Would you work full time?

[Moneypanicker]

I don't know whether to go full-time? I work 30 hours currently. We don't need the money. My kids are older and don't need me as much. I just feel weird having a day off, I don't really do much just do the shopping etc. Most of my friends work on my day off so it's not like I can catch up with them. I guess i'm mainly thinking long-term about my pension and how after nearly 20 years of part-time work it would give it a boost.
What would you do?

I went FT in your position. I was motivated partly by pension and partly by a desire to make a last ditch effort to climb the career ladder after having somewhat stagnated during my years' of part time work.

I think if your children are older you have a lot more free time anyway compared to having younger ones.

What about your pension? I work FT now so that I'll be well set up when I retire. I think a lot of women working PT may end up in a precarious position when they retire, particularly if there is a relationship break up before then.

I wouldn’t, I like to go to the cinema, swimming, mooch around the shops so I’d do one of those on the day off.

I do full time hours over five days - brilliant compromise

Argh, full time hours over FOUR days, vital piece of info there

Won't those 37 years be reduced to reflect your 20 hour week?

I would keep the day off, staying at 30 hours. I’ve just upped from 24 to 30 hrs and I am not going any higher than that. I’ve worked there since 2005 I’m in the LGPS and my hrs have yo-yo’d.
18.5
37
18.5
30
22.5
24
30
I also have 15 years pension from my previous employer. I should really look at my pension, but I wonder if there’s any point as I’m probably going to be medically retired in the future.

If you are in UK you need 35 years of National Insurance contributions to claim a full state pension. Have you checked yours ?

Secondly, if you want to retire before state age, do you have savings or pension or other means to do this ?

www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

I would go back up to FT - but I have three kids between 8 and 14 and have worked FT most of their lives, and managed fine.

That said - I enjoy my job and earn six figures and I'm efficient/highly respected enough that if I "cruise" on the occasional Friday, no-one cares. I would not be willing to forego 20% of my salary for a relaxing few hours.

I work FT. We never get everything that needs doing done. It always feels like we're struggling to keep up. If you don't need the money, I wouldn't.

No, absolutely not!
I recently did take a full time job after part time for 35 years. My kids are grown up. The job I took I wanted to give it a go , there were no other options than full time.
After around three months, I started to feel like I lived at work, I missed my house, my garden, meeting my friends for coffee, getting my hair done, missed out on dental and medical routine appointments. Missed going and having a day round the shops,I didn’t get time to properly clean my house or do a bit of decorating. The washing started piling up. The list goes on.
On my days off I was too tired to enjoy any time with my husband.
I soon realised I was living to work and life is too short. I started to resent the job. I asked my managers if I could go to 30 hrs (22.5 would have been better!)
I knew the answer would be no! It was !
I left on the day my 6 month probation ended. I’ve never looked back.

*'alanabennett · Today 01:25

I would go back up to FT - but I have three kids between 8 and 14 and have worked FT most of their lives, and managed fine.

That said - I enjoy my job and earn six figures and I'm efficient/highly respected enough that if I "cruise" on the occasional Friday, no-one cares. I would not be willing to forego 20% of my salary for a relaxing few hours.'*

Unless you need the money and have no choice, i think it comes down to whether you value money/lifestyle or life/free time more. I never understand people that work all of the time, and having beautiful homes they never see, and lives they barely get to live. It's makes no sense to me.

have It 🙄

If I had the option I’d do four days in a heartbeat. I’m back up to FT with older teens and knackered. 30 hours was the sweet spot.

I enjoy my job and earn six figures and I'm efficient/highly respected enough that if I "cruise" on the occasional Friday, no-one cares.

Same. Depends on the work, if you can really clock in and out and be done? In my line of career, it would just mean doing the same work for less money. I guess it must be a very privileged position to say that you do not need money. I don't know what would need to happen for me to feel this way.

I work 30hrs over 4 days. lts a 4 day role so I'm not trying to fit full time work load in. I have no plans to go back full time. My time is more important than work.

I already do and miss my day off on a Friday, but enjoy the extra money and knowing that my pension pot is benefitting. I wfh a lot and am around for the children. I could not sustain it if I had to go to an office every day. Depends on the work life balance. What is important to you?

What on earth are you talking about, @Holdmycoat? I work 35-40 hours a week, pick my youngest up from school around 4:00pm, take them to all their activities and still - gasp - have time to enjoy my "beautiful home" and live my life.

MN is such an odd place sometimes. The idea that someone is a slave to work and missing their kids growing up/can't enjoy their lives if they choose to work FT.

Rather, I don't understand how working FT means that so many women cannot seem to manage to fit in a dentist appointment or do their washing...how inefficient are they?

swedishedith yes but it's still a decent pension with up to 2015 (and possibly set to change to 2022 contributions) based on the old more generous 1995 scheme. Plus a lump sum.
And have just hit 35 years NI contributions.

if you went to 4 days you wouldn’t be losing 20% of your salary…
it would be a lot less because you pay so much in tax

I don't pay that much - I'm not in the uk - but yes, it would be something. It's worth it to me, though.

Och. If you’re not paying the 50% tax rate, then yeah, it won’t be as much of a loss to you. Not that I’ve got any opinion on whether you should or shouldn’t work 5 days a week! I’d prefer to only work 4. But it is what it is

MN is such an odd place sometimes. The idea that someone is a slave to work and missing their kids growing up/can't enjoy their lives if they choose to work FT.

Yes, OP was asking only about FT. Some posters are making it sound like she's about to leave her family to work on an oil rig or Antarctic research station..
There's plenty of time to enjoy your family and house when you work standard FT hours.