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Original poster

Non-working day on Monday or Wednesday?

98 replies

feb1982 · 26/02/2023 14:05

I'm about to return to work after my second maternity leave and will be working 4 days with the option of either Monday or Wednesday as my non-working day (although I will be looking after both children on that day so hardly a day off 🤪).

Which day would you choose and why?

OP posts:

Helpwhatwouldyoudonext · 27/02/2023 08:02

Wednesday, as you can work Fri and set up for Monday, so when you come in you're ready.
Also, it's only ever going in for two days then a break. It's great.

CantFindTheBeat · 27/02/2023 19:17

Glitteratitar · 27/02/2023 07:56

It massively depends on what you do. Several of my colleagues and I have a non working day on a Monday or Friday, and it’s easier to not be available and contactable for clients by wrapping up on a Thursday night / not logging on on the Monday.

Those that have a non working day really struggle, as deadlines and work doesn’t stop, so they often have to work late on a Tuesday night.

This.

What's best for the business, OP, and keeping you in the loop with you Le colleagues & team?

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 27/02/2023 19:18

When l was a part time teacher my day off changed every year according to the timetable.

l liked Wednesdays best.

Yellowdays · 27/02/2023 19:19

dementedpixie · 26/02/2023 14:06

Monday as you then won't have to use so much annual leave to cover bank holidays.

Not Monday, as MOST bank holidays are on Mondays.

www.gov.uk/bank-holidays

Shinyandnew1 · 27/02/2023 19:21

I am working Mondays for the first time in years and whilst Sunday nights are less
fun, it’s great having the Bank Holiday Mondays off!

Starseeking · 27/02/2023 19:22

I'd choose Wednesday every time.

You'd only ever be at work 2 days in a row, so it's a good way to break up the week.

It'll also be helpful not to miss the Monday morning get-togethers if you're scheduled in on Mondays, and during weeks when there's a Bank Holiday, you'll get two days off in one week!

dementedpixie · 27/02/2023 19:23

Yellowdays · 27/02/2023 19:19

Not Monday, as MOST bank holidays are on Mondays.

www.gov.uk/bank-holidays

Show quote history

I'm advising her to have Monday as a non working day so that her pro rated bank holiday hours aren't wasted by having to use them to cover bank holidays. She then has more holidays to use as she chooses.

Headabovetheparakeet · 27/02/2023 19:24

Depends entirely on your job and how they treat bank holidays for part time employees.

My company was awful about the return to work overall BUT they paid no attention to the bank holiday issue so I had Wednesday as my non-working day and still took every bank holiday off.

If it wasn't for that, I'd probably prefer Mondays off work wise as you're likely to think about it less than on a Wednesday.

Downside of being off on Monday is that some things are closed.

Guis · 27/02/2023 19:24

Wednesdays. It is truly brilliant working not more than two days in a row. And nobody else usually takes a Wednesday.

dementedpixie · 27/02/2023 19:25

Shinyandnew1 · 27/02/2023 19:21

I am working Mondays for the first time in years and whilst Sunday nights are less
fun, it’s great having the Bank Holiday Mondays off!

But those bank holidays will be coming off your holiday entitlement and you have to use extra hours to cover the full day as you only get a pro rata amount of bank holiday hours.

Those not working on a Monday have more choice about when to use their holidays

soboredoflooking · 27/02/2023 19:25

I'd do Wednesday despite the Monday meaning u get the bank holiday allocation. 4 days in a row Wld just kill me lol so I'd take the Wednesday. Quite a few folk I know did that when they were 4 days.

Shinyandnew1 · 27/02/2023 19:32

dementedpixie · 27/02/2023 19:25

But those bank holidays will be coming off your holiday entitlement and you have to use extra hours to cover the full day as you only get a pro rata amount of bank holiday hours.

Those not working on a Monday have more choice about when to use their holidays

Show quote history

Not in my job.

CowboyHat · 27/02/2023 19:35

Monday. There’s nothing better than not having that Sunday evening dread. I haven’t worked on Monday’s for years and the feeling on Monday evening when you realize it’s work the next day is nothing like the feeling on a Sunday when your partner and kids also have the end-of-the-weekend-blues.

It also means a nice long weekend.

In my office Monday can also be a bit stressful because all of the crap that’s happened over the weekend has to be dealt with. I get to dodge that.

kitcat15 · 27/02/2023 19:37

Yellowdays · 27/02/2023 19:19

Not Monday, as MOST bank holidays are on Mondays.

www.gov.uk/bank-holidays

Show quote history

Well that even more reason to have Mondays off ....they can then take their pro rata BH hours when ever they want....I had Mondays off for that very reason when 9 did 4 days

kikisparks · 27/02/2023 19:39

I’m compressed hours but have Wednesdays off. We don’t get many bank holidays off and nursery is open for them (except Christmas and new year). Wednesdays have been great for me, I love that I’m never more than 2 days away from spending a decent amount of time with DD and Monday is my most productive day at work.

Lulu2171 · 27/02/2023 21:33

JettersonStokes · 26/02/2023 14:07

Wednesday because then you get a mid week break and only ever work two days in a row. 2 days on, one day off, 2 days on, 2 days off. Bliss.

I really love Wednesdays off for this reason. And it doesn't turn into just trying to sort out all the crap you didn't get to over the weekend.

If you're client/customer facing it's less disruptive too I've found.

mamaca · 27/02/2023 21:36

I don't work Mondays - bank holiday Mondays are added on to my holiday entitlement which was a major factor in my choice!

WeightoftheWorld · 27/02/2023 21:45

Definitely Monday, reasons:

Holidays away etc, you can do a longer weekend without needing to take annual leave.
Mondays in nursery is a lot of money wasted on days nursery is closed for bank holidays but fees are still payable. It's the least popular day at our nursery and I'm sure that's why.
More of a personal reason and experience but I prefer to do my working days consecutively in one go and then the same with the days with the kids. I feel it's easier to get my head in the game work wise for a few days in a row and then have a break from it with the kids than if I was in work one day off the next then back in etc. But people perhaps feel differently on that one.

I work Monday - Wednesday and DH works Tuesday - Friday. It works out nicely for weekends away and means the kids only go to nursery on Tuesdays and Wednesdays where it's rare to have bank holidays.

maddy68 · 27/02/2023 21:56

Monday's. A long weekend every week. But ....ensure that you gain every bank holiday in liue

GG1986 · 27/02/2023 22:09

Definitely take a monday off! Traffic is always crap on Mondays, if you want to go away for a long weekend, you will never need to ask for Mondays off, if child is going into a nursery, if their usual day is a Monday a lot of nurseries still charge you on a bank holiday(lots fall on Mondays) even though they are closed.

mrsbyers · 27/02/2023 22:13

I do Wednesdays and love it , have a couple of chronic illnesses and having a mid week break means I can keep working full time

SingingSands · 27/02/2023 22:16

I used to have Wednesday off when my kids were little and I liked the mid-week break.

It was also good from a work perspective - I knew I'd be back in after a day to pick stuff up and my bosses wouldn't panic as much as stuff rolling over into a new week and the "being present" on a Friday and Monday was appreciated by my bosses (even though presenteeism is BS).

Yellowdays · 28/02/2023 13:05

@dementedpixie my personal experience of working for a large employer relatively recently is that if you take Monday as your day off, you lose your annual leave entitlement for that day of the week, as you wouldn't be there anyway. Which makes it a bad bargain.

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