4 day working week - best day not to work

[Plateofcrumbs]

We've had the 3 day week thread, how about working a 4 day week?

I'm returning to work after ML soon on a 4 day basis. Baby will be with childminder all 4 days. Which day would you pick to have as your non-working day? It's between Monday and Friday in my mind.

I feel like taking Monday rather than Friday off would mean I always feel like I'm playing catch-up at work with everyone else one day ahead of me (even though it should make no difference really). But Mondays off give you the flexibility to take the Monday bank holiday days as annual leave at a time to suit you, which is a definite bonus.

Fridays are typically a more relaxed day in the office, and working Friday there is probably less pressure to stay late. There's always the option of finishing work over the weekend to meet any Monday deadlines (and most deadlines don't fall in Monday's anyway) if you work Friday. Whereas if you don't work Friday, Thursday evening might be a bit frantic for end-of-week deadlines.

Fridays off has the lovely feeling of starting the weekend early and an opportunity to get life in order ahead of the weekend 'proper'. Whereas tacking Monday onto the weekend doesn't have quite the same appeal, you've got that 'Sunday feeling' spoiling your day off.

I'm torn, help me!

I feel I miss less at work by being off on a Friday. Meetings generally are Monday / Tuesday and I need to be up to speed quickly and generally meet deadlines early ( by close of play on a Thursday) and I love walking out on a Thursday knowing I'm done for the weekend!!

I find it's rubbish working Mondays when part time as you only get pro-rata bank hols and therefore you have to take a portion of annual leave as well for bank holiday Mondays, even though I can't choose to work them instead as work is closed.

Look into how your organisation deals with leave and bank holidays for part timers. You could do either very well or very badly out if having Mondays off
Eg: where I work p/t staff get pro-rata leave and pro rata BH, then if a BH falls on your working day, you need to take a days leave. I don't work Mondays, so that's 4 BH I never have to use leave for.

I have Mondays off.

I work Tue/Wed/Thu full days and Fri until lunchtime only.

For me, nothing beats knowing I dont have to face work on a Monday (even though I like my job...its the rebellious teenager in me ).

A good friend has Weds off, as her job is very high pressure and a long commute - a bit of a mid week breather, I guess.

I think Fridays off. You can pack if you're going away, feels like a bit of a party ending the week.

Mondays' are miserable - you may as well be working.

A vote for Monday from me.

I have just gone up to 4 days from 3 formally, and have done several different working patterns. Mondays a good day in my experience as chance to regroup after the weekend. I have a job that is hard to pick up & put down again, weds were tricky . Now I set tasks and deadlines for others at end of week as Friday quiet and better for thinking...and ask for answers to be awaiting me on Tuesday am

Wednesday! I like only working two days in a row, never have deadlines for a Wednesday so don't have to worry about getting it done on a Tuesday. Use to have Mondays off, was nice to have a long weekend but felt I started the week behind at work as everyone else was a day ahead.

My non-working Mondays save me on annual leave too as do not have to take the bank hols...like bikerunski

Monday's for me too - mainly because I get bank holidays pro-rata'd in my holiday allowance & as a result get more holidays to spread over the 13/14 wks school hols. And it gives me chance to get DD sorted Sunday night & I get sorted Monday for the week ahead.

Mondays here too, I like the 'Friday feeling' with my colleagues. But my leave entitlement is calculated as X + public holidays so I'm throwing my bank holidays away... So make sure you know how your employer handles it.
Its worked well as our school's inset days always fall on Mondays but I am considering switching to Weds too, sometimes the gap Friday to Tuesday is too long for stressed col!egues that need my input, and to retrieve my BHs!!.

Mondays or Wednesdays IMO. Personally I prefer 4 day workers in my team to take Monday off as there are normally lots of people in. Wednesday is good, but we have a lot of staff off on a Wednesday (on a 4 day week) so will gave to out my foot down soon!

No way to Fridays. 1. Its deadline day. 2. Everyone likes to take Fridays off, so in holidays season its like a ghost town.

Saying that, I'm a huge fan of 4 days over 5 personally. You get so much more done both at hone and work if you finish at c3pm every day. And its great to get in place in advance of DCs starting school. However it is a PITA for nursery/childminders care for preschoolers ( I did it anyway though!).

I knew someone who took Friday one week, then Monday the next. So, every alternate weekend was a 4 day one.

For me it's Tuesday's, purely because we have all the bank holidays off and an tues will give 4days off instead of 3 without using any leave. And then I only work 1/2 day on an Wednesday so if I work it all correctly I can gain an extra week and a 1/2 to my leave allowance. Plus I ready get 6 weeks so it works really well for me.

I'm about to start 4 days a week with Mondays off and WFH on Fridays. It means I get a nice chunk of time with DD and consistent time at work. Only three days commuting helps with the time and cost. I can still go in on a Friday if I have to. I found that many childminders only work 3 or 4 days a week, and that nurseries are emptier on Fridays as lots of people take Friday off. So it should work well for me. Plus, this year I have gained an extra day of holiday!

Mondays (avoid Sunday night feeling and nice quiet day to be off) or Wednesdays (never more than 2 days from a day off).

Definitely not Fridays as generally a more relaxed an happier atmosphere at work.

I have Wednesday off and I love being able to catch up with DS2 and things at home midweek. Works really well for us.

i have Mondays off - several other part-timers had already bagsied Fridays.

i get a long weekend, and avoid the worst day of the week. Only downside is that Fridays can be busy, as all the other part-timers are off. But at least if I work late on a Friday I can just flop on the sofa with a glass of wine without worrying about sorting packed lunches and schoolbags.

i get pro rata bank holidays, so do better out of this than the staff who work Mondays.

I've worked 4 days for 7 years. Most of the time I have Mondays off because of the bank holiday pro-rata thing. It's at least 4 days a year (Easter Monday/May & Aug BH) but 4/7 years it gives you one of the Christmas days (if Christmas falls on Friday/Saturday/Sunday or Monday) and 3/7 years it gives you NYD (Sat/Sun/Mon for NYD) because the BH is shifted to the following Monday if it falls on the weekend. I also love having the long weekend although that would apply to Friday as well.

I also briefly had Wednesdays off because of childcare and I HATED that, it felt like every week was 2 short weeks. Having said that I do know some people who like the week split up, I've got a colleague who works M/W/F because she needs her sleep on the other days! I currently have Tuesdays off and I actually prefer that to having Wednesday off because at least I have 3 days together at work. DH has had Tuesdays off historically but didn't like the stop start to the week, if he goes down to 4 days again then he's planning on taking Fridays off.

I knew someone who took Friday one week, then Monday the next. So, every alternate weekend was a 4 day one.

There are a few people at work who work PT as they work towards retirement and they all do this. Very jammy!