One-day-a-week roles occupy a particular corner of the UK labour market: the semi-retired professional keeping a hand in, the parent fitting work around school hours, the freelancer topping up with a regular shift, the student earning alongside studies. These posts are usually expressed as a 0.2 FTE salary in the UK — one fifth of full-time hours and one fifth of full-time pay. This guide explains exactly how the numbers work, what to expect on holiday and benefits, and the practical realities of working a single day each week.
What Does 0.2 FTE Mean in Hours?
FTE stands for full-time equivalent. A 0.2 FTE post represents 20% of the employer’s full-time workload:
Your weekly hours = 0.2 × full-time weekly hours
| Employer’s full-time week | 0.2 FTE weekly hours |
|---|---|
| 35 hours | 7 hours |
| 37.5 hours | 7.5 hours |
| 40 hours | 8 hours |
So a 0.2 FTE role is typically a single 7- to 8-hour day each week — for example, every Wednesday, 9am to 5pm. Some employers split it into two short shifts (two 3.75-hour sessions), which suits roles like school crossing patrols or cleaning contracts, but the classic pattern is one full day.
The 0.2 FTE Salary Formula
Your annual salary = 0.2 × full-time equivalent salary
Worked example
Margaret, a retired teacher, takes a 0.2 FTE learning-support role. The full-time equivalent salary is £27,000 and full-time is 37.5 hours a week.
0.2 × £27,000 = £5,400 per year
Margaret works 7.5 hours every Tuesday and earns £5,400 gross a year — £450 a month, or about £103.85 a week. Because the sums are small, it is easy to misjudge them, so it is worth running any offer through our free pro rata salary calculator to see the precise monthly and weekly figures before you accept.
0.2 FTE Pay at Different Salary Levels
| Full-time salary | 0.2 FTE annual | 0.2 FTE monthly | 0.2 FTE weekly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £4,000 | £333.33 | £76.92 |
| £24,000 | £4,800 | £400.00 | £92.31 |
| £28,000 | £5,600 | £466.67 | £107.69 |
| £32,000 | £6,400 | £533.33 | £123.08 |
| £36,000 | £7,200 | £600.00 | £138.46 |
| £40,000 | £8,000 | £666.67 | £153.85 |
| £45,000 | £9,000 | £750.00 | £173.08 |
| £50,000 | £10,000 | £833.33 | £192.31 |
A quick mental shortcut: at 0.2 FTE, your monthly gross is the full-time annual salary divided by 60. A £30,000 FTE role pays £500 a month at one day a week.
Who Typically Works 0.2 FTE?
One-day-a-week posts cluster around particular life stages and sectors:
- Semi-retirees — experienced professionals (teachers, nurses, engineers) who want to stay active and supplement a pension without full commitment. Schools and the NHS are full of 0.2 FTE returners.
- Parents — one fixed day a week is far easier to arrange childcare around than irregular shifts, making 0.2 FTE popular with parents of school-age children.
- Students and trainees — a single weekly shift fits around lectures; universities and colleges often employ students on 0.2 FTE contracts for ambassador or support work.
- Portfolio workers — freelancers and consultants who anchor their week with one reliable employed day alongside self-employed work.
- Carers — people with caring responsibilities who can commit to one predictable day but not more.
Employers like these contracts too: they get experienced cover for a fixed weekly slot without the cost of a larger post, and 0.2 FTE workers tend to be reliable and long-serving.
Holiday Entitlement at 0.2 FTE
Statutory minimum holiday is 5.6 weeks a year — 28 days for a five-day full-time worker in England and Wales, including bank holidays. At 0.2 FTE working one day a week:
0.2 × 28 days = 5.6 days → rounded up to 6 days
So you get six days of paid leave a year. Since each day of leave covers your entire working week, those six days equate to six weeks off — the same 5.6-week proportion as everyone else, just expressed in your own working pattern. Bank holidays are handled pro-rata: 0.2 × 8 = 1.6, rounded up to 2 days, usually added to your leave pot. If a bank holiday falls on your working day, you take it as leave like anyone else; if it falls on a non-working day, you do not lose out because the entitlement is already in your pot.
Tax, National Insurance and Pensions at 0.2 FTE
Tax and National Insurance. At 0.2 FTE salaries of £4,000–£10,000, you will be below both the personal allowance (£12,570) and the National Insurance primary threshold. That means no income tax and no employee NICs — you keep the full gross amount. One caveat: if this is a second job alongside other earnings, your tax code on the second job may be BR (basic rate on everything) until HMRC reconciles things, so check your payslips.
Pensions. Automatic enrolment only kicks in above the earnings trigger (£10,000 a year from a single job). Most 0.2 FTE salaries fall below it, so you will not be auto-enrolled — but you have the right to opt in, and if you earn above the lower earnings limit your employer must contribute. It is a right many one-day-a-week workers do not realise they have.
Benefits. Earnings at this level can interact with Universal Credit, Carer’s Allowance (which has an earnings limit), and student finance. If you receive any of these, check the earnings thresholds before accepting — a small salary can have outsized effects on entitlements.
The Practical Realities of One Day a Week
A single weekly shift has quirks worth knowing before you commit:
- Induction and training feel stretched. Everything takes five times longer in calendar terms — a two-day induction becomes a fortnight. Be patient with yourself in the first couple of months.
- You will miss things. Decisions made on your four days off, social events, impromptu meetings — staying in the loop takes deliberate effort. Ask to be cc’d on key updates and read handover notes religiously.
- Cover can be awkward. If you are sick on your one day, there is no tomorrow to catch up. Agree cover arrangements upfront.
- Relationships take longer to build. Colleagues you see four hours a month take a while to know. It happens, just slower.
- It is genuinely flexible. The flip side: one fixed day is the easiest pattern to plan a life around, which is precisely why these roles are so sought after.
Where to Find One-Day-a-Week Roles
These posts are rarely advertised with “0.2 FTE” in the job title, so knowing where to look helps:
- NHS Jobs and school vacancy boards — search for “one day a week” or “7.5 hours”; trusts and schools are the most consistent advertisers of true 0.2 FTE posts.
- Local councils — libraries, museums, and community centres often need single-day cover.
- Charities — one-day-a-week fundraising, admin, or shop roles are common.
- Universities — student ambassador, widening-participation, and research-assistant work is frequently offered at 0.2 FTE during term time.
- Your former employer — the single best source. Many 0.2 FTE arrangements begin as a negotiated reduction: an experienced employee asks to drop to one day a week instead of retiring or resigning. If you are thinking of stepping back, propose it before you job-hunt — employers will often bend over backwards to keep good people on a small contract.
When applying, tailor your cover note to the pattern: emphasise reliability, self-sufficiency, and how quickly you get up to speed, since those are exactly what hiring managers worry about with one-day-a-week staff.
More FTE guides: what FTE means · FTE and salary · FTE percentage to pay · 0.5 FTE salary · 0.8 FTE salary · full-time benchmarks
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 0.2 FTE always one day a week?
Almost always, yes — 7 to 8 hours on a single fixed day. Occasionally an employer splits it into two short shifts, but the total is still 20% of full-time hours. The advert should state the pattern; if it does not, ask.
Do I get sick pay working one day a week?
You have the same rights as any employee. If you earn at least the lower earnings limit (£123 a week in 2026/27), you qualify for Statutory Sick Pay after four consecutive days of incapacity — and those four days include non-working days, so a one-day-a-week worker can qualify. Many 0.2 FTE salaries fall below the limit, though, so check your contract for any occupational sick pay.
Can I be on a 0.2 FTE contract and self-employed as well?
Absolutely — this is an extremely common combination. Your employed day gives you steady income and employment rights; your self-employed work gives you flexibility. Just keep the tax side tidy: tell HMRC about the self-employment, file a Self Assessment return, and watch that your combined income does not push you into unexpected tax territory.
Will a 0.2 FTE role count towards my State Pension?
It can. What matters is your National Insurance record across the year. Earnings above the lower earnings limit build qualifying years; below it, you may still get credits in some circumstances. A single low-paid day a week on its own may not add a qualifying year, but combined with other work or credits it all counts.
Check Your One-Day Figures
One-day-a-week roles are simple on the surface, but the interplay with tax thresholds, holiday accrual, and benefits repays a careful look. Before you accept, run the salary through our free pro rata salary calculator to confirm your exact monthly and weekly pay — and keep this guide’s holiday maths handy when your first leave request comes around.