Working 4 days a week...Mon or weds off?

[Decafflatteplease]

Hypothetically...if you worked a 4 day week and could have either a Monday or a weds off which one would you choose and why? I'm trying to decide for a potential job if I want Mon or weds off?

Mon off would be good as then all my working days of Tues weds Thur Fri are in a row. I like going to the gym on a Monday morning to get it done ✅. Cons of Mon are the house is usually already tidy from the weekend and washing caught up on so not much to do

Weds would be good as it's the middle of the week, a break from work. I could "reset" the house on weds as by then there's usually washing piling up, I can start organising things for the weekend etc. but then I'd miss my Monday gym class .

What would you do and why? First world problem I know!

When I was 4 days a week I had Mondays off. Loved it. Weekends weren't so rushed and I didn't get the Sunday feeling and resent the weekend being over so quickly. 4 days in a row at work meant I could get stuck in to the job more without suddenly being off again. Meant I could go on long weekends away without having to use a holiday day. Make sure you would still be entitled to Monday bank holidays though in lieu. Sometimes you are not given these days if they fall on a day you don't normally work.

I would go for the Wed. Less likely to miss something at work, means you keep Bank Holidays (presumably) and means you never have long to wait for a day off.

I’d pick Wednesday. But for me, psychologically knowing I only have to “get through” two days at a time has a huge positive impact on my mental health.

I have Mondays off... yes you get bank Holidays automatically but these days I've found lots of places are shut on Mondays in favour of the weekend. I'd go Wednesdays

I would have Monday off, as otherwise you end up using loads of holiday allowance on bank holidays.

If you don't work on Mondays, then you should be able to take the pro-rated bank holiday days whenever you want.

In theory, I always thought I'd like Monday off (or Friday) so every weekend could be a "long weekend". I'd go away, make the most of 3 days off....that rarely happened! I started having the Wednesday off instead & LOVED it much more than having 3 consecutive days off. I felt more refreshed & more productive. I really liked knowing I only had to work 2 days, then I had a day off. I think I was more enthusiastic & positive because I had this magical mid week day off to look forward to.

Are Mondays or Wednesdays generally busier for the kids?

As you are currently a SAHP with school age children, do not underestimate how much life will change when you no longer have all those free hours to catch up on life. If it was me, I would rather have Mondays off to ease into the week and put the house back together because after a week of work/school and a busy weekend, the house is an absolute tip come Monday as neither of us have time for tidying as weekends are pretty full on. You have a lot of time now, but when you're working, that time will be gone and you won't be as on top of things as you are now.

But the other consideration is availability for school events, sickness, etc. Does your school tend to have the nativity play on a Monday or midweek? When are there clubs that your dc want to do? Other activities like cubs/scouts? If you have a partner, are there days they can more easily take off? If so, stagger your days so it's more likely one of you can be available for illness on a given day and then you can switch off.

I’m going through this process at the moment requesting compressed hours and have asked for a Monday off every other week.
I really enjoy my job so don’t get the Sunday dreads at all, midweek wouldn’t work well for me because most of our meetings occur Tuesday-Thursday and it would be a pain getting people to cover me, Mondays make the most sense for me. Plus dh is self employed and can take time off when he wants so it would work well for us having long weekends away.

I found I couldn't switch off if I had wed off whereas a 3 day weekend was much more of a break. A lot depends on your job and the team, are there kick off meetings on a Monday, do you have to allocate work and handing it over on a Tuesday for results on a Thursday works well? You might find you'll end up with more flexible annual leave because you're not working BHs so you can use your leave at a different time, or you might lose it completely.

No one should be losing out on bank holidays because of having Monday as a non working day. You are entitled to pro rata additional annual leave for every bank holiday that falls on a non working day. If you are not getting this your employer is acting illegally.

I had Wednesdays off as it broke up the week. You always know you have only got to do two days and then get a break. I was a teacher so got the Bank Holidays off too - they didn’t come off annual allowance.

DH has Wednesdays off. He loves only working 2 days and then having a day off.

Monday to fit in with the kids bank hol.

Wednesday is my fave day, breaks the week up and it's nicer to be off mid week.

Difficult one. Monday is more of a ballache for bank holidays, but more stuff is open on Wednesdays. I prefer Monday off on the whole.

Bank holidays would be pro rata. Assuming you are reducing hours not just condensing into 4 days. That means you will have to use annual leave on bank holidays (essentially you get four fifths of bank holidays).
Although it’s all pro rata and essentially you do get the same amount of leave, it just doesn’t feel like you do because it takes away from your bookable leave by being forced leave (bank holidays).

I do Wednesdays and i love it - Monday somehow feels like part of the weekend rather than a different time slot? So weds just feels like total reset. Plus as others have said the house is still tidy on a Monday!

It also means if I do a big batch meal on a Sunday and a Wednesday then I only have to “weeknight cook” on Tues and Fri which is great

I think the problem is that it's still a chunk of your leave that you don't get a choice about when to take, in a lot of jobs. Whereas if you work Wednesdays, your pro rata entitlement to bank holidays is 0.8 plus 0.8 of the A/L the same as it would be if you worked Mondays, but you don't have to use any of them on the bank holiday Mondays. Iyswim- I've probably explained badly!

I would do Wednesday. The joy of knowing that you'll only ever have 2 days in a row at work definitely outweighs missing a gym session

Sorry all don't mean to dripfeed but it would be school hours (TA) so most bank holidays are in the school holidays so that wouldn't really effect Mondays

Ah ok. I think I'd have Wednesdays off then. A lot of the benefits to a Monday off, like potential long weekends, don't apply as a TA.

Wednesday is a better day for appointments, hairdressers, doctors etc as fewer people are wanting them. Also depends what type of job I suppose.

I have a Wednesday off as its breaks the week up

I don't work Wednesdays and absolutely love it. As others have said, you never work more than 2 days at a time. I've had Mondays/Fridays off in other jobs and have found that it doesn't really feel like I've had an extra day off as it just blends into the weekend.

I would go with Wednesday, nice to have a break mid week and as someone else said you'll prob have any bank holiday off on a Monday too

Monday is an amazing day to have off