Working 6-7 days a week?

dancing_star

I work full time in an office / wfh a day or two a week. I also work most weekends on a farm - paid work every other weekend, split shifts so 3 hours in the mornings and a couple of hours in the afternoons. This allows me to get my shopping, cleaning, gardening, exercise, beauty/hair appointments etc done in between split shifts. The other weekends I work unpaid on a family farm again split shifts, with a very occasional weekend off. I don't have children.
I do find it can be tiring, but the extra income is useful for holidays etc as a single person with a mortgage & bills and so on. I like having a financial cushion as there's no one else I can rely on. 

I'd say go for it. I could easily manage without my second paid job but I absolutely love it, it's so different to my main career, it's good for my self esteem and helps manage my anxiety, as I'm always busy and don't have time to lie around moping. 

You need to be organised, maybe batch cook so you can chuck something in the microwave when you get in from your second job, but you'll learn what works for you as you go along.

[Deleted User]

SecondStar said:

TELLIT01 said:

Don't forget that you will need to get permission from management where you are working for the Civil Service before you take on a second job.  On the basic question, I would start by working one additional day as you do still need downtime.

Appreciate the input, thank you!

Yes I’d speak with my manager, but given how many other people in our department also have second retail, hospitality, or self-employed jobs, I can’t see that being a problem.

1 day might be more realistic, and would still bring in an extra couple of hundred a month.

Have you asked colleagues who are doing these second jobs at work how they find it? If they are given the same/similar work to you and hours then they might be the best people to run it past.

comeandgo

I used to work full time in a professional office and after I separated from my husband did weekend “bunny girl” style bar work.  It was good fun, totally different from day job and actually felt more like going out partying at night.  Only thing was the tax that had to be paid on a second job.

[Deleted User]

Such an individual subject.

I think a person should work to support their lifestyle, the less you need/want, in life, the lower number of hours you can choose to work and vice-versa.

I, personally, choose to work as many hours a day as i can because i like earning money, i like quite a high standard of living and so i'm very happy to do it.
If i needed to work 2, 3, or 4 jobs i would - actually, have !

SensibleSarah

In my 20s and early 30s, I had no issues with working 60-70 hour weeks pretty much constantly, but it's absolutely not something I could or would do now in my 40s. I'm a marketing freelancer, so in theory, I can work as many hours as I want (and 100% remote, which is ideal) as long as there are clients willing to pay me, but I try to keep things Mon-Fri 9-5 for my own sanity and occasionally take on extra work which means I work the odd evening or weekend too if I want some extra cash and the opportunity is there. I absolutely wouldn't want to commit to doing this every week though - as I know my own limits and I rarely take leave (as I don't get paid for it, being self-employed) so evenings and weekends to switch off are very important to me. 

I live alone (pets aside) and so I know how expensive (and sometimes scary) it can be to run a household on one income, but working extra hours for a while might be a good way to make it happen if that's the route you decide on. Is there a long-term progression plan for your current job that could see you starting to earn more though? If there is light at the end of the tunnel then the short-term pain aspect of working more hours is much easier - speaking from experience. 

stinky_daddy

SecondStar said:

stinky_daddy said:

Adding my tuppence for what it's worth.

I work Mon - Fri in an office environment (37.5hrs)
I also work both days on a weekend (24 hrs), with the benefit of having unplanned days off with only giving them a short notice (if possible I try to give them at least 2 weeks' notice of me being unavailable, however, this isn't always possible, if it is illness or something that happens fairly quickly, such as a problem with the family).

So total time worked is 61.5 hrs (this obviously doesn't factor in travel time although it is no more than 15mins each way from my main job and about 5mins from my second job).

I have plenty of downtime in the week evenings as I start / finish early during the week, so plenty of time to decompress.

As long, as you are prepared to forego the weekends (as going out on a Saturday night when you know you have a shift on the Sunday is not appealing (certainly not to me anyway)) so generally, I get in on a Saturday after the shift, eat and then unwind for a few hours and then go to bed as I have to get up early for the Sunday shift - it might well be different for you of course.

s_d

Thank you for sharing, it’s so useful to get other insights.

I’m not really one for nights out, so that’s not so much of a consideration. There is rumours of a swap to 3 days wfh, and 2 in the office, but nothing confirmed yet.

If I really tried, I could get up at 6:00, catch the train at 7:10, and be in the office at 7:45, to leave at 15:45 and be home around 16:45 - would give me more downtime in the evening, but I do struggle with getting up! The hour long commute from door-to-door is a real stinker.

24 hours is a long time to work weekends, on top of a full time contract. Do you find you have enough time for life admin, and fun things?

Unfortunately yes!!!

In all seriousness, I tend to get all chores (cleaning, shopping (I tend to batch cook so my lunches are taken care of) and evening meal is usually sorted before I leave for work (whether its defrosting something in readiness or popping something into the slow cooker for when I get home etc) done during the week, as I know I won't have time during the weekend, but as I finish early during the week, that's not a problem!

I try to work all things social into the week rather than the weekend and friends / family are aware of it and why I can't sometimes make it (if it's an important occasion - I will take the next day off, otherwise, I have to leave whatever it is by 9.30 / 10)

My normal (week) day work consists of starting at 7.30am (but am usually in the office for about 7am) and finishing at 4pm.

As long as you have an end goal that you are working to (and you know that week-end work will end by a certain period) it's just a case (certainly for me anyway) of knowing that you might have to forego xxx in the short-term to be sorted for the long-term and it's just a step in the process.

HTH

s_d

GiantTCR

SecondStar said:

Looking for some advice and/or anecdotes from people who have worked 6-7 days a week, either for a short period of time, or for an on-going length of time.

I’m a very junior civil servant, and work 38 hours Monday - Friday. 2 days at home, 3 days in the office. My job can be mentally taxing, but it’s also something I can stop and forget about when I close my laptop at the end of the day.

On my 2 at home days, I work 7:45 - 15:45; on my 3 office days I’ll leave the house at 7:45 to catch the train and arrive at the office at 8:45, I’ll leave at 17:00 and arrive in my front door around 18:00.

I am considering splitting up with my partner, and while it wouldn’t be impossible to manage on my single salary, it would be very uncomfortable, with <£100 left each month after essential bills and expenses. I’m applying for different roles, training, and promotions within the civil service, but there are no guaranteed pay rises or promotions lined up that I can rely on.

I was considering applying for weekend retail positions, maybe 6-12 hours a week, to boost my income.

I can’t deny that I need the extra income right now, but I was interested to hear from people who have experienced working similar patterns as to how difficult it might be?

since salaries are usually lower in public sector/civil service, is it not an option for you to find a similar job in the private sector at a better salary?

Longwalker

I worked 4/5 jobs for 10 years, early 20s to early 30's - well I think by time I was early 30s I was down to two

NHS - 36 hrs. Left work at 5 pm, started work 6pm in the local pub ( local to home ) doing food prep for the following day  - about 90mins a day 

That was Sunday to Thursday although Sundays I went in at lunchtime

Friday Night I would be pot girl at a different local pub, collecting glasses, cleaning tables, keeping an eye on and letting the bouncers know if there was any bother about to happen - 8 till close -4 hrs

Saturday Lunch - back to first pub - serving hot meals - 11 - 2;30

Saturday Night, back to second pub - barmaid in one of the function rooms - that could be a 5pm start and a 3 am finish 

Sunday - cleaner of communal areas of the flats I lived in - about 90 mins of work 

Now I was lucky, I lived 3 miles from the Hospital I worked in and the pubs were on my doorstep.( I lived right next door to one ) 

I also had no pets that needed walking. Also I was lucky that pub work suited me - I loved pub life, and it gave me a social life free of charge. I also got fed in my part time jobs and had a subsidised canteen in my main job

Also because being single, if I just wanted to sleep until I had to go to a job. Housework wasnt huge on my list, as long as I was clean, clean clothes , I managed

So about 70 hrs a week, but I was young and fit and no dependents and it kept me with a roof over my head and some leeway with money - you so dont want to only have < £100 a month - there are birthdays, whip rounds, vet bills, the dentist, a new pair of shoes - the cost of living crisis

For you, yes you can easily put in 40 or 50 hrs, but put in SMART hours. Look at your strengths, where can they make you money? And how can you use your commute ( if train ) to make you money? Can you proof read for example? Data input? 

If they arent your strengths, ( like me ) do you knit, sew, chrochet? Use those skills. There are thousands of people looking for trousers or curtains to be taken up, thousands more want hand made hats, jumpers, etc ( I now sell a few bits, not a lot, its something I do for enjoyment not for money making ) . My neighbour makes jam and pickles, started selling at the door , now has three contracts that takes her one day a month to fulfil 

As an aside, dont let lack of money stop you from moving forward, Been there, got the tee shirt, dont say in a relationship that is wrong, Life has a way of working out, It may be tough - it will be tough - but getting yourself back is much more important then having a steak dinner and your hair done 

Good luck xxx