Women who work- Do you work on Fridays?

Henna12

Fri, May 10 2013, 9:24 am

I feel like one of the very few frum women I know who works on Fridays- so I wanted to know if it's just my neighborhood, or my friends...or if it really is just me!

mdpa

Fri, May 10 2013, 9:38 am

I work until 1 on Fridays but it is not a job I can up and leave just because the clock says 1 PM. So while most of the time recently I actaully have been leaving on time I can be here for an extra hour easily, sometimes more. I work very close to home so I am definitley lucky but in the winter it can get a little rushed.
I however, feel like so few of the mother's in my kids' school work that I don't know how people manage! I don't understand how so many parents have the ability to drop by the school, volunteer during the day. I feel so out of the loop most of the time- even now if I am able to pickup the kids from school on Friday, the teachers running the carpool line still sometimes ask who I am! So I understand your frustration and I feel it!

inexorablyme

Fri, May 10 2013, 9:48 am

From September through the end of March, I work until 1:00 pm. From April, to the end of August, I work until 5:00 pm. I have a commute of about an hour. So the spring Fridays are a mad rush, and early winter Fridays are a mad rush, but I do most of my work on Thursday nights so I can just get home, pop things into the oven to warm and take a shower.

causemommysaid

Fri, May 10 2013, 9:57 am

daycare only runs till 1:30 on Friday and since my husbands job is more important than my job I arranged my schedule so I can leave work by 1-1:15. Its always a mad rush and I make up the time the rest of the week.

Ima2NYM_LTR

Fri, May 10 2013, 10:16 am

I said yes, until close to candle lighting, but that isnt the best answer for me.

I work until I need to get my kids- which is 2PM in the winter, 3PM in the spring (which is my usually quitting time every day for the school year) and 4PM (full time) during camp

morah

Fri, May 10 2013, 10:27 am

I work on Fridays. I teach in a Jewish school, but I still get home closer to Shabbos than I'd like, especially in the winter. And yeah, I feel like I'm the only one. The daycare doesn't even stay open late enough, and I have a hard time each week finding a sitter to cover me for the extra hour (really? Shabbos starts a quarter to 8, and watching my kid from 3-4 is cutting it close?!)

Frumdoc

Fri, May 10 2013, 10:52 am

I'm partly lucky in that I share a full time job, so my non-jewish jobshare partner works the end of the week and I work the beginning. It works in her favour a lot of the time, as in my job it is way way busier on Monday/Tuesday than the rest of the week, and I often leave work 2-3 hours after my official finish time, even though I go in an hour early to get things going, so instead of working a 9 hour day it is more like 12 or 13 hours (we don't get paid overtime).
But at least I get a real treat on erev shabbos!

nyer1

Fri, May 10 2013, 11:00 am

I work in public school till. 4 so in the spring it's fine. In the winter they let me leave at. 3 so I literally walk in the house and light candles

gumgum

Fri, May 10 2013, 11:01 am

I work from 930-1130 on fridays
its a paid to have to get up n out of the house just for 2 hours bt im needed at the office and am not offering to work more hours

justforfun87

Fri, May 10 2013, 11:12 am

If you work full time, and not for a "heimishe" office, how can you not work fridays? Yes, I work full time so I am sometimes not home until 10mins before lighting. lucky for me my shift starts at 7am so I am hope by 4. Needless to say I am not exactly winning the balabusta of the year award.

melalyse

Fri, May 10 2013, 11:14 am

I work on Fridays by choice. I work Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Friday until 1:00. I much rather have Thursday off than Friday. I only have a babysitter when I work and I can't prepare for Shabbos with my 2 yr old is around. Cooking is done on Thursday night, so I rather have Thursday off than Friday.

suzyq

Fri, May 10 2013, 11:16 am

I work 8-2 on Fridays. My son's current daycare closes at 2:30 in the winter, so I just make it to pick him up. Next year, the place he's going closes at 1, and I'm still not sure what we are going to do (I can't work any less hours because I need to have benefits from my job).

Henna12

Fri, May 10 2013, 11:29 am

OP here- thanks all. I feel better now knowing that I am not alone but its funny that a few other amothers mentioned that they too feel like most women around them don't! we need to start a club Smile

amother

Fri, May 10 2013, 11:56 am

justforfun87 wrote:

Totally. I don't get it. Even "1/2 day" fridays would not be an option for me. Full time is 5 days a week, 8 hours a day. There is a Sunday through Thursday positon but I would NEVER want to work Sundays. Working a full day on Friday (and yes, coming home about 10 minutes before candlelighting) requires a lot of planning and organization, and is not easy (Erev Yom Kippur is especially hard. Usually do a crock-pot meal so I don't even have to wait for it to be heated up before we eat) but it's completely doable, and frankly, my position doesn't exist part time, so for me, the only option

mommyhood

Fri, May 10 2013, 12:39 pm

I leave work at 2 in the winter and 4 in the summer. I can technically leave later in the summer but I don't like traveling during rush hour on Fridays and my work has not made an issue of it.
I find that working full time and Fridays forces me to be organized in my Shabbos prep. I finish everything Thursday night. All that's left to do on Friday is setting the table (which can be doen on Shabbos if I don't have time) and heating up the food. My commute is unpredectiable so I don't like to rely on having time Friday afternoon.

mdpa

Fri, May 10 2013, 12:48 pm

To answer those who wonder how a full time employee can work 1/2 a day on Friday: I do not by any stretch work in a "heimish" setting. But we have extended office hours on Tuesday which means I am in the office until about 8- sometimes 7:30, sometimes until after 9. But I start on time that day at 9 am so I leave at 1 on Fridays. FT doesn't necessarily mean 9-5 M-F, it just is 40 hours a week.