Flexible working nightmare

[hourbyhour101]

For some reason my poor sleep deprived brain can't work out how people condense their hours ?

I'm looking what others do that aren't considered cheeky ext. I work for a family friendly large company and they desperately are trying to retain staff in my team.

So the problem I work 37hrs per week over 5 days and get a hour break (which I never get to take but that's a different post)

I ideally want to condense 37 into 4 days. Im pretty sure my work won't approve me getting rid of lunch break completely but allow me to reduce it to 30mins.

How does this actually work ? Im happy to start at crack of dawn 7am and as long as I do core hours 10-3pm they don't care how I do it.

Help a sleep deprived mum out

@HotStickyMess unless my calculator is completely wrong as well as my brain, it says 7.24 x 5 = 36.2 ..

Which is causing the confusion

7hrs and 24 mins = 7.4hrs

7.4 x 5 = 37hrs

Ahhh right now that makes sense thank you !

OP the 7.24 is 7hrs 24mijs, only 60mins in an hour, so as PP said it equals 7.4 which then x by 5 is the 37.

Working 5 days in 4 is a very common working pattern

Typically a 37 hour week is often worked as 7.5 hours Mon-Thurs eg 9-5 with half hour lunch and the same but finish half an hour earlier on Fridays, which averages as 7.24h/day.

I agree with the recommendation to use annual leave if you can to avoid very long days.

Ask to do 35 hours condensed perhaps or work a 9 day fortnight?

Maybe take a look at your contract to clarify the hour break - if you work 9-5 with an hour break on a 37 hour contract some of the break is paid. But under the working time directive it doesn’t need to be (and you need to take 20 minutes after 6 hours work, not 30… so that could help with the maths if you don’t take breaks anyway)

maybe also consider if you want every day to be the same length and what day you want off (Mondays are better for holiday entitlement normally due to when most bank holidays fall)

I’d probably get a spreadsheet out and let it do the adding up.

Is your lunch break paid? Check your contract/ask as that's probably the easiest way to get to the bottom of it.

7.24h? My head hurts too!!

I do 37.5 hours per week on a 3 on 3 off shift pattern. So 12.5 hours a day including the 1 hour lunch break. Works for me. I couldn’t go back to working a 5 day week no chance

I do this (38hr over 4 days). In my experience, make it work you need the most flexible of organisations, a really supportive boss, max 30 min lunch, the ability to complete some hours in the evening and have autonomy over your time. I usually do 8.45-5.30 and then 3 evenings a week. I had intended to do 8.15-5.30 but in reality don’t manage it (school / nursery run etc) so I work incredibly flexibly. My work are happy with the arrangement as they want to keep me. It’s been really hard though - the evenings are especially brutal. Also, the guilt is tough. I’m senior and most colleagues (include me pre-children) work 8.15-5.30 minimum 5 days a week!! I have to keep the guild locked away and focus on doing what I need to in order to keep my children and me happy, and not screw myself career-wise.

Why not reduce hours slightly but not a full day. My full week would be 35 hours (9-5) but I do 32 hours (8.30-5.30) Monday to Thursday. I find it much easier to manage than compressing the full week

This might actually be a perfect solution ! Thank you how did I not think of this 😵‍💫

I compress 40 hrs over 4 days, Tuesday and Wednesday I do 8am-9pm with a 30 minute break, then 8-4.30 on my other two days. It's doable but I'm tired by Friday as I have a fairly long drive to work (1.5hrs each way).

I condense 27 hours over 3 days and work 8-5.30pm - 9 hours per day. I think everyone has answered it but you’d need to do 9 hrs 15 mins per day not including lunch break.

I have reduced my hours so I work 4 long days 8 til 5 30 mine lunch. I then get one day off per week

I do a few hours in the morning before school drop off, usually 6-8:30, then log back on 9:30-5ish with a 30min lunch break normally to get my hours in for 37 hours in 4 days

I've only just returned to work and we have a 35 hour week. Initially I was going to try and work it over 4 days but it works out at 8.75 hours a day which even from home just seems a bit much. So I've added in 2 hours on a Friday and it really works for me- makes the 4 days 9-6 so I'm not having to work too long a day.