Ah the weekend...

There's something really good about getting up from my desk at 5.30 or 6.00 on a Thursday evening, slinging my bag over one shoulder, and people saying "have a good weekend" as I walk past them on the way for the door.  I've come to accept it as normal now, although a three day week would be even better :)

This profligate waste of working time began back in 2004, when I realised that I couldn't hide away doing nothing on the west coast of France for ever, I needed to earn some cash.  But starting from nothing, and from a distance, it seemed that a three day week was pretty arduous.  So I settled for that, working on a contract basis, and about half of that time from home, and that was on the whole a pretty relaxed way of earning our crusts.

The problem was that it was difficult to be properly integrated into the team on a three days a week basis particularly after I took the plunge after two years of contracting and became an employee once more.  So I ramped it up to four days - and given we were then living in Bordeaux, that meant that I had Monday morning and Friday afternoon for travelling back and forwards, and my four days went from Monday lunchtime to Friday lunchtime and morphed into five days.  But now, living here in Somerset, my four days in London are decidedly Monday morning to Thursday afternoon, and that suits me pretty well.

I don't know what I'd do with only two days at the weekend.  I know that's what most people have, and I also know I'm really lucky to be able to do this, but I find there's still not enough time to get things done even with three days at home every week.  That said, I reckon I'm working in the office for 42 hours a week during those four days, and a few hours outside of that too, so it's not really what you would call part-time.  The big advantage is that it gives you the option to say "no" on your day off.

It's a bit difficult balancing that four day week.  When I worked full-time I often had to work at weekends.  So just because I get paid 4/5 of a full pay-check, it doesn't mean that four days is it.  One has to be flexible in this situation - it's not as if I'm getting paid peanuts on an hourly rate.

But despite the conflicts and complications which come up sometimes in terms of time, it's great to walk out on Thursday evening and to know that it's my choice whether I work tomorrow or not...