Do many people work less than 20 hours per week?

[morleylass]

Just wondering, i'm part time but would like to drop a few more hours - just wondered if many employers really consider it.
TIA Morleylass x

I do! I work only on Fridays for 8 hours. I job share with another girl who does 4 days.

Is job share a possibility?

I do, I work 15 hours a week over two days. I job-share with another mum and it suits us both down to the ground.

It depends on your job I guess. I do bookkeeping for a small company and currently do 8 hours a week - although I am trying to increase that to 16 hours. This job would not need any more time than that from me so if yours would then a job share is a good idea.

yes I work 2 days as a teacher

i work 12 hours a week over 2 days.

Thanks for your replies, that's good news, part of my job could be job shared but part couldn't really as its project work that can't really be handed on. I'd just like to reduce from 21 to 18, but I think they would rather my hours went up rather than down. I'd be quite happy with the hours if the job was more local.

They are already very flexible with me so I think they might just think I'm chancing it. I don't know how people cope working full time with kids in primary school - perhaps they are much more organised than me!

MLx

The thing is to go into your manager with a really good case that shows you've thought about how shorter hours would work and wouldn't be detrimental to the company. If there are any potential problems, try to think of a solution upfront.

Do you have a HR department or flexible working policy that would give you the background and a point to start from?

I work 16 hours over 4 days, for the last year and a half have been working extra hours to cover long term sick and maternity leave. They asked me if I would consider working extra hours permanently but I said no - because of childcare during school holidays and also I have always found it easier to increase hours than to try and reduce them. Feel like I get the best of both worlds - extra money but flexibility to not have to work on my day off if I can't.

Its always worth looking into though as someone else in your department may want extra hours which would suit you both

I do 18.5 hours a week over 3 days, as a jobshare. I'm a project manager, and have my own portfolio of schemes, as does my jobshare partner, so there's no real need to hand over stuff. I cover myself by being available on mobile phone, checking email at home etc. although rarely do more than what is required to keep things ticking over (I book an hour a week as working from home).

I worked 17 hours a week for a good few years. I changed the number of days a week and which days around a bit according to my needs and those of the job.