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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Going down to 4 days - which day off works best?

232 replies

Nesski · 10/04/2021 08:40

I'm about to start mat leave and want to go down to 4 days a week when I go back, however, I'm not sure which day would work best. There will be a trial period to see if it would work for my company, but I'd like some insights. Friday for example is a bad day because it's delivery day (I work for a consulting firm), Wednesday's could work well because I'd start the week off with the team and be able to leave them to get on with it on Wednesday and then pick it up again until the end of the week. Monday because bank holiday usually falls on this day (these days a pro-rated).

OP posts:

CaptainMerica · 10/04/2021 10:00

I think Wednesday off with Monday (or Friday) as the non-nursery day is perfect.

I found Wednesday a great day to have off, as I had two intense bursts of activity on my working days, with a day off in between. I had a few friends with the same day off, and really made the most of that day.

Monday is a good day to have off nursery, due to Bank holidays. So your plan is perfect.

I had Wednesday off for years, and DH also worked 4 days with Monday off, and it was great.

At the start of the first lockdown we switched to working 5 shorter days to cover childcare when schools and nursery closed, and we have fallen into keeping that pattern. It has advantages now the kids are a bit older. But I really miss my Wednesday off, and might switch back at some point to make the most of the last year before my youngest starts school.

The only downside is that I do end up spending lots of half days off on Xmas concerts, sports days, bring your parent to nursery day, etc, which are always Fridays. Also, the local toddlers group was a Friday - some people hate them, but they are a lifeline for many.

Bul21ia · 10/04/2021 10:01

I was hoping for a set day off but my work couldn’t give me this I would have picked a Mon or a Fri too.

I actually have a all different days off each week and I think a mid week day off is nice like a Wednesday it breaks the working week up.

ZenNudist · 10/04/2021 10:04

Like you i cant take Fridays off. No one thinks of conpleting a project early because im not going to be there Friday. I have Monday off, like others, my pro rata bank hols get added to my annual leave and I can take those days whenever I want. Its a long weekend, I get to join in on Friday fun things, no one really gets going on a Mon day so it's not like you miss much. I do often work hard on a Friday to make sure people are picking up work on a Monday. Often my clients dont send info at the start of the week. It works brilliantly.

sophde · 10/04/2021 10:04

I have worked in a job where I have had Mondays off and also another where Ive had Fridays - I found there are advantages and drawbacks to both.

Mondays are good as everyone else has said as you get a long weekend and low stress levels, no Sunday evening feelings etc.

However I found that Mondays off can lead to missed connections and a feeling of not being totally with it in terms of knowing whats going on.

(In pre-Covid times) In most offices where I've worked on Mondays for the first hour or so everyone is catching up on whats happened at the weekend/returned from holidays etc as well as more general chat which eases in to the working week. I found not working on Mondays I didnt know about things and people and their weekend escapades. Also Monday I found have a generally lower workload as everyone geared up for the week and the deadlines later on. So you do not gain a full extra day off in terms of workload and you miss some of the background knowledge and the 'softer' side of work.

Best place I worked we had a team meeting every Monday at 10 at which we really put the world to rights and sorted out problems/concerns before they developed into problems. This meeting was also a very good opportunity to gossip etc. When this was moved to Tuesday because another person and I changed to not working on Mondays we found it just wasnt so good an opportunity for the team to get together as we had mostly already started our work for the week. Plus people generally have external meetings etc on other days so werent all available.

On Fridays in the offices I have worked I have found that fewer people are in (one place there used to be 15-20 out of our normal 110 staff) and so there is a general more relaxed vibe to the day with many of the higher management off working from home / elsewhere. I would miss this as it feels we can either relax or alternatively really get on with the work with fewer distractions if a deadline was looming. Plus there is more scope to go out to the pub at lunchtime with work colleagues. In terms of school events Fridays are really good - pre-covid we used to have things like school assemblies at 2:30 which I went along to and not working meant I didnt have to take a days leave.

So each days has its advantages! Depending on the organisation I found that I could negotiate to shift my day off to another day of the week so that I could more easily attend parents evenings etc if required

In terms of bank holidays make sure you check your contract states what happens in terms of reallocating them if you dont work on Monday (or for that matter Fridays) as you need to ensure you still get 4/5 of the days off that regular staff get.

CharityDingle · 10/04/2021 10:07

Slightly different because in my case it was wfh, but Wednesday was the day I did it.
I had a horrible commute so it felt good packing up the laptop on Tuesday evening, and not having to commute again until Thursday. It was assigned by a bitch of a boss, she was probably afraid Monday and Friday would suit me too well.

As it turned out it was perfect.

KezzabellaB · 10/04/2021 10:09

I have Thursdays off by choice (work FT but over 4 shifts). I love the fact that when I go back in on Friday morning, I've only that day to work and I'm off for another 2 days 😊

Dustyhedge · 10/04/2021 10:14

I’ve had Mondays abs Fridays off. Both are useful for school inset days and Mondays work well re bank holidays. I find working the Friday better for deadlines but feel like I’m in catch-up mode on Tuesday which can be hard.

MrsMonkeyBear · 10/04/2021 10:21

My working week is a bit funny as I work weekends.

I usually have Mondays off and the Thursday/Friday is my weekend. So if I worked M-F I'd probably go for a Wednesday. That ways I'm never more than 2 days away from a day off.

81Byerley · 10/04/2021 10:24

I chose Tuesday then I had an extra day when there was a Bank Holiday.

GrimDamnFanjo · 10/04/2021 10:26

Monday!
A long weekend and you benefit from the Friday Feeling and lose the Sunday night dread.
I also discovered some people thought I was full time as they didn't notice my absence on a Monday - too busy catching up.

Abraxan · 10/04/2021 10:26

I always preferred Monday or Friday as it gave more flexibility for long weekends, though once you have school aged children this is less of a concern. I also had friends off those days so could meet up for a coffee, etc occasionally.

At my school (and DD's when she was younger) assemblies are on different days of the week and vary between morning or afternoon, so I wouldn't do it on that basis unless you know your school has a set system.

PuppyMonkey · 10/04/2021 10:27

Always interesting on these threads the number of people still saying they think if they have Monday off they will miss out on bank holidays. Isn’t it law now that part time employees can’t miss out like that? Or is it up to individual companies?

MerryGoRoundBrain · 10/04/2021 10:28

Another vote for a Wednesday! It breaks up the week really nicely. I’m down to four days a week too (condensed hours) and I’ve tried many options. Didn’t like Monday off because I felt I was missing out on too much stuff at the office. Wasn’t keen on Tuesday off because Monday was then just interrupting my weekend and it wasn’t very productive. Wednesday was just perfect. I’m currently working Mon-Thurs and as much as I like a 3 day weekend, I’m missing my Wednesdays off.

JosephineBaker · 10/04/2021 10:31

Wednesday is a great day off. You don’t get tired because it’s only ever 2 days at a time, you can keep on top of things at home and you don’t miss the important stuff which tends to start Mondays or end Fridays.

It’s a really refreshing day off.

Deedee248 · 10/04/2021 10:32

Definitely Mondays! I haven’t worked on a Monday in years. Never get that sinking feeling on a Sunday evening. I think Friday is a winding down day anyway, so I would not take a Friday from choice. Whereas I really love Mondays now I don’t have to go to work then.

Cornettoninja · 10/04/2021 10:32

I used to have Thursdays and Fridays off but given the choice I would have liked a Monday. I worked full days so when your bank holiday allowance is prorated you end up having to make up the difference from your normal annual leave allowance and depending when Christmas falls it can sting some years.

So for example I worked 7.5 hour shifts but only earned 6 hours for a bank holiday and would still need to use 1.5 hours from the rest of my allowance to make up a full day of pay for the leave. When you’re dealing with time off for dc those hours can really make a difference.

cheeseychovolate · 10/04/2021 10:41

Definitely Wednesday. It just gives you breathing space in the middle of the week. You'll be able to keep on top of housework and shopping and for me mentally it felt good just working in two day blocks.

1AngelicFruitCake · 10/04/2021 10:51

Assemblies are using Fridays but is it possible you could do extra time to make it up?
Fridays are often a great day at work, fun things happen, people are in a good mood.

MackenCheese · 10/04/2021 10:51

I noticed that school things always seem to happen on Thursdays, so worth bearing this in mind.

MargotMoon · 10/04/2021 10:53

Another vote for Wednesdays - I did this when I went down to 4 days after mat leave. Never working more than 2 days in a row was great

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 10/04/2021 10:56

Wednesdays would work in terms of not having too many days away from work at a time and mid-week shopping/housework etc.
However, juggling work and children isn't easy and the longer weekend gives you a longer mental and physical break.
If Fridays are out for days off, the good thing about Mondays off is that you can enjoy your weekend to the full and have Monday to chill / catch up on stuff.
Whilst it is good to have a fixed day off so everyone knows when you are/aren't available, would your employer allow some flexibility so that you could swap days off occasionally eg if you had a busy weekend?

Dustyhedge · 10/04/2021 10:59

I’m on 4 days and it’s really important to me to have a day at home with my youngest before school. I have been doing silly hours so easily do full time but without being paid for the extra day but at the moment the flexibility is worth it. 3 days was nicer but I was finding it too hard with my job.

I have no intention of going full time but have been pondering whether 30 hours over 5 days might be better (with 3 long and 2 short days) once the youngest is in school but I’d be wary of losing the day off.

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 10/04/2021 11:15

@Dustyhedge it depends on the nature of your work. In some jobs, on short days it can be difficult to walk away from situations so you end up doing the hours anyway. Full days off are especially helpful during school holidays

user1471554720 · 10/04/2021 11:19

If I had no children or adult children I would choose Mondays off. You can go away for a weekend and are not rushing to get home Sun eve. Also, shops and places are quieter in a Monday so it is easier to run errands and go from a to b.

For anyone with schoolchildren a day midweek, Wednesday or Thursday are great. You can keep on top of the house and have a bit of personal time.

I don't work Thurs. I experimented with having Wed. off. I didn't like that on Thurs. I had to face another two days until the weekend. Also 2 days at work in a row made work feel a bit disjointed. I prefer to get the head down and do 3 days at work in a block.

Having Thurs. off means I can concentrate on the work Mon. to Wed. Thurs I have to work only one more day and am off the weekend. People at work are less likely to notice an absence on Thurs. Queries get worked on more promptly than if I had Mon/Fri off.

I feel that having Fri off is an extension of the weekend. The day gets lost in the weekend and doesn't feel like a personal day. I am busy with kids matches, kids coming shopping with me etc at the weekend, kids staying up late etc so there is no personal time to watch a programme or relax at home at the weekend.

Having Thurs off gives me that personal time. Also kids are at school/don't notice and are not asking to go places.

I cab understand if you had quiet tweens, who would amuse themselves at home, then you could relax and take Fri off.

Soubriquet · 10/04/2021 11:22

I work 4 days and I have to do one weekend day a week

So I work Tuesday, Wednesday, have Thursday off, and then work Friday and Saturday

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