Going part-time - pros and cons?

[AbsolutePlonker]

Mums, talk to me about going part-time. Did you do it because you had to, or wanted to? Did you feel happier?

My husband and I have been taking off alternate Fridays with DD since I finished Mat Leave in July, but his work has gotten way busier so no longer an option. He makes more money than me.

Currently I am full time but working compressed hours to get that one Friday a fortnight off. I would have to reduce my contract officially if I wanted every Friday off.
We could put her in nursery for an extra day but I only make £15 after I've paid her fees so doesn't feel worthwhile, I'd rather she was with family. I don't LOVE my job either. But she is my 1st child and we are TTC, so it will impact additional mat leave etc.

Would love to hear other's experience.

Yep like a total dickhead I’ve done this, stepped back due to his career, and yes he’s the main earner by a LOT but as a result my career has utterly tanked and therefore my pension payment is peanuts.

I feel like I’ve wasted a university degree and twenty years of a career

If your pension provider does not allow for top ups - you can open a self funding pension and put the short fall in it - you'll get the tax back and you'll be neutral. You seem to be making all the sacrifices here so your dh can accelerate his career, I understand why that's easier - it was easier for me too - and dh earned 5 times my salary. I feel very lucky - dh and I are still happy 20 years later (many are not) - but my pension looks dismal - back in the day the rules regarding pensions were a lot more restrictive. I put all my salary in there now but there's a lot of catching up to do.

I fucking love working part time. I never want to work a Friday again.

Luckily for me, due to pay rise, car allowance increase and cost of living supplement, my pay isn't much different.

I’d echo this.

It has really shocked me how many of our friends have split since all our children were born 10-15 years ago, and pretty much without exception the women have been left high and dry with the bulk of childcare and a vastly reduced earning capacity/pension pot. The narrative has in most cases been twisted into the ‘hardworking husbands’ vs ‘ladies of leisure’.

I have been fortunate to date and remain very happily married, but realise just how vulnerable I made myself and how I vastly decreased my earning potential and my pension pot. I’m not sure I would make the same choices if I had my time again.

I thought that if a couple split up, you can go after their pension. Is that not the case?

My plan was always to go part time. I made sure I did well and earned well before having kids. I earned more than double my dh at the time but his work wldnt let him go part time and mine did.

He now earns similar to me or a bit less (well Full time equivalent). I've worked part time for 5yrs. It's def stopped me progressing at work but I couldn't care less. I still make gd money and now my dh does too. I will not need to go full time again until I want to. I don't think I will until youngest is maybe at high school or close to that age.

I wouldn't like to not work and feel I have the perfect balance working 3 days a week.

Bear in mind they aren't in nursery for long before finding locks in at 3. I get it's annoying though going out to work for very little. I would say that I know some folk that did 4 days and they didn't feel that it felt properly part time and their workload wasn't reduced!

I've always worked 3 days since DC and this has given a very good work/family balance. My job is flexible so I can swap days to attend school concerts, nativities etc, As a family we manage fine with one full time and one part time salary. I have access to the family money but my pension has taken a hit though.

If your part time you need to make sure someone is employed to do the other part of your job. I always advise against 4 days though. I've seen too many friends who's employers have agreed to 4 days then basically expected them to do a full time job in 4 days and for part time pay!

I do 32 hours with two half days out of five. Means I can collect DC from school on those days and have time for sports etc. The joint account tops up my pension. I can't see myself going back to 37 hours.

Not if they weren’t married, no.

We both work part time, I do monday to wednesday and he does tuesday to thursday. What did youy husbands employer say when he requested a reduction in hours?

I like working part time, personally parenting for our family wouldn’t work if we both worked fulltime. As it stands we both have a day alone with our daughter (toddler) and a day to share while our son is at school. As we have a mirrored day off it also means one of us can book that day, or part of it, to do something alone as the other is around for childcare and the school run.

That sounds like a great mix. My husband's work were supportive of him dropping a day a fortnight, but someone has left the business unexpectedly, and it's given him an opportunity to step. Unfortunately they're also they're really short staffed - and will be for a long time. (niche science sector)

Initially it felt like we could both manage on one less day a week but sadly not.
I was initially really annoyed at him for letting us down but I want to be with DD more anyway!