Moving to a 4 Day Week

getmore4less

what is the staffing mix now, anyone not on 9-5?

If there are how does it work for them.

A place that already has staffing level problems changing work patterns may not always work.

eg. if you moved to same hours over 4 days this could cause problems with the other staff that end up doing unpaid overtime while you get a day off.
or your unpaid overtime just become working the extra day.

do you ever get called in at the weekends.


if this unpaid overtime is regular then it may be time that everyone starts to manage that situation to get the workloads balanced better so the requirement to do"extra" is managed to sensible levels.

Has anyone done the FTE analysis for the workplace to see how many people short you are?

EssexHebridean

I did the switch to a 4 day week a few years ago and absolutely love it. I do Monday - Thursday which works well on the Bank Holiday front as it's only Easter when yes, I lose as a result. Initially I had a few issues about getting contacted on the Friday until I cottoned on to saying that I kept "missing calls" so if something was urgent enough to need to contact me then it was probably best to text me...it pretty much tailed off then as it made the point that if contact was being made it should be for good reasons and really as a last resort - I very occasionally get a text but when it happens it genuinely is because something is urgent and needs my input there and then. We also retain some flexibility so that if they really need me in on a Friday they can ask, and if I want to switch days they're accommodating about that - works for both sides, that way.

I'm in a very small company so some of the issues you may face (other employees ending up taking workload and being resentful as a result, for example) didn't apply to me - if you can make it work though I'd suggest that the quality of life improvement definitely offsets the financial hit.

EmmyLou30

Thinking of doing the same when my mortgage is paid off, good to hear people's views. I think my dept would cope with the 1 day a week I wouldn't be there as we've been expected to cope for a year with someone on a maternity leave - at least that's going to be my argument when they come back and I put in my request ;-)

Savvy_Sue

EmmyLou30 wrote: »

Thinking of doing the same when my mortgage is paid off, good to hear people's views. I think my dept would cope with the 1 day a week I wouldn't be there as we've been expected to cope for a year with someone on a maternity leave - at least that's going to be my argument when they come back and I put in my request ;-)

I'd word your argument more carefully than that, but also are you sure they're going to come back, and if they are will they ask for reduced hours? Which may also affect your request - bearing in mind that "so and so was allowed to reduce her hours" is not a sound business case ...

EmmyLou30

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I'd word your argument more carefully than that, but also are you sure they're going to come back, and if they are will they ask for reduced hours? Which may also affect your request - bearing in mind that "so and so was allowed to reduce her hours" is not a sound business case ...

She was only 3 days a week before maternity after her first kid so she's definitely coming back to do the same again. But yes, although I know mums always seem to be granted permission to be part time (at our place at any rate) - I wouldn't be foolish enough to voice those opinions in the work place or use it as the basis of my argument. I might be correct but makes me sound like a bitter childless woman! I've plenty of time to come up with a sound business case that is based solely on myself and not any previous precedents.

zagubov

I might have missed something you said, but will there be a shortfall in your pension requiring you to pay more into a SIPP or such like?

And does your pension provide life insurance that needs to be restructured?

Mrs_Soup

You just don't know until you ask. Years again when I was line managing one of my full time employees wanted to hand in her notice so she had could work part time and have time for other things we just straight off offered her part time instead. I think she dropped a day and half. We managed and she is still there a decade later with a work-life balance that suits her and bags of experience that suits the employer. Only reducing by one day makes it difficult for your employer to get anyone else in as not many people want one day a week- would you consider less if that meant they would agree? Though I wouldn't necessarily put that in your initial application.

vegasvisitor

To be honest, I don't think dropping to 4 days is going to work for a couple of reasons. If they have to make you stay late, then there's too much work and they may not want you to drop your hours.

Another thing is, if you are working late all the time (unpaid) why should you drop your hours and effectively work your contracted hours anyway - if you do 5 days at 7 hours and stay late an hour or so each day, then drop to 4 days and stay back an hour or so you'd be working 35 hours anyway possibly. That's not really very fair.

robatwork

EmmyLou30 wrote: »

But yes, although I know mums always seem to be granted permission to be part time (at our place at any rate) - I wouldn't be foolish enough to voice those opinions in the work place or use it as the basis of my argument. I

This is absolutely not the case at many companies (especially ones who know employment law).

We are very careful to not bias towards mums who return to work - they have no fewer or more rights than anybody else to flexible working. Several have proposed hours to wholly suit themselves with no answer as the the impact it would have on colleagues, and been turned down. Not being able to get childcare 9-5 isn't the fault of an employer.

If you can justify it then your employer may grant it, but if they don't it doesn't make them a bad employer - they have a duty to the business and not any individual.