Working pattern

[arintingly]

I have just been offered a fab new job - the only thing is that it's fewer hours than I currently do.

I currently do 32 hours in 4 days, the new role is 26 hours. They have said they can make whatever pattern I want work. I will need to do 1-2 days a week in the office.

The current person does 3 days and then picks up an hour or two on his non working days - it's a senior role so this is used to sign off work.

I have 2 children in primary school and my DH works four days a week.

I think the options are:

3 long days - would mean 2 proper days off and ability to spend with the kids in the holidays

3 normal length days and an hour each of the non working days - I think this would be nice in term time and allow me to stay on top of the work better but it might be annoying in the holidays

4 days - shorter hours, would probably be good from a workload perspective, would probably be able to pick the kids up from school most days but not so great in the holidays

I think I am leaning towards 3 long days and I can occasionally flex this to do a little bit of work on the non working days and leave early but maybe better not to have the expectation of routinely being available on my non working days

What would you do and why?

I'm a fan of shorter days. Personally I find them best for a work life balance, particularly if you're in the office twice a week.

Do you have to do the same all the time? Would it be an option to do two long days in the holidays and short days in term time?

I think the thing I don't like about four short days is that on the office days we would still need wraparound so it feels like I wouldn't get much "useful" time back, not really enough time to get stuck into household jobs or exercise.

I haven't asked about a termtime pattern, but it probably is doable

Do the days have to be equal length? I do 3 days but one of my working days finishes early enough for school pick up and the others are longer.

Could you do 1 day of 7 hrs and 2 days 9.5 hrs. That way you still have plenty of after school time with your DC except 2 days of the week and you don't have to pick up an hour of work on your days off.

Or 4 days but 2 of them within school hours and 2 longer so you only need 2 days wraparound. You could ask about doing your hours over 3 days in school holidays.

I would ask if you can flex in school holidays. I work 3 normal days and 2 short days and I find the short days very difficult especially if I'm dealing with external stakeholders who don't expect me to just finish work at 3.

Thanks everyone.

I think I am now leaning towards 3 and a half days as then I get a reasonable balance on my 3 days - I currently find it a bit of a stretch on office days to do 8.5 hours - but don't need wraparound on the fourth day and will still get some time to myself. In the holidays I can just book off the half day as leave.

I would have as many completely free days as you can. I started a job 25 hours and they wanted five hours per day. I feel like I am being paid part time but expected to work full time and my colleagues seem to think I am shirking if I dare to work my hours. If things come in when I have finished, even though they could do them, they leave them for me. I feel if I was not in every day this wouldn’t happen. I am probably going to quit because of it.