Which 4 days?

[Smarshian]

I am starting a new job in a few weeks and I need to decide which 4 days to work. I will be doing 2 long days (8-5.30) and 2 short days (9-3.30). Which would you choose? For reference I have 2 DC. 3 and 2 - they both go to a private nursery while I’m at work. I currently work 3 days (MWF)

@AnotherEmma

I don't have to use annual leave for bank holidays, either. If a bank holiday falls on a working day, we get the day off and don't have to use annual leave. Part-time staff get extra pro-rata'd annual leave for any bank holidays that fall on non-working days. (So if you didn't work Mondays you'd end up with extra annual leave for all the bank holiday Mondays.)

That's how it works where I work more or less. Bank Holidays for part time workers are pro rata, so anyone who works 4 days gets four fifths of the bank holidays.

I do 2 longer days (8-6.30) and 2 days 8-4 I do mon-thurs and do the 2 longer days at the start. I know what people are saying about bank holidays being Monday’s but it means I get a 4 day weekend followed by a 3 day working week so it doesn’t bother me using the hol. Also do any of your friends have days off through the week? Several of mine do and they all chose Friday too so in non global pandemic times we often do something with the pre school kids on a Friday or meet for coffee/lunch as a treat at the end of the working week. My DC do nursery 3 days broken up by one day with grandparents/dad. I also have a cleaner that comes on a Monday while we work so get in to a lovely clean house and don’t have to think about it for the rest of the week just quick top ups and wipe overs!

Tuesday and Thursday long days and Wednesday and Friday short.

I have Wednesdays off and enjoy the fact that I never work more than 2 days in a row. It stops the feeling of the weekend ending and in for another long slog.

@AnotherEmma your bank holidays will be added onto your entitlement so in effect the bank holiday does come out of your entitlement as you have a combined figure of annual leave + Bank holidays.
And then part time staff get a proportion of the bank holidays added onto their annual leave entitlement

Tues-Friday with short day on a Friday. Love Mondays off. Also as far as I can remember when my dc attended nursery on Mondays I had to pay for the bank holiday even though it was closed. Check if you would too.

My day off is Tuesday and I love it being midweek. Mentally I sort of break it down so I get loads done at work on Mondays to try and get ahead, then Weds-Fri feels nice and short.

Monday's off. The kids won't be in nursery for long anyway, it's a couple of years and it flies by.

Short day tues and fri....ease yourself into the working week and ease yourself into the weekend!

Wednesday off

A colleague works a 4 day week... She works Mon-thur one week and tue-Fri next.
That gives her every other week a 4 day weekend to go on weekends away. She loves this in school holidays...

When at nursery her children did 5 days... As reduction on 5th day so not much more expensive. If wasn't away for weekend she wouldout in for half day.. use half day Friday to shop/sort out and Monday for cleaning

I don't have to take leave for bank holidays. We Just get the day off. Except I don't, as I don't work Mondays anyway.

Working 5 data only gives you 80% of the bank holidays if a full time worker. Do the long days bring your hours to the equivalent of full time?

Yes, take Mondays off. That way when the bank holiday fall on a Monday (as many do) you have the day off but don't have to use any of your BH entitlement. So in effect you get to choose when to take your BHs. I used to manage staff rotas in an NHS setting and Mondays off were always very much in demand!