Compressed hours - is it exhausting or OK?

[sellotape12]

Working / career mums, I’m going to put in a flexible working request so I can try and retain every other Monday off with my preschool kid. My workplace wants me to be full-time, but I’d like the time with him as he’s only three. For anyone that moved to a compressed working pattern where you do 10 days over 9, has it worked out for you? It would mean making my working pattern 8.45–6.15 p.m. Has that left any of you too exhausted? on days I want to do nursery pickup I would just have to do an extra hour in the evening as well. I’m interested to see the reality of this with both preschool age kids and if it worked when your kids to school as well (e.g in holidays you get a proper “mum isn’t working today” parent)

My other option is I go to 5 full days where our normal start time is 9.30 and so it’s a bit of a bit more chilled morning. Or I can try and push and take a 10% pay cut and have every other Monday as just non-working. This is my preferred option, but assume they will say no.

Just on the flip side, if you can reduce hours, I work 33 hours a week - 3 short days and 2 long days.

It isn't very efficient for nursery fees obviously but it is so I can do school pick up 3 days a week. And getting home at 3pm makes a massive difference compared to 7pm. And being in work every day means less of that 'starting the day on the back foot' feeling.

No, apparently it's also fine when you have annual leave to take.

our working week is 35 hours over 5 days.
I do 32 hours over 4 days and have a day off every week and my pay only reduced by 10%-ish.

Full time at my workplace is 35 hours. I worked 9-6 on Mondays and 8-6 on Tuesdays to Thursdays for 4 years (until DD started school) and I really miss it. I had quiet time at the start and end of the day when I wasn’t interrupted and could just tackle emails etc.

It will all depend on how strict your boss is. I have a colleague who does compressed hours so gets a day off once a fortnight, but somehow manages to do the school run both in the morning and afternoon during her working hours, finish early two days a week for football practice for her son as well as finish at her previous time on the only day she needs to be in the office. Our boss doesn’t really care but it is a bit much when she says how busy and behind she is at times.

I do 5 days over 4, no kids at home now, but the hours are grinding. If I could afford to just drop a day I’d do that

Thanks for the responses everyone. Lots of interesting views. My current contracted hours are 9.30–6 p.m. We have to be in the office three days a week, which is a 45 minute commute. I wouldn’t mind compressed if it was a WFH job but I’m wondering if it just removes my ability to do pick up and drop off? I’m really conflicted though because at the moment, if I leave at 5pm for pick up, I’m always doing a bit of email in the evening anyway. So either I get paid for that through compression or not. In other words I’d only be able to do an 8 am start on the 2WFH days. My other option is that I take a 10% pay cut and have every other Monday off. Or I can go back to full-time hours, but I don’t really want DS to be in Nursery on that extra day because it’s a bit full on. He’s three and I feel like I’d only see him at weekends. And there again just challenge my own perspective again, a friend does this and she says it really helps her feel balance because she WFH on the Friday. So she sees it as a bit of ‘free’ time for herself because Fridays are quiet anyway

That's my exact work pattern and I also love it! But I didn't start this until dd was in secondary school - it wouldn't have worked for me when she was primary school age.

I’ve been compressed for over 10 years. Work 5 days over 4. When my kids were little, I was able to drop off to childminders at 7.15am & DH picked them up. I only had 4 days childcare & travel costs but 5 days salary.

it’s easier now I mostly work from home but I worked full time from office for years pre Covid

I used to work 90% hours over 4 days (8am to 5pm) which was the best balance I've managed. I didn't go to 80% because I would have ended up doing over those hours any way. Now I do 100% over 4 days (no childcare to be sorting otherwise this would not be viable) which I don't like as much, but I so rarely manage to only work fewer hours that I might as well get paid for them.