To ask what day is best to have as a day off

[mimi7363]

Hello. Currently work a four day week, Fridays off. Have done for a number of years. Love having Fridays off with DS. Also start of the weekend - proper Friday feels!

DD starts school in Sept. Am considering swapping day off to a Monday, mainly for the fact that for any Monday bank holiday (at least four per year) I will be given the hours back by them being added to my annual leave allocation. Which means an extra four days off a year (I know it's not really an extra four days, just means I can take my bank holidays whenever I want).

WWYD??? Would be sad to lose having Fridays off, but feel like it would help as I'll have more leave to use in the juggle of school holidays?

I used to have Thursdays off and loved it. 3 days in a row never felt like too much work, then a nice day off to do fun things. Logging on again on Friday everything was so quiet that whatever had happened Thursday was dealt with fine and I never went into the weekend feeling stressed. I also had my toddler with me on Thursdays so to have a little break from him again on a Friday was quite nice before having a whole weekend of parenting. That makes me sound awful but I can't even pretend that my job is harder than looking after a toddler all day, it just isn't.

I'm now switching to Fridays and slightly apprehensive. It'll be great for long weekends, and not much happens on a Friday so my Monday won't be noticeably busier. But it does mean three days on the trot with the kiddo, and no midweek break. We'll see how it goes.

But OP would only be able to do that in the school holidays anyway (and probably has enough leave to cover that) since she's got a child in school.

I’ve had Fridays off for 10 years and love it. The weekend starts a day early so I can get ahead, or relax, depending how I feel. Also lots of friends are off on Fridays or it’s quiet so they can meet for coffee.

Im sure other days are good but I wouldn’t change it!

I love not working on Wednesdays, breaks up the week so nicely. It might take you out of boo Monday, yeeey Friday swing and keeps productive levels the same all days.

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned this but most teacher training days fall on a Monday, more often than not anyway. So this would work better than a Friday.

I always had a Tuesday off, I loved it - did the Monday, caught up then had the Tuesday off, it meant when it was a bH I got 4 days off but also very few people take Tuesdays off so everywhere was quieter and no one asked to meet me for a coffee - I loved it

I have a camper van (kids grown up) so having Friday off is perfect. Partner is a builder so definitely finishes early on a Friday. It means we get long weekends away in the van without having to book time off.

I do 4 days a week and generally have Fridays off although sometimes have to swap days to cover if needed. I love the long weekends. DH works 4 days a week and had Tuesdays off. He says it breaks the week up

Mondays. I have every other Monday off and it’s SO much better than a Friday ( where less gets done at work and people finish earlier anyway)

I went away on last long weekends when my kids were in school…..and there s13 or 14 weeks school holidays to take long weekends with your kids

I think it probably depends on your job. I have Fridays off and I find it much easier to actually be off than I would on a Monday. There are less meetings and generally it's a bit quieter. I'm in a senior role in a very high paced environment though. I manage my own workload but sometimes have to prioritise client meetings etc. Everything starts ramping up on a Monday and aligning deliverables for the week so can't imagine being off.

I see your point and also re the bank holiday hours. It definitely depends how they are accounted for at your place of work. But as @Hardbackwriter said, going away is only relevant if there's nothing else to get in the way (kids, partner, finances etc).

As it is, when long weekends do happen, it's extended by an extra day which is just delicious. I concur re those four-day weekends @KlongDuplo .

Not Friday as things wind down anyway in a lot of places. . Monday is the best day. Wednesday next best.

I agree with Mondays being better for bank holidays - I used to have Thursdays off and I felt that a big chunk of my leave was used up for bank holidays rather than being able to have the days I chose.

I loved Wednesday as a day off as the week felt really short this way but I didn’t have a child then.

I love having a Monday off. I quite enjoy working Fridays as the office is quieter and there is that Friday feeling!
I get time back in lieu for Monday bank holidays as it's my non working day anyway.

Do you still have a child at home? While I still had preschoolers I liked having Monday off because of the way bank holidays were calculated (DH had Tuesdays off). Once the kids were all at school we changed to having two short days each to minimise the wrap around care. Not so good in the holidays though.

Check your holiday contract. I work Mondays and have to take them out if my holiday allowance, so actually loose out. I’d go for a Tuesday.

As a long-term part time worker, I have always opted for a Monday off. It means that my annual leave isn't lost to holiday Mondays; the way I have put it to employers is that they aren't losing a big part of my working week every time there is a holiday weekend.

I choose Weds, breaks up the week, feels a bit like a weekend.

I have done just this, in all honesty I do miss my Friday off, its also less convenient for weekends away and Friday nights out.

The main positive is traffic is generally easier on my drive in and drive home and of course the extra holiday hours. Whilst daughter is still young this is invaluable.

I go with a Friday as it's the quietest day so I miss the least stuff. The only person I screw over by missing more is me though, so that is super job dependent.

I think for me the downsides of a Monday would be that I would start the week behind and that a lot of local independent places don't open Monday. I'd have to balance that against the benefit of not having to take BHs out of my annual leave. In my current situation it loses, but if I was tighter on annual leave the leave situation might win out.

I work compressed shifts and have done for 8.5 years. Always had Friday off. Absolutely love it. Permanent 3 day weekend and when there's a BH on a Monday I get a 4 day weekend and a nice short week to work.

Monday would be my next choice if they ever force me to swap (there would be a big fight from me though 😂). Like you, I'd get those holiday hours back to use another time.

Our place is bedlam on Fridays (partly because so many people are off... so new people doing compressed shifts are no longer allowed Mondays or Fridays off).

I will say we're childfree so me having every Friday off means we can have long weekends away without many issues. And I get a quieter day to go shopping and do other things. Hate having to do that stuff at the weekends now as everywhere is so busy!

As you're already off on Fridays, I'd go for Tuesdays so that when there's a Bank Holiday you'd get 5 days off in a row.

Monday 100%