Reducing hours - which is best?

[Caramelcap]

If you had the choice, would you choose to work 4 days 9-5.30 (hour lunch) or 5 days 9-3 (no break but can eat at desk)?

I'm thinking of reducing my hours after mat leave and was wondering preferences? I'll have a teenager, child in infants and baby in childcare.

The former. Ive found it much easier to have a day per week where you can get stuff done, or if the little one is ill you don't need to take a further day off work,

I'd try to reduce it to a shorter lunch break though

@AnnaSW1

I'd try to reduce it to a shorter lunch break though

I wish that was an option, I'd do that now!

I have tried spreading out my hours and always go back to full days. Leaving at 3 doesn't work for me (it's hard when colleagues are mid-afternoon), or feel like proper time off, but might for you.

I'd go for the four day week because I'd still need to use breakfast club and after school club working 9-3. Also it's nice to have a whole day off just you and the baby or to get stuff done.

Also you could save a day's childcare if you work four days so more money for you.

4 days or you’ll never get any down time for yourself

Definitely 4 days so you have one day off

Definitely 4 days.

I tried the leaving early ( 9-2.30) and it was the worst possible option. Colleagues resented it, my bosses didn't respect it (would dump a load of work on my desk at 2:25) and the stress of trying to leave work and catch a bus home for school pick up was horrendous. I frequently missed the bus because I had stayed late, thankfully another mum worked in town and did the same hours (and had the same issues!) so between us we'd manage to collect each other's kids.

When I changed to 4 days 9-5 it became a lot easier.

I couldn't reduce my lunch hour either, it was company policy. I tried to do errands though so would go to the post office, phone the vets, buy uniform, do supermarket online shop etc!

My kids are teens now but I never went back full time. I get so much done on my day off that I'd be lost without it now

I’d do a 4 day week personally. Have done both and the amount of times I’d end up going back to work in the evening when doing 9-3 was ridiculous. Changed to 4 days and that was much better. I had Wednesday’s off which broke the week up nicely.

4 days as pp have said. You won't be able to do school pick up anyway if leaving at 3, unless the school is round the corner from your work. And don't take the Friday off - everyone does that. Have either Monday or, as @Iheartmysmart said, the Wednesday as a mid week break.

9-3 if this will allow you to do the school runs yourself without childcare.

I'm going to say don't have Monday, it messes with your annual leave too much (bank holidays). I prefer to have the choice when I take my leave. Weds or Thurs would be the best day off in my opinion.

I would also choose 4 days. That extra day to yourself is honestly so worth it.
I work 4 days, a mix of 2 long days and 2 days 9-3. On the days I’m in 9-3 it can be quite stressful trying to leave on time, not being able to go to meetings in the afternoon and rushing to get the kids. I would hate that 5 days and no lunch break!

Always to 4 days! I hate a 5 day week!

I think it maybe depends on your role. I do 5 short days (ie, 4 days of hours over 5) and it works really well for me - though i have to be disciplined on finishing early. The type of work I do is easier to manage if I’m available 5 days to respond to quick turnaround client requests. If I worked 4 days I would inevitably find myself, at minimum, checking emails on my day off. That said, my main aim in agreeing this arrangement was to work around school runs - if I had a younger child I’d prefer a full day off to spend with them.

@TheBitterBoy

I'm going to say don't have Monday, it messes with your annual leave too much (bank holidays). I prefer to have the choice when I take my leave. Weds or Thurs would be the best day off in my opinion.

If you take Mondays as your set day off, you may end up with extra holidays. I get given my annual leave entitlement for Mondays to use elsewhere as I only work the rest of the week :)

I would do 4 days, or you will have no time at all without the children. Things like errands, medical appointments, meeting up with friends are so much more straightforward to organise if you have a clear day. And it’s nice to have the headspace

Thank you for all the advice, I'm thinking I will go for Wednesdays off 😄 I was thinking Monday or Wednesday but the point about bank holidays is very true, I doubt I'd get extra holidays.

School finishes at 3.15 so it'd need to be very strict on finishing times and like others I think I might end up staying late a lot.

Money will be tight either way so time with baby is better 🙂

@Caramelcap

Thank you for all the advice, I'm thinking I will go for Wednesdays off 😄 I was thinking Monday or Wednesday but the point about bank holidays is very true, I doubt I'd get extra holidays.

School finishes at 3.15 so it'd need to be very strict on finishing times and like others I think I might end up staying late a lot.

Money will be tight either way so time with baby is better 🙂

Your company cannot treat you less favourably for being part time, so if you'd normally have bank holidays off, they have to give you the hours elsewhere.

I've ended up better off working Tuesday - Friday, I got an extra like 4 days holiday this year to use elsewhere :)

When I went down to four days a week (during the recession, not much choice) I had Wednesday off most weeks and I loved it! Made every day feel like a Thursday or Friday. Wish I could do that again- maybe one day.

It also made it easier to catch up on work, and Fridays lots of others didn’t work so it was quieter for meetings and emails.

You know what, ignore my previous comment, I got mixed up. Monday is definitely a better day to have off than Wednesday - see citizens advice info below.

If you work part-time
If your work shuts on bank holidays and you normally work on those days, you’ll have to take them as paid holiday. Because you work part-time, you’ll be entitled to fewer statutory holiday days each year than if you were full-time. This will leave you fewer holiday days to take at a time of your choice.

Example
You work 1 day a week - Monday. You’re entitled to 5.6 days' annual leave each year.

There are 4 bank holidays that fall on a Monday each year, and your work shuts on these days. This means you have to use up 4 days of your annual leave on bank holidays. This leaves you with 1.6 days’ annual leave to take at a time of your choice.

If you worked on Tuesdays, there would be no bank holidays on the days you work. Therefore you’d be left with 5.6 days' annual leave to take at a time of your choosing.

And I posted the previous comment as someone who doesn't work Monday and gets the extra annual leave because of it. Doh!

Definitely number one. You g et more of a break with a day off and more done. Also I tended to stay late everyday anyway as got caught up with things so ended up working full time anyway pretty much! Plus I like to have a decent break in the middle of the day.