Younger people and their thoughts about working

Perhaps she has got a sideline that she hopes will be successful but does not wish to tell anyone about just in case it fails

Gummie

She’ll find someone or the state to support her.

OR she will support herself, surely!!

The state will not support someone who chooses to work part time.
You don't get to choose, unless there is a reason, in which case medical proof will be required.

In short, it is easier to work than to try and avoid it.

She’ll find someone or the state to support her.

Granny23

We do not know what her part time job is - it could be something that pays enough for her to live on. She has no dependents and will have reduced council tax as a single occupant and her food and fuel & water bills will be around 50% of those of a couple or family. Does she run a car? which is another huge expense she may not have.
Who are we to judge? Her Life, Her Choices.

which maks this thread totally pointless.

I met a woman the other day who's 60 and can't find full time work. She does two part time jobs.

We do not know what her part time job is - it could be something that pays enough for her to live on. She has no dependents and will have reduced council tax as a single occupant and her food and fuel & water bills will be around 50% of those of a couple or family. Does she run a car? which is another huge expense she may not have.
Who are we to judge? Her Life, Her Choices.

ronib

Her life. Her choice. She might be writing a book, or doing something creative in her spare time. She might have a health issue and is managing work as best she can.

This!
🥳
Yes, write that book, climb that mountain, "follow your dreams".

ronib

Why is there criticism of this unknown woman and yet no recognition of the harm that part time gps are inflicting on the NHS? It costs a lot for the taxpayer to fund medical training. Presumably this unknown woman is allowed the same options as the more privileged?

That has been recognised. Have you read the thread?

As for the young woman, we are not so much talking about a specific person as the principle of working (or not) towards the future. None of us other than the OP knows the woman in question, so we can't judge her personally.

Good Luck to her. I hopes she enjoys herself. I wonder why she or the person posting about her ,is so sure she will have a large inheritance.

My friend and neighbour is desperate to find a full time job. Nobody is offering enough hours it seems.

She has 3 jobs, all low paid and darts from one to the other. They are in admin, caring and shop work. She works some antisocial hours too and Sundays.
She's in her 50s, now single but with AC and DGC. She rents privately.
She could not afford to work less or save.
Having said all that, she seems happy enough.

If people are in a position financially to reduce their hours, for a better work-life balance, fine, but not at a cost to others later on. A choice to do so at 35 seems very short-sighted.

I know of an even younger woman, no children or ill health, no aged relatives to care for, who does not work at all. Her husband earns a high salary. But I still do not understand that choice. Not only is she not building up any pension provision, how does she occupy her time? What is her reason to get up in the morning?
My daughter decided to give up her well paid but stressful job but now runs around managing two holidays lets, ( lots of cleaning and ironing!) sorting out hens and cats and teenagers, invigilating exams- her and her husband’s decision, and affordable. Not one I would have taken but each to their own.

Some people on here are rather sniffy about this.

I would love everyone to have the opportunity to have enough money to have more free time.

Surely following our dreams is important too!

One of my daughters has been working "5 days hours" over 4 days.

She would not take a job now with the need to work 5 or more days.
She is single abd on a good salary. She has her own small house.

She has told me she would happily drop 30% of her income to get another day off (and thus only work 3 full days).

She has started a pension and has a savings account.
It's her choice. She is financially solvent and has had a number of health issues (some ongoing). I'd prefer her to be as happy as possible.

Thankfully my children are very canny about money. They work hard, have mortgages, pay into pension schemes, save before spending and never ask for a loan. When I have helped them out they are so grateful and always accept reluctantly. I think this may well come from the fact that as a single parent myself when they were young money was very tight, I worked hard and they knew life was a struggle. The young lady in the OP may well have already received an inheritance, or has saved a lot. She may have watched her parents health decline to the point of incapacitation and wants to make sure she can life a life whilst she can.

Yes, many older doctors have gone part time or retired recently, and younger doctors may have young children and so work part time, but don’t make the mistake of thinking all do. Most hospital doctors work full time and GPs work 11/12 hour days so four days a week is full time for them. My daughter works three jobs, one as a GP, one as a private consultant at a private menopause clinic, for which she did an extra qualification which she paid for herself, and also she works some evening shifts at ED (our A+E) because she’s presently living and working in New Zealand and her marriage has broken down, leaving her in the position of doing a lot of work. Not all doctors by any means have gone part time or retired.

My sons both work many hours too. None of my children expect the state to pay their mortgages or to up their wages. Not many single people in their thirties can afford to work part time and pay their rent. The OP says this person has no savings or pension. It seems highly likely that therefore she’s going to need some state funded help, and unless she’s unable to work full time for health reasons, that is inexcusable. It doesn’t matter if she’s going to write a book, or just enjoy herself, her first duty is to support herself and not expect tax payers to step in.

Why is there criticism of this unknown woman and yet no recognition of the harm that part time gps are inflicting on the NHS? It costs a lot for the taxpayer to fund medical training. Presumably this unknown woman is allowed the same options as the more privileged?

I think people have the right to choose how to spend their lives. I worked hard and enjoyed it, but took time off with children. My friend worked, on and off, saving up for her next adventure - and travelled the world alone. She had no children. We're both aware of our gains and losses. Everyone in the UK is provided for. Some people contribute far more than others - in so many ways - and that's life - I don't resent it.

That’s true too. My children are Millennials and much prefer experiences to material possessions. They are both independent and self-sufficient, but neither is particularly ambitious. Partly I think that’s because they have never gone without anything. So-called ‘Boomers’ can often remember times being tight, and I think we were too ready to fall for marketing that told us we were ‘investing’ in purchases. Having recently had a massive clear out, I’ve realised how foolish we (Mr D and me, but we were not alone) to fall for it. My children have made it very clear that they don’t want our ‘stuff’ any more than I want my own mum’s. It’s a shift in priorities, and not a bad one, IMO.

I don’t think it’s just that Doodledog. I think the pandemic changed a lot of peoples mindset about what is important to them. Striving for the new whatever is no longer the way many younger people are thinking, they prefer to earn less but have a better quality of life. When I look back on my years as a wage slave I do see where they are coming from.

She's short sighted on every level. Nothing in life is certain. A job is about more than money. Let people have their win choices as long as others don't have to pay for it. If I were her mother I would tell her she might get nothing if it has pay for care for herself and husband.
Smileless, how sad for that man and worrying. You have no peace of mind renting.

Galaxy

But the older age group did exactly the same about 2 years ago.

Retired you mean?

Yes, just as doctors have gone part-time in their droves. As I said upthread, the system doesn’t reward work, and won’t until the tax system is reformed radically and top-up benefits are eliminated.

But the older age group did exactly the same about 2 years ago.

Her life. Her choice. She might be writing a book, or doing something creative in her spare time. She might have a health issue and is managing work as best she can.

She may well struggle less than those who have worked though. If the system doesn’t change (and how can it?) she will qualify for pension benefits that have a good chance to make her better off than if she had just a basic pension and a small occupational one. I know that pension credit as we know it is going to be phased out, but unless there is a radical downturn in what the welfare state provides, there will be some replacement. As I said upthread we can’t have pensioners starving (and I’m not advocating cuts in welfare benefits), so what’s the alternative? There are so many people on low wages that many would be better off not bothering to work.