A mum has said she feels like her husband is pushing her to go back to full time work.
The discussion around a four day working week is a hot topic at the moment with a pilot scheme being implemented around the UK and a number of Scottish companies already run with it.
However, a woman who is fighting for a four day working week, has said she is feeling the pressure from her husband to go back to full time work.
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Posting anonymously on Mumsnet, she explained she decreased her hours after having children.
She says that in terms of finance, they are already comfortable, especially as she is ready for a promotion.
She wrote: "As our family situation currently stands my husband works full time and I work 25 hours over three days.
"I dropped to 25 hours after our second son was born but I always worked full time before that. Our two children are now aged eight and four. The four year old is due to start school this year.
"Our current take home pay per month (jointly) is just under £4k which I consider to be a comfortable amount and and one we can have a nice lifestyle with.
"In August I am getting a promotion and increasing my hours up to 30 hours a week and so our monthly bring home pay will increase further so up to just under £5k a month.
"As it stands, my plan is for me to work four days a week (eight hour days) and have one day off in the middle of the week. My husband however is being really pushy about me working full time as opposed to “just working 30 hours.”
"I said it will really help us with me having one day off a week because if anything untoward comes up, one of the children takes ill, appointments come up, school assemblies etc I have the option to change my days to accommodate this. I’m very lucky to have a job where I can be very flexible with my days."
The mum of two went on: "I said I will still be doing 30 hours a week so it’s hardly like I will be a lady of leisure at home whilst the children are at school and whilst he works.
"As it stands, he is home by 4pm most days whereas my work days means I’m not home until 6.30pm, if not a little later. This would mean that me working five days a week will result in me hardly getting any time in the evening with the children whereas my husband would spend every evening with them from 4pm onwards."
The woman explained that her husband works in school, meaning he has the perks of having the school holidays off.
"He also works in a school so he gets all the holidays off which again means he gets lots of quality time with them that I don’t. And one day a weekend they go out together for about six hours for a sport related event, so that’s more time that I’m not with them.
"I said that I just want to be able to spend at least one day in the week to see my children, and to be able to collect them from school and have some quality time with them, as opposed to not getting home until an hour before their bedtime every night.
"He’s just keeps pushing it though.
"I said I don’t understand why, for the sake of me working seven and a half hours less than full time, he would begrudge me wanting to spend more time with the children. I get it that if I financially hard to work full time for our family situation to be manageable then I would, but I don’t and we manage perfectly fine already, never mind after my upcoming promotion and increase in hours.
"My husband is very money focused though and instead of thinking about how comfortable we already are, and will be even more come August, he just keeps saying “but think how much more money we would have if you went full time.”
"His priority is money whereas mine just isn’t, especially when the children are so young. He brings it up all the time and it usually ends up in a mini argument where we just go round in circles.
"AIBU [Am I being unreasonable] about this?"
The topic split the comment section with some agreeing with her husband. while others encouraged the poster to stick to her guns.
One hit back: "Sorry but I'm with your husband on this, with children that age I would expect you to be full time too really. Weekends are there for quality time with the children."
"If the kids are at school, you won’t be getting that much more free time with them anyway?", a second said.
A third interjected: "It’s almost full time isn’t it. He is jealous of you having more perceived free time. Are you planning on laying on a chaise all day being fanned and fed grapes? If so then I can see why he would have a point.
"I bet however you plan on doing chores, maybe some food shopping and God forbid having a quick coffee with a friend."
More Mumsnet users rallied around her, with one chiming in: "It's not even a day off, is it - it's six hours while the children are at school. Just about time to run errands, hoover round and catch your breath. Absolutely stay at four days."
"I think 30 hours is perfect, you have a day off midweek to do housework, organise appointments etc and then the weekend is spent as family time. I'd tell your DH [dear husband] that you aren’t upping your hours anymore and you aren’t willing to discuss it any more, end of," another agreed.
Meanwhile, one argued both sides: "Who earns more? Resentment can easily build if he earns a lot more and he perceives you not wanting to contribute more evenly financially by doing that extra day? It's just compounded by the fact he is a teacher whereas you are obviously not so you don't get the school holidays with them? Unfortunately that's just life."
What do you think of working four day working weeks? Let us know in the comments.
