Which two weekdays would you choose not to work?

[Chooseabiscuit]

Flexible working request after maternity leave approved, working 3 days.

I’ve been offered Tuesday-Thursday, with Monday and Friday off. I am very pleased with Monday but I really did not want a Friday off as everyone has the Friday feeling anyway, it’s a nice atmosphere in the office, and anecdotally soft plays and baby groups are busiest on Friday- not to mention the supermarkets and shops.

DC will be doing a day with grandparents and 2 days childcare.

I had hoped for Monday and Tuesday off, or even Monday and Wednesday for a split week but this wasn’t an option.

It made me curious. If you could pick any two non working weekdays, what would they be?

I'd definitely take Monday and Friday.

Go to work Tuesday, then Wednesday I know im finishing tomorrow for a long weekend.

I used to have mondays off and lots of places were closed on Mondays, plus it's annoying when there are bank holidays and other people are off on your day!
Mid week is definately better. Imo

Tuesdays and Fridays. If there’s a bank holiday, you get a long break from Thurs evening to Wednesday morning without using any annual leave. There are 8 bank holidays a year in the Uk I think.

I would definitely want the 4 days (including the weekend) off together so either Friday and Monday or Mon and Tues or Thurs and Friday.
Are you sure you can't negotiate Monday and Tuesday instead.
Give work related reasons (not wanting to avoid busy supermarkets) and they might make it work.

I sort of get what you mean about Fridays but I’d either want the Friday or the Tuesday.
i WFH on a Monday and Friday and it’s a lovely way to bookend the week, slightly different of course because I’m still working but it just makes my week feel condensed. I often have another day at home but I dislike it when it’s a Wednesday! I like my days to run together.

Tuesday is my team’s busiest day and nobody’s there to cover, I could maybe do it but I’d have to move teams which loses other flexibility

That sounds lovely!

Monday and Friday is great from a bank holiday pov as you make time (as you’re entitled to pro rate hours) rather than losing time (if you’re place is closed on BH’s but you’re not entitled to the full whack you can lose hours).

I used to work Tuesday - Thursday and it was great. I also used to work full time but condensed hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. That was many favourite as no drop in income but I never worked more than two days in a row - and no one had Wednesday off so everywhere was incredibly quiet!

Definitely Monday and Friday. Depending on how bank holiday entitlement works at your work it can work out better for you as hardly any falls between a Tuesday and Thursday

Mon and Wed for me

This would be me too, for mostly the same reasons. But also because for some reason I find Tuesday to be the worst day of the working week. Since being on mat leave and working part time I've enjoyed Tuesdays again as I can do as I choose 🤣 if I could always have a Chooseday I would definitely take that option!

Plus I find it works quite well to split the week. I come in on Monday, get a load of cogs rolling, people have Tuesday to respond whilst I'm off, then I Wednesday/Thursday to get everything done before a long weekend. Lots of people off Friday so have people to hang out with. Works well for me.

My brother alternates M/W/F and T/T every fortnight. That's probably the ideal, I think.

Thursday and Friday. Still win with the BH. Go in on Monday and you have 2 days left. Flights might be cheaper on a Thursday if you are going somewhere

I've tried all sorts over the years and Thur/Fri definitely best IMO. Hated not working Mondays as I felt all behind on Tuesdays trying to catch up with emails etc when everyone else was fully up and running from Monday. Also missed the what did you do at the weekend chat at lunchtimes. Hated a split working week as you had the catch up thing twice and it felt really disruptive to my work frame of mind. Fridays good to have off as lots of my mum friends do too (to this day, our DCs are adults now). Also apparently it's quiet i.e. boring in the office on Fridays as so many people take annual leave or don't work Fridays (no restriction on using single days a/l for us).

I’d have Monday and Wednesday off

Good point about the BH. Okay I’d work Tuesday and Fridays

Goodness me I’m confusing myself. Sorry op I don’t know 😂

This, I used to do this when DC were small. You get a long weekend every weekend and a midweek break.

Fridays and Mondays would probably be my choice. Fridays are good because other people take them off and everywhere is open. Monday's are good because you then get the annual leave added pro rated for the bank holidays which would mean I would be able to take at least an extra week of leave. But I wouldn't want just Mondays off because loads of independent places round here shut on Mondays.

I love Wednesdays off.

I’d highly recommend a Wednesday as one of the days because you sure only ever in work 2 days then. So you are less likely to be stressed, tired, or house or children falling to pieces when you can keep on top of things easier. I used to have Wednesdays off.
I now have Mondays and Fridays off.
I like it both ways

I’d have Thursdays and Fridays off. I wouldn’t want Mondays as everyone would be a day ahead of me and I’d spend all Tuesday catching up. I have worked full time in 4 days for 13 years now with Fridays off. But where I live the schools have half day Fridays so it made the most sense for childcare. I now work Thursdays at home which is great - love that Wednesday is my last day in the office and I can have the time to get organised a bit before the weekend.

I'd never choose T, W and T because they are the days most partially retired pick so they're relentless - you get no headspace. Working Friday is great - lots of people off so fewer demands and emails but also still get the finishing for the weekend feeling. Plus can join any after work drinks still - if they still happen.

After dc1, I had Mondays and Thursdays off, partly as I went to a mother and toddler group on Mondays, after dc2 I had Tuesdays and Fridays off for about 10 years until increasing to four days. This worked really well as I didn't want to work three days in a row.