My job moved to a 30-hour-week and immediately made my life better

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and then a deep breath of the chilly morning air. I feel serene, at peace.

There had been no hectic scramble.

Now I had some time to take a moment to relax before heading back to work.

I'll tell you, moments like these are precious times, especially when you're fully employed and have less time for them.

But thanks to the flexibility of my job at the Women's Budget Group (WBG) and its shorter working week policy, I am now finding these moments have become not just more common, but rather a regular occurrence.

And it’s got me wondering: shouldn’t a 30-hour working week become the norm for everyone?

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Although it was the correct choice, it was a tough initial few months as my home bills suddenly doubled and I pondered how I could look after myself and my child in this new situation.

Gradually, though, things got marginally more manageable. We managed to establish a good equilibrium in co-parenting, and owing to the flexibility of my job – by that point I was working from home on a 36-hour contract – we were getting by.

The news completely broke my heart.

Even though our romantic relationship may have been over, he’d always be my partner in bringing up our child. And the idea of raising our child on my own, rather than co-parenting, was a prospect that felt daunting and intimidating.

Fortunately, it was treatable, but it would require a lengthy and arduous treatment plan for him, and as a result, I would have to take on extensive periods of solo parenting coinciding with my child's school age.

Unexpectedly I found myself at a complete standstill. I required both additional time and additional funds.

Yes, I could increase my work hours to 40 hours a week to boost my earnings, but this would mean giving up precious time that's vital for being there for my son. And, unfortunately, I'm all alone with no family nearby to turn to for support.

I only had to put in a 30 hour week, working whatever hours suited me best, and all while getting a pay increase to a full-time rate.

To put it bluntly, the timing is perfect for me.

It required a considerable amount of hard work and preparation from the team behind its introduction, and a minimum of a small amount of initial willingness from the board to take a chance. But after January, I started working reduced hours.

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I could be there to collect him from school and spend some time at the park afterwards, without the burden of work weighing on me, as I'd have the flexibility to allocate my tasks to suit my schedule.

Typically, that meant I would choose to work while he was at school, but I'd take mornings and afternoons off so I could be free to spend time with him. On the days he was with his dad, I would work for longer, but it all balanced out in the end.

This brought me some much-needed space to unwind between my work and my job as a parent. All of a sudden, I had time to enjoy a warm cup of coffee or to read a book before going to bed.

It's mainly helped me to stay afloat during a particularly harrowing period, which I sorely fear I might otherwise have found myself totally overwhelmed by.

The more I ponder it, the more I'm amazed at how I functioned somehow, keeping in mind being at least fairly present as a parent, while also making enough money to support my son.

To be honest, I'm not sure I would have been able to do that even within the flexible working arrangements that are already in place at WBG.

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While I'm tempted to hail the shorter working week as a revolutionary concept, I feel there is a danger in jumping to such a conclusion.

I'm worried that continually suggesting we work slightly fewer hours in order to balance paid and unpaid work, so we don't end up poor, ill, and depressed, gives the impression that it's an unrealistic, far-fetched idea.

Have we really sunk so low as a society that this is genuinely what we think of as paradise?

Undoubtedly, there are obstacles in store for endeavouring to introduce a shorter working week across all sectors and occupations.

I accept that it’s more demanding in certain sectors, such as hospitality and manufacturing, which need people to be physically present in order to deliver a service or produce goods.

I appreciate that there's an additional expense for companies, as they'll have to either take on extra personnel or increase the pay of part-time staff already on the books.

And let's not forget that, more broadly, we still associate being productive with spending time sitting at a desk.

None of these situations are insurmountable.

We were aware of these issues and took them into account when developing our policy suggestions, and more or less, both we as employees and the organisation have benefited enormously as a result.

We've introduced a fresh approach to productivity. For example, lengthy meetings have been kept to a minimum, and we've begun using artificial intelligence to expedite administrative duties. Furthermore, thanks to a more balanced lifestyle, staff absence due to ill health has decreased, and overall staff morale has improved.

My point is this: as a society, we can't go on dismissing the idea of a shorter working week as impractical, when individuals and families of all kinds are continuing to find themselves on the brink of collapse, coping under the weight of trying to do everything.

What will be the catalyst for owning up and acknowledging that the current state of work isn't cutting it for anyone, least of all those who are trying to balance work with caring obligations?

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"I adore my new work-life balance. I love it when I can drop my son off at school, then earn a sufficient income doing rewarding work before picking him up again. I must say, I've also grown quite fond of having extra time in the evenings for my little one to ask me about a hundred and ninety-nine times how long until dinner is ready.

It's a lovely life I lead now, but it doesn't feel very radical to have asked for it.

I grasp that a shorter working week is not a panacea for gender equality. It won't single-handedly spearhead the redistribution of paid and unpaid work and care on its own. For that, we would require a comprehensive package of bold policies, including universal free early education and childcare, longer paid paternity leave, and a thorough overhaul of employment policy and workers' rights.

But we need more courageous policies if we’re really going to witness a change.

We must be bold as a society when looking to widely accept a shorter working week, and we must not be led into thinking we're making an unreasonable request when we do.

For someone in my situation, a shorter working week can make a big difference in making life more manageable.

This article was originally published on 16th January 2024

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