Should I or shouldn't I?

mintymoneysaver

I'm a teacher who works 3 days a week. I can't complain about teacher's pay, it does me quite well. I've worked part time for 18 years;I have two children but one is due to leave for uni in September and the other one is 15 so they're not babies any more!
My husband and I recently separated, and I've stayed in the house, but I can still manage okay on my salary. There isn't anything much to spare, but we do okay.
However, an opportunity has arisen at work for a full time promotion. There's no guarantee I'd get it, but it's highly likely that I would. Nobody else wants to apply, although he could possibly advertise externally. It would also help a colleague who wants part time work. But do I really want it? It would be lovely to have a lot more money a month ( £900 more!) and to be able to use that for nice things, jobs on the house, holidays. But I love my days off too! I spend one of my days off with my mum who's on her own, I can nip into town when I want, and I just like being lazy! This promotion will mean a lot more work, and teaching is a stressful enough job now on three days.
I need to decide by next week when we go back after half term. I can see the plus points, I can see the negatives and I know that the extra money would probably more than make up for the loss of a relaxing Starbucks on a weekday morning, but I'd be interested to see what other people think? ( And yes, I know we have lovely long holidays too, but I already feel like I'm ready for them on a three day week!)

pawsies

apply and you'll have more time to think about it. No guarantee you will get it but if you do then it'll force you to prioritise your time better i.e. on days off = family time or something rather than watch tv for 7 hrs a day (not saying you do obviously)?

marybelle01

Go for it. As pawsies says, you haven't got it yet. And now that the little ones aren't so little, and are edging out of the nest, you may find that those lovely long weekends start stretching into long empty spaces of time! And since they are edging out of the nest (albeit they never seem to get a lot cheaper when they do!) just think of some of the things that you haven't had or been able to do that the money would mean you could, like going to see those places in the world that are "grown up" holidays and you can't do with children in tow. You may end up with less "me time" during the week, but just think about how that extra money could improve your "me time" the rest of the year. You are single again, footloose and fancy free, and still young enough to enjoy it ... I'd be packing for the Taj Mahal, Macchu Pichu, or the Great Wall by now!

KiKi

I'm on the other side! I wouldn't give up PT working which pays enough to live - for full time, stressful work for more money. Never.

I work PT now, 3 days a week; my employer would love me to be FT - which would be in the region of another £1500 a month. I won't do it!

I worked FT for 11 years. Then went freelance, and LOVED the flexibility of my time. Then I needed the money, and went back to work, FT. After a few months I remembered why I loved being freelance, and nearly quit in desperation of wanting more time back for me. After 9 months, I did resign, but they asked me to stay and offered me PT working to help with the commuting.

I find the commuting very stressful and tiring (3.5 hours a day), and I panic about the time I don't have during the week. I hate going to bed knowing I have to do it all over again for another 4 days before a weekend. I'm up at 0600, out the house at 0630 and I don't get home until 1900 at the very earliest, often closer to 2000. By the time I've eaten, showered, and sat down, it's virtually time for bed, and I have no energy anyway. And then I might have work to do in the evening.

And that weekend, once I've done housework, shopping, seen family or a friend - there's just no time left. The weekends are NO time at all for me. Desperate to go to the gym, desperate to get out, walk to the park - and not enough time at the weekend.

Only you can judge how much extra work and stress it would be. (My mum was a teacher, and often working at home at night, and at the weekend, so I know it doesn't stop at 1700!) But having gone back FT from being freelance - it was very, very hard indeed. Fun at first, but the novelty wore off.

The money doesn't compensate for time, as far as I'm concerned. I crave time, and I can find a million things to fill it. But that's me, and may not work for you.

Just a heads up: whilst you can apply and might not get it, as your company know you well, and as you know it will help someone who wants to go PT, I imagine there would be some expectation that in applying you WILL accept it if offered, so think about what expectations you'd be setting if you did that.

Best of luck whatever you decide!
KiKi

DCFC79

Why not apply for it anyway and as suggested you will get more time to think about it. Why not make a list of the pros and cons of taking the job. Depends how much you value the days off you get(spend time with your mum)/being lazy compared to having the extra money to spend on holidays etc.

If you were to get it could you not change the day you meet your mum to say a saturday.

lulu650

I'm an ex teacher and have worked both part and full time. I really don't know how I coped full time looking back. Working evenings and weekends, the only really relaxing evening was Friday. The first few days of school holidays were lost in regaining my energy. Going from part time to full time will have a huge impact on your workload. I've had other jobs other than in teaching and nothing compares to that condensed workload during the school term. School holidays is 13 weeks in mainstream 17 independent, but we're all aware that there is work that needs to be completed during that time.

On the other hand you increase your pension contributions and TPS is still the best around.........but it's so good to do things in the week when everyone else is at work........decisions, decisions.....

princessdon

Can you not do cover? I am part time but if I wanted FT I could easily get the hours doing cover without committing to full time permanently.

FBaby

There are no miracle answers you need to decide on the cost of your free time. I personally decided to do full time I enjoy the freedom the extra money gives me despite feeling exhausted all the time but when the mortgage is paid off in 5 years time I will definitely look at reducing my hours.

cashbackproblems

You say you are just getting by and not saving much each month, this suggests to me you cant afford not to take it. What if any expenses arise or you feel like new car/holiday etc you wont be able to afford it. Plus you have school holidays. Depends on your priorities but i would take it

Bigmoney2

Going full time will also have a positive effect on your future pension, as you will accrue pensionable service faster, i.e. a year full time gives a years pens. service, a year doing 3 days (60% of a fte) will only give 0.6 of a years pens. service.

As you'll effectively gain more service you may be able to retire earlier and have more me time then, or a better quality of life that a higher pension will bring.

All jobs seem to be quite uncertain these days (redundancies etc) so I'd be inclined to try and get some savings behind you, so as already suggested go for it.

mandragora_2

I would stick with the p/t. If you move up to f/t, and then find in a year or two you really miss the work/life balance you have now, there's a real risk you'll be told you can't step down, as that p/t job is not now your job, and you're in effect asking school to create a job for you, which may not be in the best interests of the organisation. I've seen that happen to two colleagues in recent years. My advice would be to know when you're well off, and hold onto it tight!

If it helps them, you MAY wish to offer either to take on 0.2 more and push yourself up to 4 days a week if you really fancy it, as long as they give you that as one clear day off a week, or, perhaps, in the short term, help them out by doing f/t till Christmas, and let them recruit someone over the next term, if they have a gap - you're giving them some breathing space and room to manoeuvre, while not tying yourself into anything permanent. Make it clear that this is something which is strictly time limited, and you won't be able to carry on with it after Jan, as you have made plans from the new year. If you ever do need a bit of extra cash, you could do exam marking, private tutoring or any number of other things. Believe me, teaching doesn't get any easier as you get older, and the time is coming when you'll long for time and peace more than you will extra cash.


From the heart, from one who is locked into an average 50-60 hour week, and who has learned the hard way!!