Work & life / England / 2026–27

Work three, four
or five days?

See what each working pattern leaves you with. Money for today, pension for later, and time to use differently.

A full year at each pattern. Regular monthly PAYE, with childcare and household costs included when you enter them.

Start with your work

Household

You

You: full-time annual salary (£)Before tax and pension. This example starts at £50,000.You: pension arrangement

You: employee pension (%)Gross contribution, including any provider tax relief.You: employer pension (%)

You: hours, office days & actual pay

You: full-time hours per week

Set actual hours for each pattern. Four compressed days can have the same weekly hours and salary as five days. Office days can be an average, such as 1.5.

3-day pattern

You: 3 days, weekly hoursYou: 3 days, office days

You: 3 days, quoted annual salary (£)Optional base pay override. Otherwise salary follows weekly hours.

4-day pattern

You: 4 days, weekly hoursYou: 4 days, office days

You: 4 days, quoted annual salary (£)Optional base pay override. Otherwise salary follows weekly hours.

5-day pattern

You: 5 days, weekly hoursYou: 5 days, office days

You: 5 days, quoted annual salary (£)Optional base pay override. Otherwise salary follows weekly hours.

You: tax, loans & pension details

You: undergraduate student loanAlso repaying a postgraduate loanEmployee NI exempt (for example, above State Pension age)Pension uses qualifying earnings (£6,240–£50,270), rather than all base salaryYou: annual bonus (£)Included in qualifying earnings; otherwise non-pensionable. Spread equally over 12 pay periods. A lump-sum bonus needs a payroll-specific estimate.Bonus reduces in proportion to weekly hoursYou: annual taxable benefits in kind (£)Non-cash, non-NI-able benefits only. Held constant across patterns.You: annual Gift Aid paid (£)You: minimum wage age bandA confirmed childcare exception waives this adult’s minimum earnings test for the schemes usedOther taxable income, multiple jobs or another tax situation outside this model

Regular monthly PAYE only. Pension allowance charges, pension access restrictions, final-salary pensions and non-pension salary sacrifice are outside this model.

You: commute, work costs & time

You: paid leave, weeks per yearInclude bank holidays and paid days away. Default 5.6 weeks; use your actual entitlement.You: extra unpaid work, hours per working weekHeld constant across patterns and included in total working time.You: return commute, minutes per office dayYou: travel and parking, £ per office dayYou: extra spending, £ per working dayOnly spending caused by work, such as additional meal costs.You: extra home costs, £ per homeworking dayYou: fixed monthly work costs (£)For example, a season ticket or professional fees. Avoid also counting the same cost per day.

See the comparison

Children & household support

Childcare and benefits route

Child Benefit is added separately. Universal Credit estimates must include any childcare reimbursement. Tax-Free Childcare cannot be combined with Universal Credit or childcare vouchers.

Living costs, savings & caring time

Other tax-free household income (£/month)Held constant. Exclude Child Benefit and benefits entered above. Do not put taxable rent, dividends or pension income here.Essential living costs (£/month)Housing, bills, food and debt payments. Exclude work and childcare costs already entered.Target savings (£/month)Additional accessible savings, separate from pension contributions.Accessible savings buffer (£)

3 days3 days: additional household costs (£/month)For example, outsourced household help. Count each cost only once.3 days: unpaid caring hours per weekHousehold hours, averaged over the year. Shown separately from time released from work.

4 days4 days: additional household costs (£/month)For example, outsourced household help. Count each cost only once.4 days: unpaid caring hours per weekHousehold hours, averaged over the year. Shown separately from time released from work.

5 days5 days: additional household costs (£/month)For example, outsourced household help. Count each cost only once.5 days: unpaid caring hours per weekHousehold hours, averaged over the year. Shown separately from time released from work.

Loading your comparison…

Monthly cash is the annual estimate divided by 12, after work and childcare costs, before ordinary living costs. Time is separate from caring responsibilities. Career progression, wellbeing and the ability to return to more days need your judgement.

How this works · Sources & rule dates · Use with an agent
Model 2026-09-06.1. England only, tax year 2026/27. Informational estimates.