Compressed hours - what does this look like for you?

[stargo]

Hi there,

Bit of background, I have 2 under 2 and currently on maternity leave with DC2.

I work in mid-level job, earning just under 50k a year. Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5pm, with a 1 hour lunch break. I find it stressful but also motivating and fulfilling. Im also not married to my partner yet, so I am keen to maintain my financial stability by returning to work. I am also keen to work 4 days a week, with a day at home with my baby.

When I went back between maternity leave 1 and 2, it was horrific. I was doing a 3 month trial of 4 days per week and it was totally unmanageable, no concessions to workload and a lot of late nights to get the job done. So essentially doing compressed hours but not getting paid for it. So I ended up going back up to 5 days a week, however because I was only back for a few months between mat leaves, and had lots of leave to use up, I didn't do many full weeks.

I am planning on looking for a new job asap, partly due to the organisation and how they treat working mums, poor management etc, however will be back at work for at least a short amount of time before I find something new, so I am thinking about submitting another flexible working request to make this work in the short term.

When I go back this time, I obviously can't request a 4 day working week as I proved it did not work last time, so I want to request compressed hours but Im not sure what this looks like.

Im just curious at to what this looks like for people and how well it works with 2 very young children.

Do people that do this work 'core hours' and then after babies are in bed?

Thanks in advance! xx

I think compressed hours will be quite difficult with your current hours as it will be 4 very long days whilst your tired and have lots of running around after your DCs. 2 DCs is harder than 1. Could you take either no lunch break and shorten your days or just half an hour?

I do 37hrs over 4 days but I don't have fixed hours. So I log in and out around school drop off/pick up etc and days in the office. Days are 9hrs 15mins instead of 7hrs 30mins split evenly over the days

So usually it's around 7:30 until 5:15.

Compressed hours can be four long days, or a 9 day fortnight

I do a 9 day fortnight, as do many of my colleagues. But we are expected to do a 'full' compressed day e.g. 8 to 5 or 8.30 to 5.30, split days aren't really a thing. Some people do pop out for school pickup and make up the time at the end of the day, but logging off for say 2-3 hours to do tea and bedtime and then logging back on at 7pm or whatever would not be an acceptable arrangement.

Drop half an hour off your lunch break. That will free up 2 and a half hours per week.

If you go to 4 days then make it clear to management that you will only carry a workload equivalent to 80% of a full time employee. If you work unpaid hours then it becomes the norm.

35 hours a week contracted work at a law firm. Was 9-5.

In December switched to 4 days a week Mon-Thurs start at 7 AM 3 days 9 hours a day one day 8 hours a day. Best decision ever weekends are much better!

For starters I would reduce lunch break to 30 minutes. Otherwise ask for the hours which suits you and your family, or, as an alternative ask for x hours to be worked at suitable times, depending upon work demand, between y and z on Monday to Thursday.

I do 5 days in 4 with two little kids.

My hours are flexible, so in reality what I do it - 9-5 with a short lunch break; then making up what’s needed after they’re asleep/ during nap time on my day off / on the weekends.

4 actual long days would be really tough.

It works well in terms of keeping at a senior level while also seeing the kids. But it’s tough in terms of down time / time with DH. I’d do it again, though.

Could you and your husband do 10 days over 9 alternating the day off. My husband and I do this and it means LO only does 4 days at nursery

I do a nine day fortnight and hardly ever take a lunch break at all. Start at 08:30 and finish at 1715 ish.

I have one going DC and found doing 4 and a half days over four difficult and reduced to 4 days. It was less than an hour extra each day but that extra half an hour in the morning and evening made a different to me when I had SC to get ready, lunchboxes, a quick clean before I start work and 4 days was better in that sense but I have a job that is difficult to do in 4 days.

Thank you all for your input - very helpful!

I think I was struggling to see how people realistically work any extra hours in the evenings as my employer would likely not go for that.

I also didn't think about starting super early ie 7:30 but that would be helpful as Im more productive in the mornings, and my partner could do the nursery drop off.

So most likely option is for me to pitch doing 4 longer days and cutting the lunch break down. I legally have to take at least a 30min lunch break so I could feasibly do 8-6pm, or 7:30 - 5:30 would be even better. Or the 9 day fortnight isn't something Id considered but that works better as I could do 8 - 5, and partner could do the alternate day childcare the following week.

What I am secretly hoping is that my children both sleep through by the time I go back to work so I can miraculously become one of those 5am early risers that has a full journalling/yoga/meditation routine all before the babies are awake and I can be chipper for starting working day at 7:30am😅

Is it acceptable to put multiple options on a flexible working request ie, preferred option, then alternative? Given how difficult they made it for me to work 4 days I think they will reject either way but I feel like I need to try!

xx

@stargo I would definitely put your preferred option as 4 days Tuesday to Friday (you get more flexibility over BH entitlement and you don’t end up paying childcare on BH). Starting at 7 or 7:30am and with 30 minutes for lunch.

Adding a second option of a 9 day fortnight, again with a Monday NWD shows you are thinking creatively.

I do 8.30-5.30 on Tuesday and Wednesday, 8.30-5.30 on a Thursday and then log back on in an evening to make up a couple of hours and 8-6 on a Friday.

My daughter does 8-6 but only 4 days a week & has every Monday off.

I do compressed full time hours over 4 days. Something you might want to consider, OP, is being strategic about your day off. Most of my colleagues take either the Fri or the Mon off however I chose the Wednesday and it works a treat when you're doing long days in an office. Monday whizzes by anyway so you're on Tuesday before you know it, knowing that you're getting the next day off. Going back on Thursday is fine because you've only got one day to go and then it's Friday. It really breaks the week up, and it's so lovely not having a long run of days to get through.

I do 5 in 4. My DH does all the school pick ups and drop offs and takes the kids to all their classes and clubs. I do a mid week day off and absolutely love it, the week flies by and it’s really lovely having a mid week day for myself

As a colleague to some working compressed hours, I would say be clear on when you are working. For example, when co-ordinating work, I would bear in mind you would be working a longer day and could finish a quick turnaround paper when others should have finished for the day or first thing in the morning, if it was needed at 9am and you worked from 7am and others were working 5 days starting at 9am.