4 long or 5 short days

[avidmarylou]

What would you choose between 4 long, or 5 shorter days for your working pattern?

Currently do 8.30am - 6pm across 4 days
I could do 8.30am - 4pm across 5 days

I used to work on shift over 5 days of 7-4, 8-5, 8.30-4.30, 9-6 and 9.30-630 which I didn't mind as sometimes it was nice to wake up a bit later some weeks but it did mess my body clock up. Not to mention a pain when staff meetings were at 6.45 in person (compulsory) and if I finished at 4 was a nightmare because the travel home was an hour too. I changed my working pattern to 4 days of 7-6 but because we were short staffed I often stayed on until 6.30 but I didn't mind what day I had off in the week to help my employer and colleagues and this worked well for me

Always the long days, you always end up doing a bit extra if you care about your job, and it's much better to have a whole day off.

Depends. I prefer having a day off to do thinks I need time for or be able to schedule DD‘s appointment without thinking of taking off time at work.

But I also know that if I am not in the office, people will pick up my work now. I once job-shared and my „other half“ wasn‘t interested in covering my customers so I was constantly working more to catch up on my days. If this would happen again, I would work 5 shorter days.

Thanks all for your thoughts. I do believe the 4 day option is the most suitable for work life balance, but if I want to progress my career I have to consider the 5 days and I'm not sure how the change in pattern would affect family life etc