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Original poster

4 day week - take Monday or Friday off?

50 replies

Wishimaywishimight · 14/04/2023 11:57

I am thinking of dropping to a 4 day week (pending employer's approval obviously). Currently i work 37.5 hours so would think about dropping to 32 hours over 4 days so not a huge drop in hours. There would of course be a drop in salary and pension payments, not sure of any other disadvantages. We have recently paid off the mortgage so have a little more flexibility now.

With regard to what day to ask for, what happens with regard to bank holidays if you don't normally work Mondays? Do you get another day off in the week instead or perhaps get paid for the day you are 'losing'?

Any particular advantages to taking Monday over Friday (or vice versa)?

OP posts:
Bluevelvetsofa · 14/04/2023 11:59

Take Friday, then you get the Monday Bank holidays. I don’t know whether you’d get time off in lieu for a Monday. I didn’t.

Monkeybutt1 · 14/04/2023 12:00

I have condensed my hours so I work longer on a Mon-Thu (WFH so its easy to do) then I work 8-12 on a Friday. I prefer a Friday as I can get all my jobs done ready for the weekend so I no longer spend Fri evening in the supermarket or Sat morning doing the cleaning.
If a bank holiday falls on a day you don't work you should get the time off in lieu I believe. I did for Good Friday.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 14/04/2023 12:00

I have mondays off and all the BH hours i just get to use whenever i want as nornal annual leave

Malibu12 · 14/04/2023 12:03

Your bank holiday entitlement and anual leave will be pro-rata'd and given to you in hours to use as leave. So, if you don't work Monday's you will still be off on a bank holiday Monday but will have the hours to use another time.
If you don't work on Friday's then again, you'd still be off on a bank holiday Monday but would have to take that time out of your pro-rated BH hours and also use some of your leave when the hours run out.
Either way you end up with the same amount of leave, but not working Mondays gives you more freedom of when to take it

Original poster
Wishimaywishimight · 14/04/2023 12:05

@Bluevelvetsofa That's what concerns me. My employer is generally great, supportive and flexible so I would be surprised if those working Tues - Fri weren't somehow compensated for Bank Holidays but although I know there are lots of flexible arrangements in place I don't know anyone well who is working Tues - Fri that I could ask and want to be more sure of what I want before approaching them.

@Monkeybutt1 I too wfh almost full time. We go into the office every month / 6 weeks or so for meetings but that's about it so working additional time on my 'working' days wouldn't phase me. The nature of my job is that there are quieter times and busier times so once the work gets done I am largely left to it.

@Youcancallmeirrelevant That sounds perfect, hopefully my employer does similar as that would compensate in part at least for the loss of annual leave.

OP posts:
StandUpForYourRights · 14/04/2023 12:05

Malibu12 · 14/04/2023 12:03

Your bank holiday entitlement and anual leave will be pro-rata'd and given to you in hours to use as leave. So, if you don't work Monday's you will still be off on a bank holiday Monday but will have the hours to use another time.
If you don't work on Friday's then again, you'd still be off on a bank holiday Monday but would have to take that time out of your pro-rated BH hours and also use some of your leave when the hours run out.
Either way you end up with the same amount of leave, but not working Mondays gives you more freedom of when to take it

Definitely Mondays for this reason. Free additional time off to use

Pestispeeved · 14/04/2023 12:06

I used to take Wednesdays off. Monday and Friday can be the most critical working days, depending on your job.

senua · 14/04/2023 12:07

With regard to what day to ask for, what happens with regard to bank holidays
What does your contract say? The law is that F/T workers get 28 days - not "four weeks' floating leave plus BH" but 28 days. It's usually taken as 4wk+BH but see what your contract says. You should get 28 days (or whatever your allowance is) pro-rata'd (32/37.5ths)

Original poster
Wishimaywishimight · 14/04/2023 12:08

@Malibu12 Thank you so much for that, really useful and I am definitely leaning now towards taking the Monday. All speculative at the moment of course as I have yet to apply!

OP posts:
WhatWouldJeevesDo · 14/04/2023 12:09

They can be given ‘as they drop’ in which case working Mondays is the obvious answer.
I was given them pro-rata to take within a couple of weeks of the actual bank holiday, but only because I’d been specifically asked to work Fridays.
You need to clarify and possibly negotiate.

BrutusMcDogface · 14/04/2023 12:10

I’m a teacher and have Fridays off as there’s no toil for bank holiday Mondays! I’m very much looking forward to a couple of three day weeks in May! 😉

skippy67 · 14/04/2023 12:11

I work 4 days a week. Mondays off. I still get my bank holidays, pro rata. I love not having that gloomy feeling on Sunday evenings anymore.

Whatevernext33 · 14/04/2023 12:12

Also depends what you want to do on your day off? Sometimes friends may be off on Fridays more so organising a lunch out is easier. I found I was too knackered by a Friday to do it plan anything constructive so actually Mondays off worked better for me.

NurseCranesRolodex · 14/04/2023 12:13

BrutusMcDogface · 14/04/2023 12:10

I’m a teacher and have Fridays off as there’s no toil for bank holiday Mondays! I’m very much looking forward to a couple of three day weeks in May! 😉

Same except I get the pro rata time back for all BH Mondays.

LiliLil · 14/04/2023 12:14

I don’t work Fridays and it’s great.

Also looking forward to a few 3 day weeks in May

Iwasjustasking · 14/04/2023 12:16

You will get a pro rata of the bank holidays to use, off the top of my head for a four day worker for a normal year with eight bank holidays it is six days. If you take a Monday off you will have to use some of these six days for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Good Friday and New Year’s Day then the other days will be extra entitlement.

Original poster
Wishimaywishimight · 14/04/2023 12:17

@Whatevernext33 It's still just a notion at the moment. I have a few things in mind - spending time with my mum (we lost my dad last year), spending time with a friend (who doesn't work due to disability), gardening, joining a local tennis club (I am too tired in the evenings and the weekends are really busy), doing a pilates or yoga class, doing some volunteering locally. Tons of ideas. I definitely don't want to take the day and 'waste' it just pottering!

OP posts:
Lcb123 · 14/04/2023 12:17

We get our leave in hours, and if you’re part time you have to book off bank holidays. Therefore Monday as a day off anyway is best as you end up with more annual leave to take whenever you want

DurhamDurham · 14/04/2023 12:17

I've got Fridays off and I love it. I get to Wednesday and it feels like it's almost the weekend, I'm able to tell myself I've only got one more day to go and that's another week done.
That's makes it sound like I don't like my job and I do, I just like being off work more Grin

Original poster
Wishimaywishimight · 14/04/2023 12:20

While I do like the idea of a mid-week day off to break up the week, I do go away for weekends quite regularly so Mondays or Fridays would work best for that reason.

OP posts:
Original poster
Wishimaywishimight · 14/04/2023 12:24

I might email HR and ask how Bank Holiday Mondays are dealt with for those working Tuesday to Friday. I presume they would have no issue with me just asking the question!

OP posts:
Doje · 14/04/2023 12:30

Don't work Mondays! I work 2 days a week but in an industry where Mondays are important so I have to work them.

My holiday is worked out by taking a full time holiday allowance + bank holidays, so approx 23 + the 8 (ish?) Bank Holidays, then that pro rated down to 2 days.

I have to take the bank holidays so they account for a high percentage of my annual leave.

Original poster
Wishimaywishimight · 14/04/2023 12:40

@Doje You have me convinced!!

OP posts:
vitahelp · 14/04/2023 12:46

Where I have worked if someone doesn't work on Mondays, they are allowed to roll over to the Tuesday as their day off when there is a bank holiday Monday. Or in some cases they could have their pick of any other day off in that working week.

I did a 4 day week while DD was at nursery so I could shorten her nursery week, so I chose the Wednesday to have off so I could break up her week evenly. It suited my employer better too as it meant I was still there for the fallout on Monday morning and the last minute panic on a Friday.

This depends on what you do, but the disadvantage to dropping a day is that it isn't a big enough change for them to necessarily re-allocate your work to anyone else. So you might find you are still doing the same 5 day workload, but crammed into 4 days. It is a winner for the employer as they can pay you less fo the same output.

popandchoc · 14/04/2023 12:48

I have Fridays off . They pro rata the bank holidays so i am entitled to 80% so it means they either add or take away from my holiday depending on how many fall on a friday.

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