Would your workplace let you do this (flexible working request)?

[Butterflyfern]

Managers, how would you feel about a team member wanting to simultaneously drop 4hrs a week and condense working hours by an hour a day to work 4 days a week? Lots of 9 day fortnight-ers and part timers in our organisation, so I'm wondering about doing a combination of the two...

Non-operational office job, managing team that runs mid-long term projects. I'm just trying to see potential stumbling blocks / concerns to address before I broach the topic

Can you do your job in 4 hours less a week if not how do you think they will be able to cover those hours

https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/10/4_day_week_productivity

This is the key. They aren't going to employ another person for four hours a week. So are you expecting to be able to do your existing workload in less time, or do you think your colleagues should work harder?

My company would be fine with it. People work all sorts of flexible, condensed, reduced hours. We're consultants though so it's not so much "can you do your job in X hours" as it is "only X amount of hours worth of work will be assigned to you".

I've progressively dropped my hours from 40 to 32 to 28 to 24 since DD was born and at least 30% of my team work reduced or flexible hours from junior grade to managerial.

Doesn't hurt to ask!

My work would let me do that BUT it’s unlikely there would be anyone to pick up the 4 hrs I’d dropped. So I’d end up still doing a full-time job for part time pay and probably my 4 days would be longer than I’d want!
I have a very flexible workplace but it works much better for them if someone drops more hours and goes to say, half time then they can actually employ someone else.
Im not a manager so can’t answer what would happen in other workplaces.

Our work isn't really like that, we don't have cover or anything. No restrictions on number of people off on holiday etc. We managed and run our own projects, so working hours / annual leave etc is just factored into the project plan. We have minimal external dependencies.

One of the other team managers doesn't work one afternoon a week (compressed hours) and in that case, our manager covers any emergency HR related stuff otherwise work just waits until the next day

Nobody has come up with any reasons that worry me, so that's a relief!

I guess if the business can accommodate it it should be ok.
I manage a team where I do reject these requests as it leaves the business uncovered but it depends on your work as you say no cover required.

I've done this. Just convince them how you will manage the work in the time

I think I have worked pretty much every pattern possible over the years! Always delivered and been productive

Wouldn't be allowed where I work, unless as a temporary arrangement for a specific reason.