A Four-day Week.

I’m liking this four-day week malarkey. It makes for a pleasant time at work (although at this time of year there is so much to do, an eight-day week wouldn’t go amiss).

I feel as though I’m bringing the seventies back – neck scarf, double denim, four-day week.

I remember the candle lit dinners we used to have. We would eat our food by the only light source available – candle light. This was mainly because the electricity had been turned off and no lights were available. Some called them power-cuts. I just thought it was a chance for adventure – it was quite exciting at times. Because some utility provider workforce had gone on strike (or that’s what we thought / were told), we had a whole lot of fun! Even though I wasn’t into romance, it was still nice to experience those times.

Of course, looking back, and being so much older (and just a little bit wiser), it must have been really difficult for my parents. To cook, to do the domestic chores etc. would have been a nightmare. But when you’re 13 going on 14, the world looks very different.

I still try to keep up the romanticism of those times. At home, we have a wood-fired Rayburn (older than me!!), which we use for cooking on in the winter (actually, wherever possible, we try to not use gas cooking when the Rayburn is fired up. On a good session, it can last for a couple of weeks!!). We also use the beeswax from the hive as candles and so when we want to really feel as though we’re living in Medieval times, we can light those too.

I do draw the line at sanitary compromises. One has to have some luxuries.

Perhaps that’s why I used to like the night shift. It was, after-all, a four day [night] working week. This had so many advantages – travelling in the opposite direction to the rush hour peoples; staying in bed until the afternoon; an extra day off; and the all-important body clock shift preparing for the late night out on a Friday.

What’s not to like?

At one time, I did have a day job where the management were very generous to me. I’d been working there about five years and wanted to do some personal project work (film-making) outside my usual work times. It was difficult to fit in during the evening, so I asked if I could fit all my teaching into four days, so that I could take the fifth working day off to do my project work.

I must say it was lovely. To be working four days a week was psychologically restoring.

The last time I did this was just before embarking on my PhD. I had a number of days holiday left over (I think it was eight), so I requested that I had the same day off each week for eight weeks. Although I wasn’t part time, it was a welcome treat to only work for four days a week – a sort of pseudo part-time.

Maybe retirement at 60 is a little too much of a move to the other end of the spectrum. Going part-time might well be an appropriate step forward. That way, I still benefit from the the salary (and not just a meagre pension) and from the psychological effects of not having to go to work for five days per week. I’d have to make sure I work on the Mondays. That way, I can take advantage of the bank holidays, when they come around.

The four-day week. I'm loving' it.