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

[Nesski]

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).

[Evergibbon]

Another Monday fan here! I've a whole 6 days to take when I WANT this year instead of when the calendar says so.... fabulous and always a long weekend. DH has Tuesdays

[Foxymoxy68]

After 25 years of spending my Sundays planning lessons, marking books and dreading Mondays, my working week now starts on a Tuesday. It’s been life changing!!! Plus, most Monday bank holidays fall in school holidays anyway (apart from
May Day) so I don’t feel like I miss out.
I LOVE Sundays now and don’t even think about work, let alone do any!

[kingat]

@TeacupDrama

of course *@kingat* if you normally work Mondays and it's a Bank holiday it is one of your annual leave days as it is for everyone working there full time or part time;

so if you wanted a break from Saturday to wednesday you would use 2 days annual leave Monday and Tuesday the wednesday you never work so you get 5 days with 2 days leave on this occasion, a different person who never worked mondays would also use 2 days leave , just in their case it would be tuesday and wednesday

Yes, but if you are off on Mondays you can choose to have that break on BH weekend or any other weekend using 2 days of annual leave.

[WalkinginMemphis2]

Do you have to decide now?

I’d wait and see if you make any nice pals on Mat leave and see what they’re doing, you’ll be livid if you have a Mon or Weds off and they’re all off doing nice stuff on a Friday. Everyone I know who does 4 days has a Fri off bar one. She’s recently moved to a new city and is struggling to make friends as there’s no one around on Weds which is the day she had off.

[Octopuscrazy]

Ive just had to switch from Friday to Wednesday and I think I preferred Fridays. So if you can't have Fridays I would choose Monday and have a long weekend.

[woodhill]

Fridays off work for me

[Nesski]

@WalkinginMemphis2 no I don't need to decide now but all of this will help me with conversations with friends and those on my antenatal classes. Right now there is such a mix! I was going to say Wednesday before but might do Monday and do the Wednesday as the baby's grandma day/my WFH day

[ChickenNugget86]

It wasn't our plan but my husband had to drop a day to keep his job during covid. So he decided to have Monday off and I then asked my work for Tuesdays. Our son goes to the childminders on Wednesday - Friday.
It's quite odd in my work to have a Tuesday off as many mums who are part time have Mon/Friday. It works well for us.

[AnOnly]

I can't get my head around the bank holidays, can anyone explain it to me again please? I was working Tuesdays and Wednesdays and get 8 days off a year. I switched to Mondays and Wednesdays and still get 8 days off a year. We are closed on bank holidays.

Am I better off, worse off or the same now I've switched days?

Thanks

[Threebecomesfour]

@AnOnly

I can't get my head around the bank holidays, can anyone explain it to me again please? I was working Tuesdays and Wednesdays and get 8 days off a year. I switched to Mondays and Wednesdays and still get 8 days off a year. We are closed on bank holidays.

Am I better off, worse off or the same now I've switched days?

Thanks

I think it's more about the flexibulity it offers you i.e. you will be able to take bank holiday days whenever you want as they've fallen on your day off. You just need to check that your company offers this.

[dementedpixie]

@AnOnly

I can't get my head around the bank holidays, can anyone explain it to me again please? I was working Tuesdays and Wednesdays and get 8 days off a year. I switched to Mondays and Wednesdays and still get 8 days off a year. We are closed on bank holidays.

Am I better off, worse off or the same now I've switched days?

Thanks

If you so the same number of days then you get the same number of holidays. Working Mondays meant that some of your days off were already chosen for you as you had to take them because they were closed. Not working Mondays gave more choice as to when you had to take them.

Although 8 days is below the legal minimum holiday amount as you should have got 5.6 weeks worth of holidays which is 11.2 days.

[TheHateIsNotGood]

Weds fan here but maybe do a Mon/Weds rotation once a month.

[U2HasTheEdge]

I am considering compressing my hours so I can work 4 days a week.

Friday was my original plan, but liking the sound of Wednesday now. Working between 8.00am- 6.00pm seems a nicer thought if I only ever have to do it two days in a row.

[TheMagicDeckchair]

I work three days and take Wednesdays and Fridays off. Mondays are busy days so no point in having those off. I’m also not away from the office for longer than one working day, so can cover everything.

Wednesday is actually a really good day to take- it breaks up the working week and means you can do a midweek shop, laundry etc rather than cramming it all in at the back end. And you never need to work more than two days in a row, which makes the Monday feeling easier.

[Kitkat151]

@AnOnly

I can't get my head around the bank holidays, can anyone explain it to me again please? I was working Tuesdays and Wednesdays and get 8 days off a year. I switched to Mondays and Wednesdays and still get 8 days off a year. We are closed on bank holidays.

Am I better off, worse off or the same now I've switched days?

Thanks

Think you being diddled with your leave, even working Tuesdays and wednesdays,.....if I worked 2 days a week I would get 13.2 days AL plus 3.2 days BH , every year ( NHS )

[Nesski]

I wish I could do compressed hours, would probably only need to work 2.5 days a week given how some projects have been!

[Mzy123]

Wednesday for all the reasons previously posted. Also good for your employer if an issue arises. It can wait a day for your return.

[QueenOfTheDoubleWide]

My DH did a 4 day week for a year or two before retiring.
He initially had Fridays off but always worked late on Thurs trying to get everything finished or passed on so he did almost 5 days work but got paid for 4. Company then had some changes and suggested he had Monday off which was much better as he didn't have to get stuff done before his day off. If work came in on a Monday either someone else did it or it waited.

[weightedblanketlove]

I've done a few different combinations:

Monday's- love it. No Sunday night feeling, mondays seems a stressful day where i work, feels like you can sort out the house at the beginning of the week, batch cook etc. If bank holidays are pro rata you lose out less. Lots of inset days are Mondays. Down side - cafes, hairdressers and attractions most likely to be closed this day. Also in my role you miss the updates over thevweekend and can feel behind.

Wednesday - mid week break, equal time either side. Can feel a bit frustrating breaking the week up though

Friday : long weekend, lots of people take Friday so people to meet up with. Lots of groups/ classes on a Friday. Downside - Friday seems more relaxed at work - a Shane to miss!

[molojoko]

You don't lose your bank holidays. If you have lost them you are being screwed.

5.6 weeks is 28 days. To calculate your holiday allowance you do 28 * 4/5 where the 4 is the number of days out of 5 you work. Another way to think of that is working one day a week is working 20%.

So working:

1 day a week: 28 * .2 = 5.6 days holiday a year
2 days a week: 28 * .4 = 11.2 days holiday a year
3 days a week: 28 * .6 = 16.8 days holiday a year
4 days a week: 28 * .8 = 22.4 days holiday a year
5 days a week: 28 * 1 = 28 days holiday a year

[SpringtimeSummertime]

Wednesday or Friday.

Not Monday - you don’t want to lose BHs

[molojoko]

You don't lose your holidays if you don't work Mondays.

[Kitkat151]

@SpringtimeSummertime

Wednesday or Friday.

Not Monday - you don’t want to lose BHs

🙄 no....she would have the pro rata BH hours added to her leave to take whenever she wanted....that’s the reason I have Mondays off....lots more leave to take when I want it

[molojoko]

www.gov.uk/calculate-your-holiday-entitlement/y/days-worked-per-week/full-year/4.0

[bruffin]

But you then have to book off you bank holidays out of that .
So i day do 3 days a week and get 25 days + 8 day bank holidays. Which works out 20 day inc bank holidays prorata. I work monday, tuesday and thursday.
This year 7 bh fall on my working days , so i have to deduct 7 days from 20 that leaving me 13 days
If i worked wednesday , thursday and friday, only 2 days a year fall on bh so still get 20 day but only have to deduct 2 days leaving 18 days.
You get the same holiday but more choice when to take