What to consider when going back to work part time, working hours, childcare etc

claire16c

youwhat wrote: »

1.) nursery will be closed bank holiday Monday. Can't work out if this matters to me or not. I won't work bank holidays but will I be losing out financially?
4.) how does this 15 hours free childcare work? Would it be at daughter's existing nursery when she is old enough or is it only at a select few?

You dont work bank holidays but would effectively get paid for them - i.e your employer wouldnt cut you off a days wages if Monday is your normal working day. So do nurseries - they still have to pay their staff etc. Some child minders charge for bank holidays in the same way, others dont. So no youre not loosing out.

I dont think the 15 hours free childcare starts til a child is 3.

https://www.gov.uk/free-early-education

tiernsee

Just a word of warning, coming back to work part time following maternity is never guaranteed. You will have the right to request flexible working but equally your work has the right to say no for business reasons (which they have to justify). We had a similar situation recently where someone wanted to come back 4 days a week and not work Friday and this was refused. She had the right to appeal but given the work arguments as to why they couldn't do it decided not to.

Hope it all works out OP. I used to work four 9 hours day and it was very tiring. Enjoy your maternity leave.

duchy

I too work nine hour shifts and although it doesn't seem like that much longer -it does take it out of you- especially if you have a longish commute and need to morph into Mummy Mode the moment you step through the door !

If you've taken a reasonable maternity leave and your partner has got used to you doing everything at home it can be a bit of a culture shock for both of you when you go back. As you are working hopefully part-time e may assume you'll continue to do it all . Discussing it in detail before you go back can ease a lot of stress those first weeks back.

Working full days I always found was better -and ideally consecutive days - both for following projects though - and it was easier for work people who needed to liaise with you . Obviously full days mean travel time and costs are lower than more but shorter days too.

Goldiegirl

I don't have children, but I do work part time, so I thought I'd throw a few comments in.

I work Thursdays and Fridays, 8 hours each day.

When I come home in the evening I'm exhausted. Nine hours a days would finish me off. When I get home from work I have the luxury of not doing anything if I feel like it, I feel it'd be very difficult to look after a child when I'm that tired.

Definitely it's best to work consecutive days, otherwise you'd always be 'handing over' to someone.

Regarding holidays. I work 45.71% of a full timers hours, so I get 45.71% of a full timers holiday allowance, including bank holidays.

As most bank holidays are on Mondays, which is not part of my working week, I take the time I'm allowed for the bank holiday Monday some other time. It works out that I get about 12 days holiday, which for me works out at six weeks holiday, which is pretty cool.

Buzzybee90

Goldiegirl wrote: »

I don't have children, but I do work part time, so I thought I'd throw a few comments in.

I work Thursdays and Fridays, 8 hours each day.

When I come home in the evening I'm exhausted. Nine hours a days would finish me off. When I get home from work I have the luxury of not doing anything if I feel like it, I feel it'd be very difficult to look after a child when I'm that tired.

Definitely it's best to work consecutive days, otherwise you'd always be 'handing over' to someone.

Regarding holidays. I work 45.71% of a full timers hours, so I get 45.71% of a full timers holiday allowance, including bank holidays.

As most bank holidays are on Mondays, which is not part of my working week, I take the time I'm allowed for the bank holiday Monday some other time. It works out that I get about 12 days holiday, which for me works out at six weeks holiday, which is pretty cool.

8 hours including lunch or not?

Goldiegirl

I typically start work at 8am, and finish at 4.30pm, and have half hour lunch break, so that is 8 hours of actual work

Nadstar

Not helpful to add but an 8 hour day is pretty normal in most working environments - Not a longer day or one that you would brace yourself for...

More constructively, have a look at which activities look fun and that you would like to do, aim to be about for them... here for example, on a Tuesday there are 5 that look great, Friday, none, in fact, there is only one at all!

Buzzybee90

Goldiegirl wrote: »

I typically start work at 8am, and finish at 4.30pm, and have half hour lunch break, so that is 8 hours of actual work

I was just wondering (not about you!). Cos with the lunch added, your full time colleagues would only be actually working 35 hours! I wasn't judging you!

Goldiegirl

It's pretty full on where I work........ It's intensive work, and the part timer has to keep up with events that relate to the role that may have happened when they weren't there In some work places, time may be allowed for this, but where I am, I'm not given any time at all to find out what happened in meetings or read up about new procedures

So I have to perform at the same level as my colleagues, and find the time to keep up to date with developments, so that's why I find the days particularly tiring,

In a less pressurised environment, and 8 hour day wouldn't be so demanding.

Goldiegirl

Buzzybee90 wrote: »

I was just wondering (not about you!). Cos with the lunch added, your full time colleagues would only be actually working 35 hours! I wasn't judging you!

My colleagues do work a seven hour day, so they have a 35 hour week.

But I'm employed for 16 hours a week, so that's why I have two 8 hour days.