[Closed] Reducing hours, going part-time. Anyone done it?

Yes I think there are quite a few part times on here. At my employer there are lots of people who have returned from mat/pat leave with reduced hours so the culture was supportive and even though my reason was "because I want to spend more time away from work" things went OK. In fact I've recently had the same conversation (again) with my boss and on Friday will be proposing that they reduce my hours even further and change my role.. It's either that or retirement!

Edit - and if you flip the situation, so the employer thinks that you can do your job in 4 days a week, you can bet they wouldn't hesitate to suggest some changes!

It's not the culture anywhere really. The world is full of people stick in the past, see the wedding attire thread. But slowly, the world is waking up to today's and future realities.

Ask them, they might be more forward thinking than you give them credit for.

I changed to 4 days a week about 10 years ago. It's great. Although I could do with the extra money now, and kids are older so I might go back to full time. 😟

I was part time after my daughter was born. At first I had loads of leave to use up which gave me 6 months worth of 4 day weeks. We decided best to stay like that, my employer was very flexible and introducing a new Shared Parental Leave policy at the time, so I unwittingly became the poster boy for that. Stayed 4 days until daughter started school last year, at which point I had to decide whether to stick 4 days or go back to 5. The ONLY reason to go back to 5 was money (and even then, pension contributions rather than day-to-day) and I argued that with working from home I effectively had an extra day per week that I'm not spending commuting. While that's true, it's not quite the same as having that day to myself to potter, ride my bike, basically do what i like and have "headspace".

So if your company has a policy of being flexible, that's your way in to the conversation I'd say. Do it, its bloody great.

Yep went down to a 4 day week two years ago, have Wednesdays off and go riding with a local group. Means I only ever work 2 days in a row!

Quite a few of us at work are part time now, some slowly scaling back for retirement, others new hires but for non full time roles eg our new CTO is only 3 days a week (although he works elsewhere the other 2 days).

At 50, I'm definitely in the slowly scaling back towards retirement camp. Mortgage paid off > 10 years ago, so don't really need to work full time anymore....

there’s a flexible working policy,

I submitted my application to work part time using the flexible working policy, ensure you meet its criteria, submit, see what response you get. Consider union advice. Consider appeal / resubmitting.

Went 4 days a week 4-5 years ago. I'd had a bit of a breakdown after a move to another business area brought out a load of issues around my family commitments, and it had reached a point where it was easier for me to go part-time and MrsMC go back full time, which she was ready for anyway.

I'm civil service, it should have been easy, but they refused my request for part time hours/flexible working for business reasons which they are entitled to do of course, so I handed in my resignation and started to look elsewhere.

At which point the union rep got involved, and pointed out that they were still approving flexible working for working mums, so turning down the first application from a working dad looked a bit discriminatory. A week later my application for part time was approved.

I've moved jobs since but stayed 4 days a week - I get enough money, and enough time to fit in some "me" time as well as ageing parents and busy teenagers. Trying to persuade MrsMC to go part time as well now - might as well enjoy time while we are fit in our fifties rather than keep on at the coalface in the hope we are fit enough to retire in our sixties.

It’s not the culture anywhere really.

I'd disagree, based on the very big insurance company I used to work for where I worked part time, and my current small employer who also employs people on different hours. (Although I'm full time now that my kids are a bit older.) It may not be absolutely common in all industries, but I think it's more widespread than you think it is.

I seem to remember just talking to my line manager, and then HR about it.

It's very common in further and higher education, more so now than ever maybe, works well for both parties, I dropped to 3 days but subsequent contract changes turned that back into 4, the shortfall in income was visible in the first month but after that I found getting the time back more beneficial than the money, still do.

Enquiring about the possibilities is the first step, and take it from there, in my job they get much the same out of me in less paid time so they didn't have a problem with it.

@Idlejohn I'm pleased you disagree, it shows It's getting better, and I also belive it is. The company I moved to a couple of years ago is much better than the other two I worked for doing four days a week. My company now is larger and more forward thinking. As the only male doing anything other than 5 days a week I got a lot of snide comments, in my previous jobs. I just told them, I get paid for the hours I work just like everyone else.

Unfotunatley though as in the OP, its still not the norm.

Is it the same for a US company as a UK one? Are they as open about it, or less so?

I've done it.

Initially compressed my hours over 4.5 days when Mrs a11y went back to work after the 6 month maternity, so I could spend time with mini a11y. Then when mini a11y #2 arrived I reduced my hours slightly (equivalent to 0.9 FTE), worked over 4 days. Was supposed to be temporary for two years then return to FT but was never reviewed so it's a permanent change. 5 years later I'm still doing it. I don't always work my hours over the 4 days depending on school collection on the days I work, but overall it works well.

And:

in my job they get much the same out of me in less paid time so they didn’t have a problem with it.

It feels very much like this with me - my work's saving a small amount but (obviously IMO) I'm more productive than others who do the full hours.

If it’s doing the same job in the same company then I was advised not to go down to 4 days but go for 3.  The problem with 4 is mentally the powers that be still think your there so end up expecting a full time amount of work from you because the change isn’t big enough and no one with offer a 1 day a week contract to someone else to pick up the gap

Thanks for the positive stories, it's made me feel a lot easier about the situation. My job can be quite demanding and the learning/re-training is constant so some of the nervousness is likely coming from me around keeping pace while reducing hours. I actually really like my job (the good bits anyway), but there's more to life.

For those that have reduced hours, have you had to push back on being asked to work on days off or fit 5 days into 3/4? I'm open to being flexible but I can foresee this might happen with limited scope to take time back and I don't get overtime.

chrismac - Full Member
If it’s doing the same job in the same company then I was advised not to go down to 4 days but go for 3.

That's a good point. I'd rather apply for 3 days than 4 days.

Been thinking about this a lot recently. My concern would be the impact on my pension though. We could work around the pay cut now, the work/life balance more than makes up for that, it's the impact on later life I would worry about.

Other big problem for me is the expectation for everyone my grade to contribute to a shift pattern to cover unsocial hours which be complicated to incorporate part time hours into.

I did it - went to 4 days for a year and down to 3 from this April. Hoping to retire next April. I have to work now and then if we're short-handed, it's only a very small operation. The only problem has been that I'm nominally in charge, so it can sometimes be a bit difficult when I'm not there. I try to be contactable, though. I'm loving it - cycling, walking, fishing etc etc. I started to draw my state pension too, so no money problems (for now!)

My concern would be the impact on my pension though.

Does depend what type it is, the closer to retirement you are the less it will matter unless its a final salary scheme just based on the last year. I thought most DB schemes were career average now though.

On the plus side you get used to living on less...

The problem with 4 is mentally the powers that be still think your there so end up expecting a full time amount of work from you because the change isn’t big enough and no one with offer a 1 day a week contract to someone else to pick up the gap

Depends a lot on your role and if you're in a team with others in the same role. Quite a few people are on 4 day weeks where I work, inc. one in my team of 9 - but there's 3 of us in effectively the same role so it's not an issue. The only hassle really is reminding PMs not to schedule project meetings on Friday's (the other guy's non-working day) and me remembering to factor in he's only 30 hours a week not 37.5 when I'm resourcing projects and having to get PMs to re-plan if they've assumed it will be someone @ 37.5 hours a week.

I'd change to 4 days a week in a heartbeat but still have a mortgage so can't afford to 🙁

I'm 37 so not nearing retirement. I hadn't thought too much on the pension situation. I have a SIPP which has some previous pensions which I've combined and I have a current stakeholder pension which I pay into. I would be OK increasing my contributions to offset the reduced pay so that the same contribution is made.

I would be OK increasing my contributions to offset the reduced pay so that the same contribution is made.

Although earning less you might loose some of the higher tax payer advantage...

I'm thinking about going on a 9 day fortnight. No drop in pay and the idea is you deliver the same work over 9 days as you would 10. I put in more than my contracted hours anyway so this way it will feel like I just have that extra day off.

The wife remained on reduced hours even now our kids are much older and at secondary school. No issues with the company.She even gets the flexibility to change her hours during term time and school holiday time, so over school holidays she goes to 3 days a week and in term time does the same hours but spread over 4 days a week.

It does require that an additional person is hired to make up the full FTE, and its a bit over 1 FTE so not necessarily something that would be easy or affordable for a smaller company to do.

Not sure about US companies though. If they're not willing to give half decent holiday entitlement in the first place then no hope on reduced hours.

For those that have reduced hours, have you had to push back on being asked to work on days off or fit 5 days into 3/4? I’m open to being flexible

I am rigid that I work 4 days a week. I'm happy to change which day I have off to help with work, as occasionally I need to change it for my own reasons.

Also agree that 4 days a week still results in 5 days work being expected, I can see the tactical advantage of working 3 days a week. Luckily I have flexi time so I can claw back some of the extra hours I work, but I try and avoid gaining more than an hour a week.

The pensions question is interesting. I'd sooner enjoy days off now while I'm healthy than take a chance on being fit enough to enjoy retirement in 15 years time. Your views may vary.

Also, if you have kids, it makes inset days and school holidays so much easier. I've made the most of the extra time I've had with our two.

For those that have reduced hours, have you had to push back on being asked to work on days off or fit 5 days into 3/4? I’m open to being flexible

They all know I'm out on a bike, so no chance of answering the phone / email. I also decline any meeting for my day off (it's blocked out in my calender).

I'd work it in exceptional circumstances eg landing a bid / customer flying in and it's their only day here etc, but anything routine can just wait (I don't read email on my day off).

At my last place it was a doddle. Filled in a form got accepted. New contract. Automatic out of office-"I'm currently out of the office with no access to email I will respond on Tuesday". But I'd been there over 10 years, in a management role with long term research goals.

New job, was 4 days now back to 5. Very small company, very immediate deadlines. When I was doing 4 days I wouldn't check my phone on my days off but would occasionally dial in for meetings. Ideally scheduled at 9am so I could get them done and get on with my own day. Alternative was to move full or half days around accordingly.

Not thrilled about going back to 5 days after 3 years but I knew it was needed when I took the job. Covid gave me an extra 12 months. Fortunate to be comfortable with both of us working 4 days so the extra money isn't a great motivator. Not a big fan of "stuff" and we still can't go anywhere interesting on holiday/

For those that have reduced hours, have you had to push back on being asked to work on days off or fit 5 days into 3/4? I’m open to being flexible but I can foresee this might happen with limited scope to take time back and I don’t get overtime.

I work to a timetable so no but there is a natural creep of stuff you can't fit into paid hours, I imagine most jobs have a degree of this, working reduced hours for me is more in a day than I used to do but a lot of that is flexible/at home and doing it = less stress in the long run..which was the point of it for me.

I went part time in January, but my situation will be different to yours.
I'm 64 and looking to retire. Company do a phased retirement scheme where you effectively retire in advance.
Can specify up to 2 year period at the end of which you finish. So I've retired but my finish date is July next year.
"Reward" for going on the scheme is I work a 3 day week for 4 days pay. Effect on my DB pension should be negligible.
It's working well for me.
Everyone knows the days I'm not on.
I am doing much less work, though I do tend to do longer days.
Loving the extra time off.
Not noticing the drop in income too much.
Bear in mind the income drop isn't proportionate once you account for tax, NI etc.

About 9 years ago I used my company's flexible family work policy to move to a 4 day week, but didn't reduce my hours. I now work 40 hours mon-thur. I'm not sure I'd recommend it on a permanent basis (which after 2 kids, (the second of which is about to go to school) is what it has become for me) as it makes for very long days (14h +2h cycle commuting) 3 days a week. In summer, it's okay, but in winter it's quite miserable.

I’m thinking about going on a 9 day fortnight.

Wobbliscott the field teams where I work do this and if I go back to my old role in October when I finish my assignment I'd be back on this. We do 33hrs one week and 41 the other.

there’s a flexible working policy,

Yeah, funny how at where I work only women seem to be able to access it...

Yeah, funny how at where I work only women seem to be able to access it…

See my comment up there from yesterday 😎