Simple Living

I have the good fortune to work for an employer that offers 80% schedule for 80% pay if you want it. We can also take unpaid leave of up to 3 months just by asking for it.

I’ve been on the 4 day schedule for some time now. Over a year. I wish I could say it’s a night and day difference but the truth is that 5 day was really grinding me down, and 4 day is letting me live.

But there are some added stresses too. Everyone thinks I’m probably forced to cram a full time job into 4 days and that’s really not it. My days are the same length as before. But they are busier, too, with fewer chunks of open time free from meetings to just get work done. Sometimes I think maybe I should go back to 100% but keep my Fridays blocked out on the schedule.

Because the truth is that 80% pay is pushing back the time that I’ll be able to say goodbye to all this. I’m well paid which is why we can make it work at all. But that 20% is also a big chunk of money as a result.

I thought folks might find it interesting to hear whether the grass is truly greener on the other side of this. Having that extra day is wonderful. Especially a week day where the kids are at school and I can wake up to an empty house, and go out shopping without facing a weekend rush. Or schedule an appointment or something. But it isn’t without its own challenges.

Of course when people talk about 4-day they usually mean with full pay, and with everyone doing it. That would definitely solve all my issues. Full pay would be full pay. And I would never have the situation of “sorry I can’t join you for that, that’s my day off.” And I wouldnt’ be accumulating unanswered emails on my day off, etc.