If you WFH, what's your Friday afternoon like?

I’m civil service so everything is left to the last minute and we spend a lot of time coming up with reasons why work hasn’t been done! So I was actually quite busy needing to send something out.

I finish at 3.30 on a Friday which I love. They introduced it a few years ago. Didn't think it would make much difference but it really does.

Anyway, team meeting in the morning then I try to spend the day catching up on my admin.

Fridays are my catch up day. Pick up with the people who report into me in the morning, clear down my inbox until about 4, have a chin wag and weekly round up with my colleague from 4.30/5 until finish.

Had a half day today but that's how pretty much every Friday goes unless an emergency comes up.

These threads always bring out posters who seem to absolutely hate the idea of anyone daring to have a flexible job.

I work Monday to Thursday 8.30-2 and finish at midday on Fridays. Sure, I could work later on a Friday but I set my own hours and after a week of walking dogs in all weathers, I quite fancy a half day tbh 😂

I wonder about people who think it's fine to skive off on a Friday afternoon unless you are lowly admin staff.

Is it really so difficult to realise that jobs are all different? I don’t expect my days in my current job (not saying what it is but has been wfh since loooong before Covid) to look the same as when I worked in a supermarket as a student or when I worked in a betting shop or when I worked customer facing in a bank because they are different? I wonder about people honestly…

Well it’s not my problem that not everyone can get a different job. I quite fancy six weeks off in the summer, two at Easter, two at Christmas you get the idea but my work doesn’t offer it so I can either suck it up and deal with it or go and be a teacher. I don’t want to be a teacher so guess I just have to suck it up, my choice so I can’t complain about it.

I don’t understand why my employment terms and conditions are anyone else’s business - can anyone enlighten me?

If you're a firefighter and you don't do much on your Friday shift because it's a really quiet day, that's completely unacceptable and you're taking the piss out of shop workers.

Probably the lowest paid too.

I still don’t understand this? Why does the output of the admin team not count rather than working hours? Are they not professionals too? Curious as to why they can’t be trusted to get their work done like the rest of your team? Seems to me like you don’t value your admin team in the same way as the rest of your staff?

If anything I work harder on a Friday than a Monday, as I want to get all my projects in a good place by the end of the week and loose ends tied up.

I mostly wfh and am generally very conscientious. I'm always shocked by these threads.

If I would have worked 12 hours Monday and 12 Tuesday I would have asked for approval to get Friday in lieu tbh...but maybe because I am not high enough in the corporate ladder 🤣

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Because they're just shit on the bottom of her shoe.

I'm sure she'll be back to tell us how massively appreciated and very well paid they are, though.

Oh that's fine, I will simply complain to your boss and you will be sacked! Then I will go home and continue my slacking 😪

Can I ask why you treat admin staff differently? Just curious.

Oh no my leg is hanging off. No point going to A & E on a Friday afternoon the medical staff have all knocked off and gone for a kip.

Not sure firefighters were quite the example you want there. If ever there were a job where people have periods of very high intensity work and periods where there's much less to do, which is what OP actually describes, it would be firefighters!

Sorry I can't serve you with your shopping/coffee. I'm winding down after a busy week. I've had a long lunch and I'm knackered.

Why not admin? I lead a team and encourage everyone to log off as early as they can on a Friday afternoon but none of them would leave before the last person had finished. We’re a team and they would support each other to get things done, particularly the (presumably) lower paid members. Do all your team know that it’s fine to go for lunch with friends/family on a Friday lunchtime and write the afternoon off (unofficially)?

Absolutely! Being able to drop kids off at school and pick up, not having to pay for wraparound care because you have to be dressed and ready to leave at 7.30am and then return to pick up from after school club, then work on the computer after work because you've had no time during the day to catch up on e mails. Oh and then the evening meals and housework, weekends to do all the washing, yep! I agree people who wfh do have so many benefits so when we read posts like this and they can just choose to slack it's infuriating! How would they feel if others sectors chose to do this, erm sorry I'm a nurse and want to relax now, I'm arresting someone who has just attacked you, want to relax now, I'm a teacher, cba to teach your kids, want to relax now, I'm a firefighter, cba to pit out your burning kitchen, I want to relax now. 😌

I run a company and we do a 9 day fortnight so everyone takes turns to have Fridays off, we are way more productive even on working Fridays most of us finish about 3pm.

But the rest of the week is so productive it just seems fair to wind down early on Fridays.

I had a short day - I did 11-4 because I went swimming this morning and left at 4 to go shopping then out for dinner. I also napped on my lunch break. We have a work based output at work rather than hours.

I'd love to know how to get into one of these wfh jobs! My current role I literally have to account for every hour so if I stop for an hour it doesn't go down.

I'm clever with 2 degrees and need a change of career...

Friday is my late shift. I'm single and childfree (neither really by choice).

I go out with my friend on Thursday night and I get up late on Fridays.

Today I did some exercise, read a book with a coffee in bed then another in the garden watching the birds. Prepared some lunch. Pottered about, showered.
Had a dog walker walk the dog before I has finished things. Started work at 12. Finished at 20:00. In the bath now.

It's not great. But Fridays are quiet and it is what it is. I wouldn't say I worked particularly hard today.