Reducing hours

[Hann376]

Anyone done compressed hours after going back to work and is this realistic? I have 9-5 job which sometimes requires extra hours if busy. thinking of asking for compressed hours 4 days (either 5 days into 4 which would be an extra 2 hours a day or 4.5 in 4 which would be an extra hour a day as 20% pay cut will really be a struggle).

But wondering how easy this will be as I will either need to do drop off or pick up (partner will do one of them most likely pick up so I would do the mornings). Nursery is 10 mins away how likely is it I could get baby up , dressed and in nursery by 7:30/8am? And will I feel I am missing out if working later 4 nights a week?

I’m going back to work in 2 weeks after maternity and have just dropped down to 4 days after seeing & speaking to a few of my friends who went back before me and tried to do it the way you are thinking of doing it condensed 5 into 4.

I have 3 friends who initially went back doing 5 days condensed into 4 and none of them have stuck with it, they’ve all just now ended up dropping to 4 days. They all said that they found working 10 hour days just left them with next to no time to do anything, no time with their baby because before work is morning rush & nursery and by the time they finished it’s just bath & bed, they had no time for themselves, no time to pop to the gym, for a walk etc and they were so drained by those 4 long days that they couldn’t then enjoy their extra day off midweek because they were just totally running on empty.

I did compressed hours for 4 years (from when DD started nursery until she started school). DD went to nursery 8-6 Monday-Friday and I had Fridays to do other things. I loved it, and still miss having Fridays off.

Full time hours at my workplace are 35 hours a week, so I did 8-6 (with the extra hour allowing for a slightly late arrival, leaving a few minutes early to get to the nursery which was next door).

I have a friend who has done 5 in 4 since her first child 6yrs ago, however she has never done any childcare runs because her DH (shift worker) and DM have always done those. Also her kids were/are cared for by her DM and DH until they were about 18 months old when they stared nursery and they both went 3 days a week not the full 4.

So I can see why it works well for them in a way that it wouldn't for people rushing around doing nursery runs, particularly with very young babies.