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Original poster

Going part time - which day to have off?

105 replies

Hidingawaytoday · 08/05/2022 15:13

My mat leave is finishing soon and I'm planning to go back 4 days a week. For those that do this, which day do you recommend taking off? I was thinking Friday's for the long weekend?

OP posts:
Disneyblueeyes · 08/05/2022 15:48

Mondays off.

RadFad · 08/05/2022 15:59

I always had Wednesday off so DC1 was only in nursery 2 days at a time.
After DC2 I reduced to 3 days and have Wednesday and Friday off. Fridays off are definitely the best imo.

NormalForNuneaton · 08/05/2022 16:03

I don't work Mondays and love that I can really enjoy Sundays without that "back to work" feeling half way through the day.

Also, like someone else said, Fridays at work are often the days that social/fun things happen and people are often in a better mood.

FabulouslyFab · 08/05/2022 16:16

I’m another Wednesday person so that I only work two consecutive days and my day off doesn’t blend into the weekend.

Thefaroeislands · 08/05/2022 16:19

I worked mon- thurs for years. Thought I loved having Friday off. Then changed to having Mondays off instead. Monday is WAY better to have off. Means the weekend can last until Sunday night and I can organise the rest of the week on Monday.

CornishGem1975 · 08/05/2022 16:24

I have Mondays off. Works really well. Fridays are a piss easy day at work as everyone is on wind down, get to finish early sometimes and as a PP said, all the social and fun stuff happens on a Friday in the office.

TheIoWfairy · 08/05/2022 16:25

I highly recommend Thursdays. Avoids Monday BH issues. Before you know it Wednesday has that 'Friday' feeling and you only have to go in for actual Friday which, as pp have said, is often quite a lightweight and sociable day. Depends on your place but my 'Thursday off' gang all feel like we're living the dream!

pinkpanther84 · 08/05/2022 16:27

I've had Mondays and Fridays off, but having Mondays off was better in my
opinion. In the jobs I've worked in you would be given an annual leave allowance for the bank holidays but had to take off any bank holidays that fell on your working day. So I ended up with more leave by not working Mondays. Plus I don't have the Sunday evening dread now

BooseysMom · 08/05/2022 16:42

Going part-time was the best thing I ever did. I had an extended maternity..basically never went back. Then got a job in admin 3 days p/w. My sick leave is massively reduced than when I worked f/t. Full-time work in a boring, unfulfilling job is like doing time!
I have Wed & Fri off. I go to pilates one of the days then do grocery shopping the other.
The only trouble is my money is running low now, the annoying downside of p/t work!

Nix32 · 08/05/2022 16:52

Wednesday, without a doubt.

Only ever 2 days working and commuting. Gives you a chance to catch your breath in the middle of the week. Means you're not exhausted at the end of 4 consecutive days.

NancyJoan · 08/05/2022 16:57

I like the idea of having a Monday, but lots of places are closed on a Monday, so if you want be able to fit things like a haircut, or meeting a friend for coffee into your day off, it might get annoying. I try to keep weekends to family time.

CorpusCallosum · 08/05/2022 16:58

I have Fridays off. The alternative would be Monday which we did for a while but it was annoying AF as everything round here is shut on a Monday (libraries, local museums etc) so was rubbish with a toddler.

smallbirdwidesky · 08/05/2022 17:00

Wednesday. Definitely Wednesday. You only ever have to work two days at a time. I bloody love it!

ChimChimeny · 08/05/2022 17:02

Bank hols are lumped in with my holiday entitlement so having mondays off means I get a n extra weeks holiday allowance (except this year with the bloody jubilee and something changing to a Friday last year.or year before)

glukoo · 08/05/2022 17:08

I'd look at your holiday entitlement. Different places have different policy but when I worked for la if I'd worked Mondays, on bh I either owed time back or got paid less so I opted to work wed, thurs, fri.

BundtCake · 08/05/2022 17:12

Definitely Monday

CorsicaDreaming · 08/05/2022 17:16

I have Fridays off, but when DS was little I had Wed and Friday, so he only had a couple of days at nursery maximum before having a day at home / with me.

If it's okay with your work, I'd have Wednesday off when DC is really small and change once they are at school (

LorenzoVonMatterhorn · 08/05/2022 17:17

I had fridays off originally which i loved. The my line manager changed my day off to monday which was a massive pain as i used the day off to go to the hairdressers without child care issues. They dont open Mondays. Neither did my favourite cafe.

anyway, i quickly began to love having monday off as i no longer had the sunday night dread.

im now full time having killed my career being part time. Sad times.

alicewasahorse · 08/05/2022 17:24

I used to have 2 half days off rather than 1 full day and on those days would work from home. It worked really well finishing at lunchtime and I had 2 afternoons with my son.

If I'd had to travel into work though it would have felt a bit of a faff for just half a day.

I loved it, I really used the time to do fun things and make the most of the time off. I suspect if I'd had one full day off I'd not have filled it as well

LightSpeeds · 08/05/2022 17:40

Wednesday's good. It's like having a two-day week (twice in a week).

Lifeisrelentless · 08/05/2022 17:44

I have Wednesdays off- breaks up the week and means there’s never more than two days in a row without spending time with my son :)

HollyDayDream · 08/05/2022 17:52

Wednesday absolutely was the best day off in my experience. Middle of the week and you’re always looking forward to either Wednesday or the weekend. Those two days either side of it flew by.

Mumtumtastic · 08/05/2022 17:52

Monday. Fridays have a better vibe anyway being the end of the week, wind down in the latter afternoon, chat about weekend plans etc which is nice. Monday gives a better buffer for the week ahead in my humble 😊

Simonjt · 08/05/2022 18:23

I have Fridays off, I don’t work bank holidays, so I get a few four day weekends, Friday is also when special assemblies etc are on at my sons school.

muddyford · 08/05/2022 18:26

Wednesday or Friday.