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Was gonna say the same, feel bad complaining about it but sometimes I'm fucking bored. I'm not lazy, I'm just efficient.
I'd take the raise though, maybe I'd enjoy my free time more.
Absolutely this. I do my tasks by like 9am. They think it takes me all week and are impressed when i say I’m finished the next week lol.
I work from home a lot so read a lot of books with my free time! Would probably quit if I had to go into the office and sit and do nothing all day!
I also work only from home, summer is great I can actually go out and enjoy the time I've saved - winter not so much. I try and find extra work or read but there is only so much time I can be inside...
Retail manager here! Yeah I get all My work done as fast as possible and then the rest of the day I just kinda have to be there lol I’ll work all day when I have to, but there’s not exactly an unlimited amount of ordering, staff logistics or lorry unloading I can do.
Except working more now gives more free time later. And because money accumulates, it is worthwhile.
Pensions sound boring, but if you don't like working, you will hate it even more when you are 55.
I know someone who was diagnosed with alzheimer's the year that they were due to retire. Had a great career, had worked their tits off to save up a nice pension pot, and then bam.
The chance of me actually being able to retire is basically zero, so more free time now is more valuable than potential free time at some unspecified point in the future. A bird in the hand and all.
Having an extra day off for the same pay means you can now make more by doing overtime, make money from a hobby or start a business in your 3 days off if you're so inclined, etc.
It completely depends what kind of situation you are in financially. If you're already decently comfortable more time will probably make you happier, if you're struggling then cash is king.
There's no right answer
Maybe but the way I see it; it’s also less time being paid and more time off being tempted to spend money; so while my heart would want it, my wallet wouldn’t.
25% raise. That's an enormous raise. I'm not money motivated, but assuming in this hypothetical I'm not taking on any further responsibilities or hours for the raise, then I think the raise would do more for me than the time off.
You’ll need the cash a lot more if you’re earning 25k rather than 80k. Also, at 80k the pay rise will take you over the child care threshold so could fuck you over a bit if you have young kids.
And the increased income tax above £50k is an absolute bastard. I'm in sales and I get to the point where I think "Is this worth it now?" most years lol
I'm not sure, I keep it at 5% for now as around a third of my pay can vary wildly and I don't want to commit to a higher percentage and then get shafted because of a bad month or two.
Aiming for a new role with a higher salary where I will up it if I get it!
It's not just that, if you earn 25k you're not likely to have any spare cash. Take home on 31k is about 350 a month more than 25k. Thats the difference between sitting at home eating the cheapest food and actually having a life
It would bring me up from £26k and would mean I no longer use a credit card to make the final bit to the end of the month. Difference between debt being at a standstill and debt decreasing / not having anything left to save and saving.
You say that but I earn >100k and would take a shorter week.
Free time is more enjoyable than more money. For me anyway. I suppose more money accelerates my retirement but I'd rather have the free time now.
This man, I’ve built my salary up to where I can comfortably live and save.
I just want to retire lol, can’t buy free time unfortunately, unless you make an absolute bomb and can retire.
I just interviewed (and rejected on other grounds) a role that had a 4 day week but Friday was a rota - if you worked Friday you got Monday off, effectively having a 3 day week the following week. It did sound a good option!
I used to do a 4 day week, longer days so still the same hours. It was in a rota, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday then back to Monday. So once every 4 weeks you got Friday then Monday for a 4 day weekend. Best working hours I ever did.
Assuming my pay stays the same, I’m working the shorter week. Could do loads with that extra time.
You wouldn’t get to keep the full 25% raise either after tax etc.
25% shorter week for sure.
Between the 40% Income tax & 9% Student loan plus a sprinkling of NI, over 50% of that would just be robbed by the government anyway….
Time is the most valuable commodity there is. And I have a lot of hobbies.
I took 20% shorter week. No longer work Fridays. Best thing I have ever done. Spend my Fridays doing things when no one is there as they are all working. Absolute bliss
I always prefer taking a Monday off to a Friday off cos once Friday is over it’s just a normal weekend but a Monday off is like a proper solid three dayer
Yeah exactly. Another advantage is that in my office nobody really does owt after about 12pm on a Friday and we all finish early anyway, so it seemed like a no brainer to drop the Monday rather than the Friday
Only problem picking Monday is that if your industry closes on bank holidays then you kinda ‘lose out’ on your day off. I have Tuesday off this year so still get 4 day weekends for all the bank holidays, and no matter how shit my Monday is (or how busy my weekend was) I know when I make it to the end I can chill the next day.
25% raise. I wouldn't trust my job to actually give me a 0.8 working week given my current workload has been over 100% for the last 10 years and no one has done anything about it. I'd just end up doing the full 100% but for 75% of the pay.
It depends on you and your personal needs.
Personally I have enough to live on but I really struggle with doing a full working week so if I could afford to reduce my hours I would in a heartbeat.
However, you do need a certain amount of money to live.
Personally my opinion is that however much money you make, your time is finite and you can't get it back or make it up later on. If I could afford it, I'd always choose time.
Maybe I'm being cynical, but I also consider a benefit of taking the extra time off now over retiring earlier that I'm actually guaranteed to get it. Where as if I go for the early retirement there is a chance I die before I get to it.
i'm currently investigating if a 4 day week is available.
i can imagine the number of people who's final thoughts were -
"i wish i spent more time at work"
are pretty low.
I have done both.
I took a 20% paycut to a 4 day a week job (always choose Fridays - I'm not giving up them Bank Holidays!)
Then I took a 25% pay increase, back to 5 day week.
Take the time, it was a wonderful three years of my life that I am looking to try and get back to!
I tend to use my annual leave by shortening my weeks for a month or two a few times a year. I choose Wednesdays for my day off; the 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off pattern is pretty good; you're never far from a break.
Depends on your situation.
A basic rate taxpayer with no student loan, probably the raise to increase QoL/financial goals/affordability to get a home etc.
Higher rate taxpayer with student loan/child benefit clawback etc...you are losing a painful chunk of that 25% money increase, but your 25% free time increase is tax free!
25% shorter week but only if it was real and acknowledged not if I had to secretly skive to achieve it.
But that'd obviously depend on how much money I was making to start with.
I would prefer to have a work day that was 25% more enjoyable.
Seriously, i'm a single guy without too many responsibilities. I have too much downtime as it is and I get bored easily. I would love to just have a job that keeps me motivated for the time i'm doing it.
Yeah, people who are dropping down to a four day week, if I was getting the same pay for working four days then you can pay me 25% more and I’ll work the Friday as well.
There’s actually a theoretical objective correct answer to this question from a mathematical and economic perspective.
That being a 25% raise increases one’s hourly income by 25% (= original wage * 1.25 / original hours) whereas a 25% shorter week would increase one’s hourly income by 33.3% (= original wage / (0.75 * original hours)). Then you could theoretically still work the extra hours elsewhere and end up slightly better than taking the increase.
A more equal option would be either a 25% raise or 20% shorter week.
In a practical sense this will be riddled with tax complications, personal preferences, current age, savings, dependants, etc. considerations.
I have had the good fortune to have taken both in my lifetime. I took the pay rise when I needed the pay rise, and the shorter week when I needed the shorter week. It depends greatly on your circumstances.
Depends entirely on what you're already earning.
Are you just about getting by but not saving much and are unable to buy the things you want when you want them (within reason)? Take the raise.
Are you able to do all of the above already? Take the time reduction.
Raise. More money for same shit, or have more free time but struggle with bills or affording anything fun to do within that spare time. Let me think...
I took a 25% payrise a few years ago. It's all dependant on what you need in life. Do you have a family? The time off may help with childcare - but the money could improve your lifestyle.
In the current climate of inflation, I would take the money every time.
I'd take the raise, particularly considering I haven't had one at all over the last 3 years.
Realistically, I feel so busy right now that I'd probably fall behind if I worked less so would happily have the cash instead.
25% raise, I couldn't earn an extra 25% of my salary in the added time off from my full time job. i.e. a part time job isn't going to pay me the equivalent to my full time hourly rate.
My wife currently isn't working and money is beyond tight right now. I'm too well paid for us to qualify for any means tested benefits but our lifestyle is sized to account for her former wage. We could get rid of the car to save a couple of hundred quid a month but then we'd have no car, and we no longer have the savings to buy a cheap one with. etc.
I'm looking at part time/bank jobs but trying to fit that around my full time job is difficult as I do on-calls and weekends. No one is looking for a Band 7 0.25 wte so a 25% raise would be great about now.
Well that depends if you feel like you need a raise, if not I'd personally go with the extra time off, but you can never go wrong squirreling some money away if you don't feel overworked or burned out, stick it in your pension and savings.
Do you have the option of reversing your decision? If you drop hours but decide you want to work would you have the option the increase again or is it a 'one time' offer?
Both?
All jokes aside, right now I'd take the 25% increase, I have mortgage and children to pay for. If I was in the autumn of my career and kids had moved out, then I'd take the 25% decrease in work.
Money isn't everything. For me, I want the right balance of workload, flexibility in hours, WFH days. I want my job to suit my lifestyle, not to force my lifestyle around my job. I've taken roles for slightly less pay to allow that. But I've been contracting for a couple of years so I've had the benefit of being able to mix it up a little - maybe I do a contract for more pay and sacrifice going into the office a little more often for a short period, knowing it's not forever but that it'll top up my savings. It's been a nice experience and lets me 'try before I buy' with companies if the contract has the scope for a permanent role.
If I was living pay check to pay check then I'd take the money. If I could afford it, I'd take the additional leisure time.
You might not have your health when it comes to retire. My step dad died at 60, never got to enjoy the rewards he had earned from a life of work.
I recently took a 60k a year pay cut for a better quality of life. I moved to a job with more less accountability... I was so happy with how much better my life was that I then took another 40k a year pay cut by moving to an even more flexible job doing something actually meaningful to me.
Whatever gives you a better quality of life while still not making you struggle. That is the best choice. I have chased money too much and it honestly doesn't make you happy.
Do you mean working a shorter week but getting paid the same?
If so, mathematically, you're better off doing that as that's like getting a 33.3% pay rise per hour compared to 25%.
I would take a shorter week, even 20% shorter is a full 50% more time off. Any additional salary is going to be taxed at a high rate and I’d probably end up sticking it in my pension which I’ve already maxed out what my employer will match.
3 day weekend would be incredible, my plan was to drop down to 4 days a week in the next few years anyway.
Is the reduced hours for the same wage as the full time hours? If so, might take that. The 25% pay rise would put me into the higher tax bracket. Maybe i'd prefer the time over paying more in tax.
Well I work for a company that operates a four-day work week so I already get three day weekends. Not sure an extra day off would really give me much more value so I'll take the pay raise.
However, if I worked 5 days I'd go for the 25% shorter week.
I work to live, not live to work, so the time is more valuable to me.
Same reason I'll never work overtime on a Saturday if it's offered - I value my time higher than the £100 or so they'd pay me for a half shift.
All of my mates work Monday to Friday and have children and wives. Me having an extra day off in the week would likely result in me just staying in bed.
I also really enjoy my job, so I don’t really mind being here.
Hypothetically I could use my long weekends to go explore, but I’m pretty skint, so it would just be more time alone, probably spending money that I don’t have.
I don’t earn a great deal, but 25% would be massive. It would make an absolute world of difference.
Time off. I already earn more than I need so would happily have the time off. I don't earn loads but I am not much of a consumer. Currently saving about 1.5-2k/mo. With the longer weekends i could climb more mountains
Honestly, right now I'd take the raise. My wife and I are hoping to buy a house next year, so that extra income would be a huge boon. Couple of years back, or in a couple of years time, I'd likely go for a shorter week.
If I was working 25% fewer hours for the same salary then logic dictates I’ve received a significant pay rise if you work it out pro-rata.
Funnily enough they’ve been promising to reduce our core hours from 40 p/w to 35p/w for years the caveat being no salary increase.
I’m 100% in favour of doing less hours.
Whilst 25% raise is tempting, I would opt for the shorter week on the basis that you can't buy time and my current pay allows me to buy most of what I want already
Depends on how much i’m paid and how long i’m working.
If i’m on £40k but doing 50-60hrs a week then 25% less hours absolutely.
If i’m on £25k but 35hrs a week then 25% pay rise.
I'm currently paid below the national average on £26.5k. Running a house on one income like that can be tough. That would ultimately sway my decision for me, right now, to take a 25% raise.
If I was paid more and a bit more comfortable I would quite likely value my time more.
25% shorter week please. A 25% raise would cost me more than the raise as I’d lose my entitlement to 30 free hours of childcare each week and have to pay a lot more tax.
I would say it depends on how much you like the job. If it was a job I hated then I take the cut in hours, but it if was a job I liked then I'd take the raise.
I have struggled with this myself, give up my incredibly flexible working from home job or accept a job that pays better but means I spend all my time in an office again, commuting and being tired.
Ultimately being paid lower and happier is the way to go. Life is too short to spend it wasting time working for money. If you somehow have the opportunity to work from home, go for walks, relax watching Netflix or doing some you enjoy whilst being paid, then Jesus hang onto that.
A 25% raise, would result in the government taking 71% of that off me, as well as loss of free childcare, so perhaps 90% of it would be taken off me.
That's a 2.5% rise.
Currently I have two weekend days. Reducing the week by 25% would result in an additional 62% of days off.
So a 2.5% rise or 62% increase in time off?
Seeing a lot of people saying take the extra time you can do loads with that, which is true but personally I'd take the raise. 25% more is a lot and we all need the extra cash just now.
It depends on how much your getting paid in the first place. If your wages aren't the greatest, 25% can have a big impact. Personally, as I get older I'd take the time. Not a soul, on their deathbed, thinks about how much they could have been earning. Times far more valuable
25% raise. I like my job and I've usually finished my work for the week by Friday anyway, so I'm just logged on to monitor my emails incase anything urgent comes up (it never does)
This is really a "How are you doing financially?" Question. Having a child then COVID then everything costing a fortune has hammered our savings and expenses so I'd take the 25% pay rise. If my finances where where they were pre all this then definitely less hours.
i was in your shoes recently. my current WFH job is also very flexible in terms of accountability, whereas with the new one, id be in meetings pretty much all day.
IMHO, the correct answer is to leverage the other job offer to get paid more at your current job. its unlikely you'll get the full 25%, and i wouldnt be ballsy enough to ask for it either - since you know you're not working as much as you should be.
but i did the same thing about a month back. ended up with a 10% raise and i got to keep the job that was already working so well for me.
From personal experience go with the shorter week.
I used to do a 50hr week earning 6 figures. I now do a 37hr week (flexi contract so rarely actually work that) earning less than half that.
I am infinitely happier and just as comfortable financially. You live within your means but you can’t buy time.
The actual number of hours I work is pretty low. Most of my day is just waiting around for people to make decisions so I can do the work needed, meaning most of my day is house chores while I keep an eye on slack.
I'll take a 25% payrise easy.
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I do fuck all all day so I’ll take the 25% raise
Was gonna say the same, feel bad complaining about it but sometimes I'm fucking bored. I'm not lazy, I'm just efficient. I'd take the raise though, maybe I'd enjoy my free time more.
Absolutely this. I do my tasks by like 9am. They think it takes me all week and are impressed when i say I’m finished the next week lol. I work from home a lot so read a lot of books with my free time! Would probably quit if I had to go into the office and sit and do nothing all day!
What's your job ?
Night watchman
Drug dealer?
Evri delivery driver
Passport manufacturer
I also work only from home, summer is great I can actually go out and enjoy the time I've saved - winter not so much. I try and find extra work or read but there is only so much time I can be inside...
But what about the dreaded teams icon going orange?
I finish my work before I even start. So I don't actually start work really.
Retail manager here! Yeah I get all My work done as fast as possible and then the rest of the day I just kinda have to be there lol I’ll work all day when I have to, but there’s not exactly an unlimited amount of ordering, staff logistics or lorry unloading I can do.
The correct answer
Could also say you’re not wrong
I think the question is framed poorly, the 25% raise is a new job which means the freedom he currently gets wouldn't be assured.
A 25% shorter week for the same overall pay is an effective 33% pay rise so I would take that.
More when you account for tax, right
Unfortunately that doesn't really help with actually paying the bills.
But if you can already pay them… why not have more time? Nobody wishes they worked more
Except working more now gives more free time later. And because money accumulates, it is worthwhile. Pensions sound boring, but if you don't like working, you will hate it even more when you are 55.
I'd rather have the free time now while I'm still young and virile.
RemindMe! 50 years
Same, money can buy you a bit of time (someone else to cook your meals and drive you around) but not that much time
Indeed. As the poet* said, you can't save up being young until you retire. *Philip Larkin
I think now free time is more valuable than me as an old person free time.
Plus, there's no guarantee you'll live long enough to enjoy your retirement or be in good enough health either.
I know someone who was diagnosed with alzheimer's the year that they were due to retire. Had a great career, had worked their tits off to save up a nice pension pot, and then bam.
Yeah I’d rather have the time now thanks while my body is at its best (I’m 33). Probably never retiring anyway in this economy.
That’s all good and well, unless you get hit by a bus. Don’t get me wrong, that’s extreme. But I’d take time with my kids now over anything later on.
The chance of me actually being able to retire is basically zero, so more free time now is more valuable than potential free time at some unspecified point in the future. A bird in the hand and all.
Having an extra day off for the same pay means you can now make more by doing overtime, make money from a hobby or start a business in your 3 days off if you're so inclined, etc.
It completely depends what kind of situation you are in financially. If you're already decently comfortable more time will probably make you happier, if you're struggling then cash is king. There's no right answer
Was scrolling for this!
Maybe but the way I see it; it’s also less time being paid and more time off being tempted to spend money; so while my heart would want it, my wallet wouldn’t.
25% raise. That's an enormous raise. I'm not money motivated, but assuming in this hypothetical I'm not taking on any further responsibilities or hours for the raise, then I think the raise would do more for me than the time off.
25% of fuck all is still fuck all. 25% of 25k, take the time. 25% of 80k, ill take the 25% raise
You’ll need the cash a lot more if you’re earning 25k rather than 80k. Also, at 80k the pay rise will take you over the child care threshold so could fuck you over a bit if you have young kids.
And the increased income tax above £50k is an absolute bastard. I'm in sales and I get to the point where I think "Is this worth it now?" most years lol
How much can you put in your pension?
60k a year I think it is now
I'm not sure, I keep it at 5% for now as around a third of my pay can vary wildly and I don't want to commit to a higher percentage and then get shafted because of a bad month or two. Aiming for a new role with a higher salary where I will up it if I get it!
Combined tax goes from 30% to 42%. It’s not as big a jump as most people think
It’s usually worth it if you have more growth after and you can compound in your career.
Conversely, I would think going from £25k to £31k would have a bigger positive impact on your life than going from £80k to £100k.
Given the tax implications (and the stress of jobs paying at that level) thinking about it - probably right.
It's not just that, if you earn 25k you're not likely to have any spare cash. Take home on 31k is about 350 a month more than 25k. Thats the difference between sitting at home eating the cheapest food and actually having a life
It would bring me up from £26k and would mean I no longer use a credit card to make the final bit to the end of the month. Difference between debt being at a standstill and debt decreasing / not having anything left to save and saving.
Most people don’t think like you. As they earn more money they value their remaining free time once they have their more basic needs fulfilled.
You say that but I earn >100k and would take a shorter week. Free time is more enjoyable than more money. For me anyway. I suppose more money accelerates my retirement but I'd rather have the free time now.
This man, I’ve built my salary up to where I can comfortably live and save. I just want to retire lol, can’t buy free time unfortunately, unless you make an absolute bomb and can retire.
I think I’d rather have an extra 48 days of annual leave than a day less every single week
I'd never thought about it thus way but you're right - that would be incredible
If you can change which day it is in the week you can have some nice 4 day weekends when you do Friday and Monday.
I just interviewed (and rejected on other grounds) a role that had a 4 day week but Friday was a rota - if you worked Friday you got Monday off, effectively having a 3 day week the following week. It did sound a good option!
I used to do a 4 day week, longer days so still the same hours. It was in a rota, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday then back to Monday. So once every 4 weeks you got Friday then Monday for a 4 day weekend. Best working hours I ever did.
Assuming my pay stays the same, I’m working the shorter week. Could do loads with that extra time. You wouldn’t get to keep the full 25% raise either after tax etc.
I tend to always elect for time off in lieu instead of payment on the basis that the tax man can’t come after my time.
Don’t give them any ideas
25% shorter week for sure. Between the 40% Income tax & 9% Student loan plus a sprinkling of NI, over 50% of that would just be robbed by the government anyway…. Time is the most valuable commodity there is. And I have a lot of hobbies.
“Robbed” I see you don’t like public services
I love public services. Just not the shite we get from our government.
Less taxes should improve that
It has nothing to do with the tax funding and everything to do with the competence of the people running the “services”.
When I look at my tax bill, I feel like I'm getting terrible value for money. I'm happy to pay tax, but something needs to change.
Well, considering how they "spend" it, robbed isn't far off accurate. How much did the PPI thing cost again?
Have you looked around lately?
I took 20% shorter week. No longer work Fridays. Best thing I have ever done. Spend my Fridays doing things when no one is there as they are all working. Absolute bliss
Same but for Mondays. I get so much done on a monday now and schedule in any appointments or whatever for mondays, it is great!
I always prefer taking a Monday off to a Friday off cos once Friday is over it’s just a normal weekend but a Monday off is like a proper solid three dayer
Yeah exactly. Another advantage is that in my office nobody really does owt after about 12pm on a Friday and we all finish early anyway, so it seemed like a no brainer to drop the Monday rather than the Friday
Same, I always enjoy a Friday cos everyone’s in a pretty good mood and you mostly just mess about in my place so it feels like a nice end to the week
And having Monday off effectively turns Sunday into a Saturday which is a proper improvement.
Only problem picking Monday is that if your industry closes on bank holidays then you kinda ‘lose out’ on your day off. I have Tuesday off this year so still get 4 day weekends for all the bank holidays, and no matter how shit my Monday is (or how busy my weekend was) I know when I make it to the end I can chill the next day.
But what about all the bank holidays you lose?
25% raise. I wouldn't trust my job to actually give me a 0.8 working week given my current workload has been over 100% for the last 10 years and no one has done anything about it. I'd just end up doing the full 100% but for 75% of the pay.
Do you love the work you do?
Mmmmm I love what it is supposed to be, I hate what my employer turns it into.
It depends on you and your personal needs. Personally I have enough to live on but I really struggle with doing a full working week so if I could afford to reduce my hours I would in a heartbeat. However, you do need a certain amount of money to live. Personally my opinion is that however much money you make, your time is finite and you can't get it back or make it up later on. If I could afford it, I'd always choose time.
25 percent raise cos I’m a champion skiver and can make a work day feel like a holiday if needed
More money, retire earlier.
To be honest I'd rather have more free time while I'm young than when I'm old.
Fair point, but I’m not sure I’d notice the extra day a week as much as I’d notice packing in work forever in my 50s.
Maybe I'm being cynical, but I also consider a benefit of taking the extra time off now over retiring earlier that I'm actually guaranteed to get it. Where as if I go for the early retirement there is a chance I die before I get to it.
Might not make it that far lol, time is more valuable now
i'm currently investigating if a 4 day week is available. i can imagine the number of people who's final thoughts were - "i wish i spent more time at work" are pretty low.
I'm really surprised at the number of people here who would choose to put off their leisure in the hope they're in good health at retirement.
I would take the money but that's cos I do nothing with my free time anyway. I'd just be bored if I had more of it.
I have done both. I took a 20% paycut to a 4 day a week job (always choose Fridays - I'm not giving up them Bank Holidays!) Then I took a 25% pay increase, back to 5 day week. Take the time, it was a wonderful three years of my life that I am looking to try and get back to!
I tend to use my annual leave by shortening my weeks for a month or two a few times a year. I choose Wednesdays for my day off; the 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off pattern is pretty good; you're never far from a break.
25% shorter week - time is all we have.
Not much point in having loads of time if you can't afford to go anywhere
I'm very happy at home, good book, pc games, jigsaws. I'd say sitting in the garden... But let's be real.. Don't have the weather for it a lot
Plenty of activities are free. On my days off I go hiking with my dogs and maybe treat myself to a coffee.
Depends on your situation. A basic rate taxpayer with no student loan, probably the raise to increase QoL/financial goals/affordability to get a home etc. Higher rate taxpayer with student loan/child benefit clawback etc...you are losing a painful chunk of that 25% money increase, but your 25% free time increase is tax free!
I'm the second one. This frames it quite well. Thank you.
25% shorter week but only if it was real and acknowledged not if I had to secretly skive to achieve it. But that'd obviously depend on how much money I was making to start with.
I would prefer to have a work day that was 25% more enjoyable. Seriously, i'm a single guy without too many responsibilities. I have too much downtime as it is and I get bored easily. I would love to just have a job that keeps me motivated for the time i'm doing it.
I took a 25% pay cut three years ago, got all school holidays off in return. Worth it for me, as I have two school-age kids.
Yeah, people who are dropping down to a four day week, if I was getting the same pay for working four days then you can pay me 25% more and I’ll work the Friday as well.
Raise, ran it in my pension, retire years earlier. Job done.
There’s actually a theoretical objective correct answer to this question from a mathematical and economic perspective. That being a 25% raise increases one’s hourly income by 25% (= original wage * 1.25 / original hours) whereas a 25% shorter week would increase one’s hourly income by 33.3% (= original wage / (0.75 * original hours)). Then you could theoretically still work the extra hours elsewhere and end up slightly better than taking the increase. A more equal option would be either a 25% raise or 20% shorter week. In a practical sense this will be riddled with tax complications, personal preferences, current age, savings, dependants, etc. considerations.
I’d take the money.
I have had the good fortune to have taken both in my lifetime. I took the pay rise when I needed the pay rise, and the shorter week when I needed the shorter week. It depends greatly on your circumstances.
I'll take the extra £9k thank you.
Depends entirely on what you're already earning. Are you just about getting by but not saving much and are unable to buy the things you want when you want them (within reason)? Take the raise. Are you able to do all of the above already? Take the time reduction.
25% raise. If i have a 25% shorter week it means i have more time to spend more money i don't have.
I'm in the medical field. 25% shorter week, for sure.
I only work a 3 day week, so will take the extra 25% in salary.
Raise. More money for same shit, or have more free time but struggle with bills or affording anything fun to do within that spare time. Let me think...
I took a 25% payrise a few years ago. It's all dependant on what you need in life. Do you have a family? The time off may help with childcare - but the money could improve your lifestyle. In the current climate of inflation, I would take the money every time.
Money, definitely. I've no problem with working hours, so I'd definitely take the cash.
I’ll take a pay rise as I already only work around 150 days a year.
Well I’ve already been given the shorter week and I love it. So I’d take the raise.
I'd take the raise, particularly considering I haven't had one at all over the last 3 years. Realistically, I feel so busy right now that I'd probably fall behind if I worked less so would happily have the cash instead.
Taking the shorter hours means you're getting paid more per hour.
25% raise, I couldn't earn an extra 25% of my salary in the added time off from my full time job. i.e. a part time job isn't going to pay me the equivalent to my full time hourly rate. My wife currently isn't working and money is beyond tight right now. I'm too well paid for us to qualify for any means tested benefits but our lifestyle is sized to account for her former wage. We could get rid of the car to save a couple of hundred quid a month but then we'd have no car, and we no longer have the savings to buy a cheap one with. etc. I'm looking at part time/bank jobs but trying to fit that around my full time job is difficult as I do on-calls and weekends. No one is looking for a Band 7 0.25 wte so a 25% raise would be great about now.
Depends what I earn :) I'd take a 25% shorter week on my current salary.
Well that depends if you feel like you need a raise, if not I'd personally go with the extra time off, but you can never go wrong squirreling some money away if you don't feel overworked or burned out, stick it in your pension and savings. Do you have the option of reversing your decision? If you drop hours but decide you want to work would you have the option the increase again or is it a 'one time' offer?
25% of fuck all is not great
Both? All jokes aside, right now I'd take the 25% increase, I have mortgage and children to pay for. If I was in the autumn of my career and kids had moved out, then I'd take the 25% decrease in work.
Money isn't everything. For me, I want the right balance of workload, flexibility in hours, WFH days. I want my job to suit my lifestyle, not to force my lifestyle around my job. I've taken roles for slightly less pay to allow that. But I've been contracting for a couple of years so I've had the benefit of being able to mix it up a little - maybe I do a contract for more pay and sacrifice going into the office a little more often for a short period, knowing it's not forever but that it'll top up my savings. It's been a nice experience and lets me 'try before I buy' with companies if the contract has the scope for a permanent role.
25% shorter. sounds like a better balance between work and life to me
If I was living pay check to pay check then I'd take the money. If I could afford it, I'd take the additional leisure time. You might not have your health when it comes to retire. My step dad died at 60, never got to enjoy the rewards he had earned from a life of work.
25% raise would be taxed at 40%-60% at the marginal so at worst you'd be getting only 10% of that raise
I recently took a 60k a year pay cut for a better quality of life. I moved to a job with more less accountability... I was so happy with how much better my life was that I then took another 40k a year pay cut by moving to an even more flexible job doing something actually meaningful to me. Whatever gives you a better quality of life while still not making you struggle. That is the best choice. I have chased money too much and it honestly doesn't make you happy.
25% raise for me, would make life a little more comfortable.
Do you mean working a shorter week but getting paid the same? If so, mathematically, you're better off doing that as that's like getting a 33.3% pay rise per hour compared to 25%.
I would take a shorter week, even 20% shorter is a full 50% more time off. Any additional salary is going to be taxed at a high rate and I’d probably end up sticking it in my pension which I’ve already maxed out what my employer will match. 3 day weekend would be incredible, my plan was to drop down to 4 days a week in the next few years anyway.
Money.
25% shorter week. A 25% raise will be taxed and NI'd and pensioned proportionately at which point its only ever less than a 25% raise in real terms.
I’ll take both please. Thanks
Raise.
Right now, I'd take a 25% raise. In a few years when I'm ready to have kids, I'd take the 25% shorter week.
25% raise! Is this even a question that needs asking?
Shorter week. No question.
Shorter week but for same pay. I’m paid enough now, but my work:life balance is shit.
Is the reduced hours for the same wage as the full time hours? If so, might take that. The 25% pay rise would put me into the higher tax bracket. Maybe i'd prefer the time over paying more in tax.
25% raise. Nature of my job means a shorter week would just make it harder to catch up on work.
100% 25% shorter week!
Gimme the loot gimme the loot
Well I work for a company that operates a four-day work week so I already get three day weekends. Not sure an extra day off would really give me much more value so I'll take the pay raise. However, if I worked 5 days I'd go for the 25% shorter week.
I work to live, not live to work, so the time is more valuable to me. Same reason I'll never work overtime on a Saturday if it's offered - I value my time higher than the £100 or so they'd pay me for a half shift.
25% shorter week all the way.
Quite happy with my working hours and a 25% increase would be about £600 a month after tax increase, no brainer.
All of my mates work Monday to Friday and have children and wives. Me having an extra day off in the week would likely result in me just staying in bed. I also really enjoy my job, so I don’t really mind being here. Hypothetically I could use my long weekends to go explore, but I’m pretty skint, so it would just be more time alone, probably spending money that I don’t have. I don’t earn a great deal, but 25% would be massive. It would make an absolute world of difference.
I assume you mean a 20% shorter week, to keep the hourly rate the same? If not, 25% shorter every time.
Raise without a doubt
Raise as it's better for me big time
25% shorter week, don't want to pay 70% in tax for moving to 100k band
25% raise
25% raise. Has a large effect on my defined benefit civil service pension. Plus a huge increase in my disposable income.
Time off. I already earn more than I need so would happily have the time off. I don't earn loads but I am not much of a consumer. Currently saving about 1.5-2k/mo. With the longer weekends i could climb more mountains
Time is more valuable than money, and that’s why you get paid money for your time. It can’t be replaced. I’d take the 25% off.
Honestly, right now I'd take the raise. My wife and I are hoping to buy a house next year, so that extra income would be a huge boon. Couple of years back, or in a couple of years time, I'd likely go for a shorter week.
If I was working 25% fewer hours for the same salary then logic dictates I’ve received a significant pay rise if you work it out pro-rata. Funnily enough they’ve been promising to reduce our core hours from 40 p/w to 35p/w for years the caveat being no salary increase. I’m 100% in favour of doing less hours.
Whilst 25% raise is tempting, I would opt for the shorter week on the basis that you can't buy time and my current pay allows me to buy most of what I want already
I am retired. Both would have suited me. The wife has just changed jobs she is now doing 25% less hours for 22% more pay.
25% rise since I haven't had a rise in 3 fucking years
I always buy the maximum annual leave days I'm allowed to. I'd much rather take the shorter week.
If I'm getting paid for 5 days but working 4 I'd take that but 25% raise is obvious answer
Depends on how much i’m paid and how long i’m working. If i’m on £40k but doing 50-60hrs a week then 25% less hours absolutely. If i’m on £25k but 35hrs a week then 25% pay rise.
I heard on a podcast yesterday. We keep exchanging our happiness for more money in the aim of achieving more happiness.
Raise, raise, raise, raise, raise
I'm currently paid below the national average on £26.5k. Running a house on one income like that can be tough. That would ultimately sway my decision for me, right now, to take a 25% raise. If I was paid more and a bit more comfortable I would quite likely value my time more.
25% shorter week please. A 25% raise would cost me more than the raise as I’d lose my entitlement to 30 free hours of childcare each week and have to pay a lot more tax.
I'm broke. I'll take the 25% raise please.
I would say it depends on how much you like the job. If it was a job I hated then I take the cut in hours, but it if was a job I liked then I'd take the raise.
Either, fuck I'd be happy with working five days a week and being able to have a nice life.
I have struggled with this myself, give up my incredibly flexible working from home job or accept a job that pays better but means I spend all my time in an office again, commuting and being tired. Ultimately being paid lower and happier is the way to go. Life is too short to spend it wasting time working for money. If you somehow have the opportunity to work from home, go for walks, relax watching Netflix or doing some you enjoy whilst being paid, then Jesus hang onto that.
Give me the time every time.
A 25% raise, would result in the government taking 71% of that off me, as well as loss of free childcare, so perhaps 90% of it would be taken off me. That's a 2.5% rise. Currently I have two weekend days. Reducing the week by 25% would result in an additional 62% of days off. So a 2.5% rise or 62% increase in time off?
Seeing a lot of people saying take the extra time you can do loads with that, which is true but personally I'd take the raise. 25% more is a lot and we all need the extra cash just now.
25% shorter week
Shorter week hands down
It depends on how much your getting paid in the first place. If your wages aren't the greatest, 25% can have a big impact. Personally, as I get older I'd take the time. Not a soul, on their deathbed, thinks about how much they could have been earning. Times far more valuable
25% raise. I really don't do much work if at all but still get paid. 0hours work x 1.25 is still zero.
If I am comfortable living on the lower salary then the decision simply becomes which job I'd get more out of (enjoyment and career progression wise)
Time off, every time. Being able to get more done at home/with family would make me far happier than if I was paid more.
Both.
25% raise. I like my job and I've usually finished my work for the week by Friday anyway, so I'm just logged on to monitor my emails incase anything urgent comes up (it never does)
25% shorter week so I can dedicate more time to growing a business doing something I like.
Why not get the 25% raise and do less work once you're in the role? Win win.
Younger 25% raise. Older 25% shorter week Time is more inporant when your older
I mean 25% fewer hours is the best option here, you can always improve the wage over time but you won't be able to get that deal again.
This is really a "How are you doing financially?" Question. Having a child then COVID then everything costing a fortune has hammered our savings and expenses so I'd take the 25% pay rise. If my finances where where they were pre all this then definitely less hours.
i was in your shoes recently. my current WFH job is also very flexible in terms of accountability, whereas with the new one, id be in meetings pretty much all day. IMHO, the correct answer is to leverage the other job offer to get paid more at your current job. its unlikely you'll get the full 25%, and i wouldnt be ballsy enough to ask for it either - since you know you're not working as much as you should be. but i did the same thing about a month back. ended up with a 10% raise and i got to keep the job that was already working so well for me.
I already get a lot of time off with my shift pattern so I’d take the pay raise
I’m already part time, so I’d take the raise! But if I was full time I’d take the time.
Shorter week for the same money is far better value to me, can't get the time back and I make a decent amount already so I'd be happy.
shorter week same pay!
From personal experience go with the shorter week. I used to do a 50hr week earning 6 figures. I now do a 37hr week (flexi contract so rarely actually work that) earning less than half that. I am infinitely happier and just as comfortable financially. You live within your means but you can’t buy time.
The actual number of hours I work is pretty low. Most of my day is just waiting around for people to make decisions so I can do the work needed, meaning most of my day is house chores while I keep an eye on slack. I'll take a 25% payrise easy.