I’m in quite a lucky position that I don’t have a mortgage and have been thinking for a while on reducing my working hours, mayby to a 4 day (possibly 3 day) a week. Thats if my employer lets me do it!

Has anyone done this? Any regrets down the line?

If you can afford to and your employer is willing then really there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t. There are plenty of other things to be doing in life that don’t involve going to work. If the maths works out then you adapt very quickly. I started to work a 9 day fortnight a few years back and even with changed circumstances/job and a reduced salary I’m still working that pattern cause the extra days are invaluable. Do it.

work less = earn less = more (own) time

That’s about it.

I went to a 4 day week last year to spend more time with the kids and to do more riding. It was the best work decision I have made. I hate the phrase work-life balance but I definitely think that everything is more balanced now. You just need to be strict from the start that 4 days means 4 days and don’t get pressured into helping out or working remotely. Love it.

I’m the main wage earner, have a mortgage, have family to support and am looking to reduce my hours and downsize our lifestyle (we are not currently extravagant), and live more frugally. Fek it, gotta try one step out from the rat race. You live, and then you die. Do it.

You just need to be strict from the start that 4 days means 4 days and don’t get pressured into helping out or working remotely.

This with bells on. Everyone I know who has dropped to a reduced week, for whatever reason, has always ended up doing the same amount of working and working in their own time as the inertia of people expecting them to be around five days a week doesn’t change.

6 yrs ago, wife and I at just short of 40 with no kids with a small house and mortgage, went 3 days a week. I went from a lot better paid job as well so had a huge drop in income, however this was something we had wanted to do for a long time so made sure normal expenditure was low ie mortgage and bills. We had been used to buying whatever we wanted however so this was the main learning curve.
Best thing we ever did, lot better quality of life. Got a small converted van that we go off in midweek, we both enjoy racing and riding bikes but don’t live in each other’s pockets. Got the time to spend together but also time to do our own things.
We may run out of money and have to go back full time but happy to work more when older and enjoying our time now. One friend has dropped a day and one has taken a year out, and will go back three days, due to being annoyed at how much we enjoy what we do..
We still get the occasional snide remark from colleagues saying it’s alright for you your part time, can’t really get that they might be able to as well if didn’t have the big flash house, car etc

b r – Member

work less = earn less = more (own) time

That’s about it.

Or

work less = earn less = more (own) time = consume less = less stress = more happiness. 😀

One day I’ll do it. As soon as the mortgage is paid off I’m dropping a day a week at least. If my employer at the time won’t let me do it, I’ll leave and find somewhere that will, or go out on my own.

I plan on dropping to a 3 day week next April,mortgage paid,no debts but my car’s 11 years old & my bikes are ally framed 26″ wheels.
Work colleagues have blingy cars & debts,I’d rather have time away from the place..

Yes doing it semi-involuntarily now.

No regrets so far but it’s not going to be a long term thing unfortunately.

+1 to

work less = earn less = more (own) time = consume less = less stress = more happiness

It was foisted upon us a few years ago due to redundancies but it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to us as far as quality of life goes.

Do it if you can 😀

The op’s post could have almost been written by me! I’m currently mulling over a lifestyle change, we have no mortgage or debts to worry about.
I would like a totally new work direction so we have made the first steps by buying a house at auction to do up and sell on or rent. Ultimately I would love to be self employed and part time if that can go together???
I just need to cut that umbilical cord that is a regular wage.

Yes. Huge mortgage though with a long time to go so I’m usually skint. Quality of life is great now though.

Yeah 4 days/week since 2007. Made a few personal cut backs at the time so the family was unaffected but not a problem now

Do it.

If you do it, you need to get your employer to agree what part of your job you will be dropping, or as others have said you will end up doing a full week in less hours.

Your also need to be able to remind people you work less hours without peeing them off.

What will you do with your extra day off? Oh and take Monday off, much more satisfying than taking Friday off

I still have a large mortgage and monthly outgoings but as my children are at the age that they want to spend time with me (and that is going to be finite time) I think a bit more of a struggle now is worth it. I will probably have to go back to a 5 day week if I change my job but I will be much more focused on the “time away from home” thing now I have experienced how much better things can be. As normal it all comes down to your personal choices and priorities. My bikes may be a couple of years old but at least I get to ride them in daylight.

I’ve done 3 days for the last 4 years and it’s been great as the kids are young.
They are now a bit older and I’m changing the pattern to 3-6 months full time and then 2-3 months off completely.
I’m quite looking forward to the step up in tempo tbh.

3 days for the last 6 years, bloody brilliant, as long as your not one of these ‘stuff’ collectors you’ll love it. I only earn just over the tax threshold but find it’s plenty if you don’t waste any on crap, this may include alcohol and food of low nutritional value.
The up side is you have the opportunity to get your fitness up to bostin levels of awesomeness.
You may also have time to do some DIY. 🙄

I’ve got 5 Fridays left before I drop to a 4 day week, can’t wait 😀

Less work time, more biking/running/landy tinkering time!

The law changed a year ago or something, there are set reasons which an employer can use to refuse an application, I made sure I had ammunition to counter all these points in my application. Turned out to be a non-issue as they were about to lay off a bunch of folk anyway (oil & gas industry).

The forms and info are here if you want a read:
http://www.acas.org.uk/flexibleworking

The way I see it, life’s too short to spend the bulk of it working. If you can afford to, why not just do it?

They are now a bit older and I’m changing the pattern to 3-6 months full time and then 2-3 months off completely.

How will you manage that? Will you get a new job every time?

Self employed / contracting.

Had my hours cut 6 years ago (it was either that or redundancies) I now work a 30 hr week over the same number of days as before. It’s not been easy at times transport costs are high and holiday pay is less. however having the extra time is worth its weight in gold just needs discipline to say no to extra hours when they are “offered ” and to cut back on costs no trips to the pub etc drinking with friends at home is much cheaper and so on

I currently work 4 days a week, 7.5 hr days but I’d actually prefer to do compressed hours. Was doing 35 hours over 4 days previously which was perfect.

I’m working as a contractor though so it’s not a permanent thing, it depends entirely on what i can negotiate.

Currently debating this – both of us trying to kickstart careers in our mid-40s now the kids are a bit older, but already mortgage free, so motivation is not purely maximum income any more.

Sadly, colleagues in my current job – see recent posts for details – seem to have the same workload to squeeze in as the rest of us. Currently looking at another role that will pay less but only be 7 hour days for 4 days per week. Wife’s work will pick up the financial shortfall.

The ONLY potential monetary downside is on longer term finances – reduced pension and reduced pay out on redundancy.

I have previously worked a 9 day fortnight, using flexitime to squeeze 74 hours into 9 days, and having one day a fortnight to look after LittleMissMC before she started school. It was the best two years EVER, for all sorts of reasons.

If you can afford it in the short, medium and long term, and don’t get shafted over workload, definitely do it.

Thanks all, pretty much the responce i expected. ill have a chat with the employer this week, I’m 50/50 whether I will be allowed to reduce to 30hr week.

I’m currently commuting 2hrs a day, so it will help by reducing this as well.

One last thing, do you have to give a reason to your employer why you want to reduce your hours?

It’s something I’d love to do, I can’t help be feel sorry for money lovers, I used to hang out on Pistonheads for my sins- someone once asked if posters would rather be 30 and skint or 50 and loaded – the amount of people who’d happily give up 2 decades of life for money made me sad.

Sadly at the moment it seems a long way off, with a young family and living in a rented home I need to earn as much as possible to buy us a house, but I’ve taken some steps – I’ve got a great job that starts at 9 and ends at 5 and rarely comes home with me, I work from home Friday mornings so I can have some time with my little 1 year old daughter and we made some changes at home so my Wife can work less hours a week and spend more time with the kids. I’m very happy with my work/life balance.

Ricardo Semler makes some good points.

In 2008 I went down to a 4 day week for a year. The main result was I worked the same amount as a 5 day week, just did it in 4 days, but got paid 20% less. I also did a lot of 5 day weeks where I was travelling with work. In the end, I went back to 5 days and have been ever since.

went from 40 hours a week to 32 by not working mondays for about a year and half, loved it. Got made redundant and dreading having to go back to 5 days a week!

Yes dropped to 4 days a week a few months ago. Wife works all day monday so I get both kids. One’s asleep now and the other has just spent 2 hours with me on the trampoline. Awesome.

Financially a slight hit but I’ve just had a 5% pay rise and move the the next level in Sept so another 4k payrise.

The time with the kids though is worth more than money.

Try it. You can always go back to a 5 day week if it doesnt suit.

I’ve done 35 hours maximum much if it from home or locally at worst for several years, the absence of travel makes it just about right for me.
Not sure I could do more hours now, if i needed more money I could upskill or take on more responsibility which would mean more travel, longer hours etc etc No Thanks!

I was doing 6 months on, 6 months off in the last year 😀

Okay, wasn’t exactly the plan. Contractor and on the bench for 6 months, but mortgage effectively paid off and luxury to pick the ideal next contract rather than just have to take whatever even if it sucked. Or to put it another way, was just too tempting to go out riding all the time 😀

Doing on and off work from home though at the moment and that’s a nice way of doing it. A few days in office, a few at home, far less stress, way less commute cost, and much easier to get out on a ride when you can spread the work out over a day at home.

Other thing with contracting, you are in charge of holidays and if you want a day off you just don’t turn up if you can afford to, and no worries about how many holiday days you’ve got. Within reason as obviously there will be deadlines to meet. Also assuming it’s a proper business to business style contract and not a restrictive agency one that dictates employee like terms.

It’s something I’ve been considering for a while now, with a fairly hefty commute (1hour drive each way) and my wide works 3 days on 3 off. We could afford it no problem as no kids and a small mortgage.

The big thing that puts me off is how it appears to future employers (I’m only 24). Although I do think it would improve work-life balance considerably!

They offer a 9 day fortnight thing where I work, would love to once the mortgage is paid off, sadly that’s not for another few years

Or

consume less = less stress = more happiness.

You don’t need reduced hours for this to occur.

For anyone that is going to purposely reduce their hours/income, first reduce your expenditure to your expected income.