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!

It depends on the company, I worked for an employer Tuesday to Friday and didn’t get any compensation for not working in bank holidays, while at another job a proportional time of the Monday bank holidays were added to the annual leave.

But leaving the above out of the equation I prepared to have a day off in the middle of the week than a long weekend, it just felt more relaxing to have a little break in the middle of the week.

Wednesday. I had Mondays for a while but hated it. Everyone else is in work mode and then you arrive on a Tuesday on the back foot.

I’d go for Monday purely because you would get the bank holidays off

Well, it depends on whether the company wants to break the law or not. If you are part time you must get compensatory time off for bank holidays that fall on your non working days if full time employees get bank holidays off as well as their annual leave. In practice part timers usually get an extra 8 days (prorated by whatever percentage of full time hours they work) added to their annual leave allowance and whenever a bank holiday comes up on one of their working days they need to take a day from this total leave allowance.

I work four days a week and Monday is a non-working day. I have found there is respect for this that would certainly not be the case were it a Friday.

Yes @OnGoldenPond, I agree,
that's how bank holidays should work for part time staff.

If you don't work Mondays and don't get bank holidays added back pro rata to your holiday allowance, then you should definitely be taking it up with HR or your manager.

I've worked various patterns in the past. Initially I went for Wednesday as my day off which was lovely in many respects as it broke up the week. However, I found that this also affected my engagement at work as it seemed that I was never around for enough consecutive days to be able to get into a piece of work. My productivity fell during this time. I didn't go for Monday as a non-working day as the way in which my employer calculated annual leave and bank holidays meant that it was advantageous to work on Mondays, so I cannot comment on that one. The scenario that worked best for me was to have Tuesday off - it meant I was around for 'start of week' activities on Monday, and then around for three days in a row which was better for my productivity.

My non working day is Monday. I get my bank Holidays pro rata. Works well for me.

Mondays every time, long weekends. A good day to reset after the weekend.
The bank holidays is the biggest reason tbh. I've always had stat holidays, 20+8 BHs. 4 BHs always fall on a Mon. If Mons were my days off I'd have (28/5x4)= 22.4 days to use less any of the 4 other BHs that may fall on my working days.
If Weds were my days off I'd have 18.4 days less any of the other BHs.

Wednesday doesn't work for me,
I thought it would!

Working 4 days in a row then having an extended break is better IMO.

I never enjoyed my Weds off. I was always stressed about what needed picked up on Thursday and colleagues constantly contacted me on my day off as they forgot I had a mid week day off (Friday and Monday are more popular as "non working days" where I work).

Having Mondays off beats the Monday blues but it's a pain with BH and HR. Friday is good to have off.

Would be Wednesday for me. Anything to break up the slog of the week.

Are there any similar classes you could do?

I have had Mondays off for years, it works out fine.

I would choose Monday so I could invite people for a big family/friends roast with wine on Sunday and clear it up on Monday.

However, a mid week break is very nice to split the week.

Could you alternate?

I have weds off. Occasionally I think it would be nice to have a long weekend but on the whole Weds works nicely. If there is a bank holiday on a Monday I will sometimes book AL for the Tues to have a five day break.

Weds works well with the midweek clean and shop. It is also nice to only have to work two days at a time.

Their are pros and cons to both and I think it depends on your actual job and how bank Holidays work as to which is better overall.

I prefer either over a Tues or Thurs.

I work 4 days and have Wednesdays off. I really like the mid week break - I get on top of the washing and house/life/school admin. I also exercise which works well as it's mid week so I'm not having to exercise two days in a row.

I also find being at work Monday and Friday works well for me. I like getting on top of things on Monday and Friday everyone is in a better mood!

Mondays off. I have far more annual leave hours to use this year than my colleague, because she usually works Mondays and so has to use her leave to cover the bank holiday Mondays and I don't and still get the day off anyway.

Wednesday! I loved when I had Wednesdays off for a midweek break. Never that far away from another day off!

Weds. It's like having an extra weekend.

I have Wednesday off and I love it. Only ever have to work two days at once. I don't work bank holidays so that always makes it a nice short week too!

Depends. If regular weekend away are a possibility for you then Monday. Otherwise, I uses to have Wednesdays off and loved it. Only ever had to face two days at work at a time, shops were quieter, as you say it gave a mid week chance to keep on top of house stuff.. I'd love to be able to do it again!

I chose Wednesday, because bank holidays.

I like it, it breaks up the week, so I only need work two days in a row.

I work in a school, I work 4 days and have Wednesday off.

It works better as if your TTO, you still get the odd bankholiday that does fall in school time. If you have Monday off you may end up having to work that day if you go back and it's a PD day, as you need to do prorated PD days. 4 days a week normally means 4 out of the 5 a year. So that week you'd miss your day off. Hence the reason why the 3 off us in our department who are part time don't have Monday off.

I find it nice to have a break in the middle of the week, I can reset for the second half of the week. I've also found some business shut on a Monday so Wednesday is better if I want to get jobs done.

Difficult decision, I work Wednesdays and Thursdays and love my Mondays off as always exhausted from the kids over the weekend and great for long weekends in the holidays etc. However if had to work 4 days would probably go for having the Wednesday off, now sometimes work Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and very grateful for the Friday off in between to reset, get essential jobs, meal prep etc done. Used to do 3 days in a row and could be very stressful juggling home life

I dropped Wednesdays. I find knowing that I'm only at work for two days at a times helps me not get stressed and nothing seems like a slog. It's been great for school holidays as I know I've got a day to look forward to with the kids. The only slight drawback is that sometimes I get a bit of that 'Sunday night feeling' on the wedbesday evening.