Should I take a 4 day a week job?

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I work in a role i have done for a few years. I originally loved the job but I now I find it a bit monotonous. I am not reaching my professional ability and am not stretched.

On the positives I'm in a job I trained to do, the job is near to home and I work 3 days a week. It doesn't take much toll on me which is positive.

I now have an opportunity for a new job, and a step up the job ladder. It would be a 30 minute drive to work, much more intense, and a more emotionally heavy position but far more interesting too. Its an area of social work arena i've wanted to work in but it would be tough.

The new job is a few £k more but not a huge change and 4 days a week. My biggest worry is going from 3 to 4 days. My children are in primary school and one is young.

Should I go for it or am I taking my energy and passion and giving it to work, rather than now where I have energy and time for my children?

Go for it; sounds like you are bored in current job and want a challenge. You would adapt.

I had a part time job with lots of time and flexibility; It was ok for family life and I was grateful for it but I was terrible bored; it was very slow paced.

An opportunity came for a high demanding client facing role in a corporate environment; I took it and loved for first few years; things have changed now and there are lots of politics so leaving and currently job hunting.

From a personal perspective the 4 day a week job sounds great. Will it work logistically ? Also will/can your DP/DH step up to do a bit more ?

I work four days a week with one kid in nursery and one in school. I love it. At the end of the day you enjoying your work will see the most benefit for your kid. Are they flexible about moving around your day for school commitments?

Logistically it looks okay. We dont have any support so we need to manage pick up and drop offs. My dh can do the morning run and we could extend after school provision to one extra day.

I guess the challenges is that they will be in after school provision 4 nights a week, and we will need to find school holiday clubs 4 days a week every holiday unless on leave.

And its an emotionally tough role. Im good at switching off on my days off but will likely come home worn out (think on the lines of a social worker)

Pro rota is it more or less?

More money for the role by a few thousand. I would be going up a band so a promotion (just not a huge one unfortunately)

I think there would be flexibility for the odd school event but not for childcare each week.

I am wary of 4 day a week jobs for the simple reason that they are very often 5 days worth of work crammed into 4 with a 20% pay cut.

If you can be sure that the workload is manageable then I would take it. Life is too short to be drifting along bored and wasting your skills. Particularly if what you are doing is as worthwhile as social work or similar.

Do you have the option to buy leave? Or could you negotiate additional annual leave into the role to help balance out the school holidays a little?

It's worth asking for flexibility - would there be a chance of doing 5 days a week sometimes in term time and 2 or 3 in holidays, in lieu?

In my sector part time is fine as I will have a caseload dependant on hours. So not t days in 4.

Yes I wonder if flexible working hours and buying leave would make it more doable.

I dont have a cleaner as im at home 2 days in the week but could look into that too.

I just dont want to not give all to my children but am not meeting my own potential in my work currently. Im not unhappy at work but not thriving either

In my sector part time is fine as I will have a caseload dependant on hours. So not t days in 4.

Yes I wonder if flexible working hours and buying leave would make it more doable.

I dont have a cleaner as im at home 2 days in the week but could look into that too.

I just dont want to not give all to my children but am not meeting my own potential in my work currently. Im not unhappy at work but not thriving either

Sounds like a great opportunity. The travel isn’t too much, is that inclusive of peak traffic timings?
As your children are in school you know the wraparound school can provide is reliable and safe. A great time to do something more challenging and gives you great experience for when your children are more independent and you could progress further go into full time should you so want to.

I would never, ever leave a job like the one you're in for something more stressful. Never again.

Why is that @FlatFlatEric ?

I want to specialise more and the new job would offer this. I am also working at a level im not being stretched professionally and not increasing my wage too.

But it would be faster paced, and a tougher role

To be honest I'm probably not being completely balanced about it at this point. I moved from a boring job that didn't stretch me to a faster paced, tougher role and the more I excelled the more I was given to the point that nobody on this planet could get through the work that was put on my plate.

Currently signed off and should be looking for another job but I'm experiencing genuine burnout and it's horrible.

You should take it. 4 days a week is good, and as your kids are in school you'll also get some time off on that day to decompress a bit.

If you've gone up a salary band that's more opportunity for salary progression as well surely?

I'm a strong believer in continuing to kick on with your career while the kids are young and it sounds like this opportunity excites you. Go for it!

Could your partner drop one day a week or compress his hours to 4 days. That would make less to cover over the holidays as well

I think this one isnt the one for you.
so i would decline but keep looking.

Reasons:
3 days is part time, 4 day roles are classically a trap... 4 days pay for 4.5/ 5 days work.

additionalltly for me.... the positives of a more interesting work element wouldnt offset
-the lack of significant additional cash

• the one day less with my children per week.

I agree with this really.

Is there something else you could do to provide challenge on one of your days off?

You haven't been very clear about the finances - if going up a grade AND increasing from 3 days to 4 you should see your salary before tax go up by more than 35%? After tax, is that enough to cover childcare, cleaner, commuting costs and leave some for you? If not, then the new role is more time at work to stand still financially.

@verycloakanddaggers yes I would go up a band and be paid i would say £3-4k to begin but higher pay limit too of course. Then also increase to 4 days.

It would be 4 days a week not full time as I would be allocated a case load for hours worked. So it would be a genuinely 4 day a week role but of course that is one up from what I have now

I have found two roles much higher pay at this level but the commute is too far.
This role is not such a leap in pay but the commute is 25mins maybe 35mins top in rush hour