long day. Personally, I would look at finding another full time job without such a long commute etc. When I went back to work full time, the job was an absolute nightmare. There was an ethos of long days, I was expected to be able to just pick something up that had been dropped in my lap at 5pm even if I had started at 7am and needed to pick the kids up at 5.30pm. I changed jobs. I still work full time, for the same money. The job is way less stressful, I can leave it at 5pm an come back to it at 9am the next day. I also work from home which makes things easier.

When I went back full time, there were a lot of changes at home. My DH does most of the house work now on his days off (weekdays when kids are at school). He had to step up.