Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
bananaramadramas · 10/04/2021 11:28

Wednesdays are often the most busy with childcare providers if that is a consideration.. a lot of people work mon-weds or weds-fri, so both sets of children in on weds

SimonJT · 10/04/2021 11:29

I have Fridays off, this means when my son was at nursery we could have long weekends away without paying for a nursery day I wasn’t using and without using a days holiday from work.

Fridays are also when most of the events are at school, so I’m able to attend all of them.

For a short time Wednesday was my day off, I disliked it as it made the week feel a lot longer and it didn’t really feel like I was working part time. My son also found it harder to settle, where as having nursery in a block of four continuous days was much better for him. Very little happens here on a Wednesday, so no mini professors, heartbeeps etc.

Kitkat151 · 10/04/2021 11:40

@PuppyMonkey

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?
There is no Legal entitlement to bank holidays on top of leave I believe....so many companies just give give the minimum leave days and no extra bank hols...whereas people on this thread ( myself included as I work for nhs) get annual leave plus the bank holidays
TeacupDrama · 10/04/2021 11:41

it depends how bank holidays are done whether mondays off is a good or bad idea if you normally get 30 days including bank holidays at 4 days per week you will get 24 days pro rata
if your office shuts every bank holiday at least 4 and upto 6 bank holidays are mondays so in a year you could get your 24 days off split as 6 BH and 18 days free choice or 4 BH and 20 days free choice
however if you have wednesdays off you still have 24 days anuual leave but depending when Christmas New year is only 0-2 days will be bank holidays so you might get 24 days free choice or 2 BH and 22 free choice
if your company works all bank holidays it doesn't matter what day off you have
you can't be given less or more annual leave compared to other staff because you do or don't work mondays

OwlBeThere · 10/04/2021 11:42

I used to have Mondays off because my ex worked Tuesday-Saturday, so we still had a ‘weekend’ together on Sunday and Monday. Sunday’s we could do stuff with friends who worked mon-fri and then Mondays we often did things with the kids on a day more people were working so it was quieter, it worked well whilst we had babies. Also I got bank holidays as lieu days. I worked flexi-time so I could save those BH hours so if the babies were unwell I could use those hours instead of my holidays.
It changed when the children went to school but if worked well for a good few years.

Hesma · 10/04/2021 11:57

I have Wednesday off.. love it! Only have 2 days in a row at school then a day off. Easy to get stuff done as everywhere quiet and the day doesn’t get sucked into the weekend like it used to when I had Fridays

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 10/04/2021 12:02

I have Wednesdays off, it’s the perfect day. I take the Tuesday as holiday after bank holidays so get 5 days for one days holiday. Never have to work more than 2 days. I like being in the office on Monday (feels right to be in on the start of a working week) and Fridays (everyone is in such a good mood, roads are quieter and easier to park)

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 10/04/2021 12:10

I did this and chose Monday off, and although there are more Bank Holidays on Mondays my company wouldn't pro-rota them so there was a slight loss there, but it seemed to me that most problems arose over a weekend and so by starting on the Tuesday I avoiding being dragged into them! Plus Friday for some unknown reason always seemed to a 'lighter' day.

dementedpixie · 10/04/2021 12:12

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles are you still getting 5.6 weeks worth of holidays? If you arent then you arent getting your legally entitled annual leave

Original poster
Nesski · 10/04/2021 12:21

You know it's so good to hear so many Wednesday days off, I guess the problem is that most of the women in my line of work are still full time. It's mainly been a male dominated role until the last 3 years, the females who are coming in aren't at the age to have children yet, and not many men do part time! Only 1/120 men in my department!

OP posts:
caringcarer · 10/04/2021 12:34

I used to have Wednesday off and usually cooked 2 meals. One for Wednesday and one for Thursday.

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 10/04/2021 12:38

@dementedpixie

Yes my annual holiday entitlement was adjusted corrected I just 'lost' any bank holiday that fell on a Monday. I did raise this with them but they just shrugged it off. (I don't work there anymore)

motherofawhirlwind · 10/04/2021 12:40

HR Manager here - I have Mondays off. Its the best day for getting the most holidays to take when you want them. And every week feels like a Bank Holiday week.

transformandriseup · 10/04/2021 13:00

Monday's - I never think about work on a Sunday night and every weekend is a long one!!

applesandpears33 · 10/04/2021 13:02

I'd always say Monday. Our schools have loads of Monday holidays and I end up having to cover these from annual leave.

alicewasahorse · 10/04/2021 13:04

I have two half days instead of a full day and love it. I also wfh these 2 days which means I can fully maximise my half day.
The business doesn't suffer as much as there isn't much that can't wait for an afternoon. I opted for this as I wasn't keen on all day nursery so between that and grandparents help we only used nursery in the mornings and that helped keep the cost down too.
If you are debating between 3 and 4 days maybe 3.5 could work ?

Oblomov21 · 10/04/2021 13:06

Fridays. Or Wednesdays. Whichever one your employer will agree to.

Original poster
Nesski · 10/04/2021 13:11

@alicewasahorse I never ever considered 3.5 days actually! I suppose the problem with half days is being able to clock off on time, but that is self discipline.

OP posts:
Eggscellent · 10/04/2021 13:13

I have Monday's to get the bank Holidays back, I don't have to pay nursery on those days when they aren't in! Did take Wednesday off initially but it interfered with the flow of the week, harder to book meetings and meant I always was catching up on emails. Generally the team miss you less on a Monday

KingdomScrolls · 10/04/2021 13:16

DH and I both work FT over 4 days, I have Friday off he has Monday off, I feel like I start my week with an avalanche of stuff from Friday and he feels like he's always playing catch up starting his week a day after everyone else, however having a 3 day weekend either way is great, it means we don't use weekends to clean/grocery shop etc, just blitz what we can while DS is napping and get him to 'help' with other bits. I would find mid week too disruptive and wouldn't be able to switch out of work mode just for one day. If you really can't take Fridays consider Mondays.

Allwokedup · 10/04/2021 13:18

I’d have Friday off as bank holidays are on Mondays. I don’t like a random day off during the week.

2bazookas · 10/04/2021 13:22

Either Friday or Monday, so you always get a three-day weekend to follow your own interests and pursuits.

dementedpixie · 10/04/2021 13:22

[quote TwoLeftSocksWithHoles]@dementedpixie

Yes my annual holiday entitlement was adjusted corrected I just 'lost' any bank holiday that fell on a Monday. I did raise this with them but they just shrugged it off. (I don't work there anymore)[/quote]
Why would you lose a bank holiday if you weren't due to work that day? Only those who usually work the bank holidays would have them deducted from their entitlement

AndWhat · 10/04/2021 13:37

Monday for me due to me and hubby both work in roles which require us to work during bank holidays and with Nursery and schools both shut but having to pay for the childcare that day.
I am guaranteed Monday bh off and don’t have to pay for an unused nursery day and find childcare

FeloniusGru · 10/04/2021 13:45

Another vote for Wednesday - I didn’t realise it was so popular! Grin
I went back 4 days after mat leave, I wanted a Monday or Friday off for the long weekend but it wasn’t practical for various reasons so went with a Wednesday. It’s perfect - I spend some time on a Sunday preparing meals, lunches, clothes etc for the Mon/Tues and then do the same again on a Wednesday for the end of the week. And I never work more than 2 days in a row. DS loves it too because we don’t spend too many days apart at once.