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Original poster

Civil Service Working Hours Advice

37 replies

MotherofCats22 · 10/06/2022 06:48

Hello

firstly, apologies to add to the many civil service threads already!

I accepted a job within the CS at the start of the year and the clearance is slowly but surely going through. I have already had a chat with my future line manager to discuss working hours and flexibility and they have said its pretty much up to me (within reason ofcourse)

i have worked part time before and i am currently in a full time role with no flexibility. I have two young children, one in nursery and the other starting school in September. Full time is not working for us as a family, i keep being late for pick up from nursery and my youngest has not adjusted well to the nursery environment so i would like to work part time….

i think going from private to the public sector is going to be quite a change and im not used to the flexibility that the CS can offer so i am interested to hear what other working parents do to fit working around their children?

im currently considering doing 32 hours across 4 days so starting at 8 and finishing at 4.30 (inc 30 mins lunch) however i am one of those people who is given too much choice i just dont know what to decide!!

Any advice & tips is very much appreciated!

thank you

OP posts:
Cao77 · 10/06/2022 07:06

I work full time in CS (37 hours) and work my hours around the school runs, (the breaks to log off cover the lunch break requirement) I agreed with senior management prior to starting as my finish times on some days were outside of core hours (e.g I log off at 14.45pm some days but work later after the school run pick up on one day to get my hours in) therefore, I strongly suggest whatever you get agreed, get it in writing, as when I eventually started my TL was a bit iffy about it but couldn't do anything as I had confirmation! Good luck, hope the security clearance wait is not too much longer for you, mine was over 6 months!!

DisgruntledPelican · 10/06/2022 07:06

Surely the flexibility depends on what you need, though? And the nature of the job.

I’m office-based CS but not strictly 9-5 as it depends what my team is doing. My child is in nursery and I do three drop offs and one pick up each week - the day I drop off as well as pick up, I don’t start until 9.30 and have to leave again at 4 to get to nursery (traffic) so I pick up additional hours 8-10pm and tend not to stop for lunch unless it’s a quiet day (haha).

The days I drop off without picking up, I do 9.30-5.30. The days DS isn’t in nursery I try to do 8-4 but realistically it is more like 8-5.

however my team’s culture is relaxed and is very much about completing your work to deadline but how you manage that is up to you.

Menopants · 10/06/2022 07:15

I do 30 hours over 4 days. It’s great. When dd was wee I used to get in for 7 and leave at 3 to pick her up. Enjoy the flexibility and good luck

lassof · 10/06/2022 07:18

They often say any old rubbish before you start then it turns out actually you have core hours and not much flex. Or your lm gaslights by saying it's okay then asking where you are all the time

Lulumo · 10/06/2022 07:20

If you can afford it 30 hours over 4 days

Investicat · 10/06/2022 07:21

When my kids were very young, I used to start work at 7am and DH did the school drop and morning stuff. I was out by 3pm and able to collect them.

When I started I did 3 days a week of 8 hours. I got a promotion after 2 years and wentFT.

It used to be difficult to go from PT to FT and also you get increased pension etc working FT so I would consider doing that if you can.

hoomaeyya · 10/06/2022 07:30

CS is the best thing ever.

I went from retail with zero flexibility to the Civil Service and I was gobsmacked at the flexibility. You can have your own life and a job. It is beyond amazing.

I have a 2 & 4 year old so I do 29 hours a week over 4 days. I get in around 8/9 after school/nursery drop off, take an hour lunch (because I like going for a walk) and then leave around 5 each day. I am (unfortunately) often in debit because some days I have to wait for MIL to come up before I can go in to work but they are fine about this as long as it I get back in credit at some point.

Honestly it is life changing.

Original poster
MotherofCats22 · 10/06/2022 08:26

Cao77 · 10/06/2022 07:06

I work full time in CS (37 hours) and work my hours around the school runs, (the breaks to log off cover the lunch break requirement) I agreed with senior management prior to starting as my finish times on some days were outside of core hours (e.g I log off at 14.45pm some days but work later after the school run pick up on one day to get my hours in) therefore, I strongly suggest whatever you get agreed, get it in writing, as when I eventually started my TL was a bit iffy about it but couldn't do anything as I had confirmation! Good luck, hope the security clearance wait is not too much longer for you, mine was over 6 months!!

Thanks for the advice, i will definitely make sure i get it in writing ! I’m 6 months and waiting…..hopefully will be worth the wait!

OP posts:
Original poster
MotherofCats22 · 10/06/2022 08:30

DisgruntledPelican · 10/06/2022 07:06

Surely the flexibility depends on what you need, though? And the nature of the job.

I’m office-based CS but not strictly 9-5 as it depends what my team is doing. My child is in nursery and I do three drop offs and one pick up each week - the day I drop off as well as pick up, I don’t start until 9.30 and have to leave again at 4 to get to nursery (traffic) so I pick up additional hours 8-10pm and tend not to stop for lunch unless it’s a quiet day (haha).

The days I drop off without picking up, I do 9.30-5.30. The days DS isn’t in nursery I try to do 8-4 but realistically it is more like 8-5.

however my team’s culture is relaxed and is very much about completing your work to deadline but how you manage that is up to you.

I agree, i know id like a day off in the week so i can spend time with my youngest and ideally id like to be able to my older child up from school when she starts or at least early from ASC but i have heard people mentioning they pick up work later in the evening which is what im considering as i dont mind doing that to get the hours on.

i dont really know too much about the role and department due to not having the relevant clearance however the LM said that they are very flexible so maybe doing something similar to you would work.

thank you for your advice!

OP posts:
Original poster
MotherofCats22 · 10/06/2022 08:31

Menopants · 10/06/2022 07:15

I do 30 hours over 4 days. It’s great. When dd was wee I used to get in for 7 and leave at 3 to pick her up. Enjoy the flexibility and good luck

Thank you!!

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 10/06/2022 08:31

If you do work 4 days, keep a Monday as your non working day. That way your bank holiday entitlement will he added to your annual leave. There'll be the odd Friday to cover with them, or if Christmas falls on a working day, but generally part timers who work Mondays loose out.

Original poster
MotherofCats22 · 10/06/2022 08:32

lassof · 10/06/2022 07:18

They often say any old rubbish before you start then it turns out actually you have core hours and not much flex. Or your lm gaslights by saying it's okay then asking where you are all the time

doesnt seem like your department is very flexible :/ i got the vibe from the LM that they are flexible they just want time sheets completed which is fine…hopefully they will stay true to their word

OP posts:
Original poster
MotherofCats22 · 10/06/2022 08:34

Lulumo · 10/06/2022 07:20

If you can afford it 30 hours over 4 days

Thank you!! i am better off doing 30 over 4 than working full time in my current role as i pay for 4 days nursery & the salary is less than the CS role so i will better off paying for 3 days and working less!

OP posts:
Original poster
MotherofCats22 · 10/06/2022 08:35

Investicat · 10/06/2022 07:21

When my kids were very young, I used to start work at 7am and DH did the school drop and morning stuff. I was out by 3pm and able to collect them.

When I started I did 3 days a week of 8 hours. I got a promotion after 2 years and wentFT.

It used to be difficult to go from PT to FT and also you get increased pension etc working FT so I would consider doing that if you can.

Thank you! I would like to start that early if i could however my husband is disabled so is unable to drive, he can do one of the drop offs to school or nursery but not both! Hopefully when they are both at school i can do 7-3! Thanks again

OP posts:
Original poster
MotherofCats22 · 10/06/2022 08:36

hoomaeyya · 10/06/2022 07:30

CS is the best thing ever.

I went from retail with zero flexibility to the Civil Service and I was gobsmacked at the flexibility. You can have your own life and a job. It is beyond amazing.

I have a 2 & 4 year old so I do 29 hours a week over 4 days. I get in around 8/9 after school/nursery drop off, take an hour lunch (because I like going for a walk) and then leave around 5 each day. I am (unfortunately) often in debit because some days I have to wait for MIL to come up before I can go in to work but they are fine about this as long as it I get back in credit at some point.

Honestly it is life changing.

Happy to read it works well for you and family!!

please can i ask what debit and credit hours is?!

OP posts:
HateMyJob12345 · 10/06/2022 08:42

Flexibility in the CS very much depends on your team and line manager. In my last role I could pretty much start and finish whatever time I wanted within reason as long as I did my hours, met deadlines and attended meetings. However in my current role (same department) although technically I’m on flexi-time , in reality there is no flexibility at all as most days I have meetings at 9am and my last meeting won’t finish until 5pm or often have meetings after 5pm. My advice is to make sure you get it all in writing before you start.

ArnoldBee · 10/06/2022 08:50

Mondays off if you have a nwd.

Given the current climate think about what you need now and in the future as its not guaranteed that you will be able to increase your hours when you want to. Are you considering a term time contract for example as down the line you might not be able to get it when you want it. Deficit and credit- in my department you can be 4 days down or 4 days up in flexi credit.

HumourReplacementTherapy · 10/06/2022 08:56

Term time only can be an option too so that may come in handy especially once they're both at school as you can up your hours/days in term time and have school holidays off unpaid (or as many weeks as you need)
You can have your salary spread over 12 months.
I've done lots of different combinations over the years.

SatinHeart · 10/06/2022 08:58

Agree with a lot of what's been said already. How flexible you can be depends on the work fo your team and waht you can get your loneansger ot agteet to. I work in quite a 9-5 team and my boss is a micromanager so mine isn't super flexible.

Definitely agree about it not being easy to increase your hours due to tight CS budgets, so I would start on FT or as close to it as you can manage, then drop down if it's too much. You can often ask to do a trial of a new working pattern of up to 6 months without amending your contract, so make use of that.

Artwodeetoo · 10/06/2022 09:01

It depends on the department, role, team and your manager really so its good that they seem genuinely flexible. You'll probably be on flexi so won't have to formalise hours, as long as you're in for core hours and do the correct amount throughout the week then should be fine. Some people work term time and have their pay spread out as well which you could apply for if so inclined.

Useranon1 · 10/06/2022 09:10

OP did they say it was a part time role? In my experience in the CS they are good on flexibility of when you work your hours, but how many hours you work needs formally agreeing and signing off. It was advertised as full time has your future LM said you can do part time hours?

NellWilsonsWhiteHair · 10/06/2022 09:10

HateMyJob12345 · 10/06/2022 08:42

Flexibility in the CS very much depends on your team and line manager. In my last role I could pretty much start and finish whatever time I wanted within reason as long as I did my hours, met deadlines and attended meetings. However in my current role (same department) although technically I’m on flexi-time , in reality there is no flexibility at all as most days I have meetings at 9am and my last meeting won’t finish until 5pm or often have meetings after 5pm. My advice is to make sure you get it all in writing before you start.

This has been my experience too. Line managers being the most significant variable but also directorate culture, nature of work (fair enough on this point) and I think also the extent to which an individual wants to position themselves as serious about their career vs protecting work-life balance.

I know some departments which are more family-friendly than mine, but also many which are more challenging. It's also subject to political whims eg partygate => Jacob Rees-Mogg office attendance inspections => overnight changes to expectations about how often you can wfh.

Definitely agree you should get it in writing ASAP.

In some ways (I have substantial pre CS career experience) it's a great place to combine career and family, but sometimes I think people over-generalise about the flexibility.

PineappleSun · 10/06/2022 09:21

Debit and credit is accrued when you work over and under your hours. E.g if your normal day is 7 hours 30 mins and you work 7 hours 39 minutes, you'll be 9 minutes in credit. You can then use your 9 minutes to leave early or have a longer lunch, start later, whatever, on another day. Debit is the reverse. My department is up to three days either way, 22.2 hours.
Thanks for posting this thread, I'm about to go back after mat leave and trying to work out what's best to do. Sounds like 30 hours over 4 days with Mondays off is a winner.

PineappleSun · 10/06/2022 09:23

Also might be worth noting that some departments require you to work 6 months before you're entitled to join the flexi scheme, but that won't affect part time.

Original poster
MotherofCats22 · 10/06/2022 14:03

@Useranon1 the role was advertised as lots of different working patterns: full time, part time, job share, compressed hours. When i had a chat with the LM they said providing i do more than 3 days, i can choose what hours & days.

OP posts: