If the option came up to switch to a 4-day working week, which day would you choose to have off and why?

46 comments

1. I do this already and I’ve always gone for Friday. 3 consecutive days off is enough to reset yourself mentally and physically, and to actually have time to do everything that must be done at home etc. The whole country should be doing it, for our quality of life.

2. Friday or Monday. 3 full day weekend can’t be beaten

3. If I could, I would want to have Thursday/Friday/Saturday off. I don’t mind working Sundays because they’re quieter for what I do.

4. As both partners have to work full time, even when single, a three day weekend is now necessary.. but they won’t be agreeing this any time soon.

5. I work compressed hours and have a Wednesday off. You never work more than two days in a row, and on weeks with a bank holiday Monday you can book off the Tuesday to have a five day weekend. Wednesday is a great day for this.

   I’ve also heard of people rotating which day off they have, so week 1 it’s Monday, week 2 Tuesday etc. The four day weekend at the end of the cycle is nice

6. I used to do this and have Wednesday off. I never woke up on a Monday morning thinking I’ve got a whole week to deal with. Never working more than two days was fab. I miss it.

7. Either Friday or Wednesday, to have either 3 days off in a row, good for short holidays on the occasion or to break the week in 2

8. Wednesday or a Friday. I often take Thursday and Friday off to give myself travel time to visit my parents every couple of months.

   A Wednesday would be great to reassure you that you only work 2 days at a time (or 2.5 for me as we are open one half-day Saturday a month which I sometimes help out at outside the 2-3 times I need to a year). The Wednesday is the day you can get shit done that can only get done on weekdays like phoning the call centre, visiting the GP, getting that pesky appointment to sort that thing out, get some washing done and prepare something ready to have fun on the weekend. That or just chill and make dinner for my husband for a change as he usually has dinner waiting for me when I get home

9. I already do this. I work 4 days for 10 hours then have 4 days off :).

10. I think Monday or Friday would be best, I think the three day weekend would be great, and while I like the idea of breaking up the working week I just don’t think it’d help, I wouldn’t really switch off on the Wednesday properly and then Thursday I’d be a bit slow to get started again. I think that comes more from working on longer term project type stuff, where things take days and weeks to do, if it was more shift or task based work then a day off mid-week would be good.

11. Has to be Monday or Friday so you can have more time to actually go somewhere

12. I would take the Monday off. I feel it would be more productive than a Friday

13. I used to have Wednesdays off, and it was ideal – you could use it to run errands during the day without the weekend crowds, and more places are open during Mon-Fri business hours. Easier to find parking, less waiting in lines, quieter shops. I could spend the weekends relaxing properly without as many things to get done because Wednesday was my getting-shit-done day.

14. I used to work four days a week and wasn’t allowed to have a Monday or a Friday off. Tuesday was my choice so that when the bank holidays fell, I got a 4 day weekend!

15. Friday, easily.

    My wife works compressed hours and currently has Wednesdays off, which she enjoys.

16. I work 4 days and do not work on Mondays. Easier when going away for a weekend to come back on a Monday, Fridays generally less hectic at work so I can finish without a dread of not having done something.

17. Monday – so I can go wild with red wine and pints with my Sunday dinner and not feel like death warmed up on Monday 6am

18. I used to think Friday, but I don’t mind working up to the start of the weekend. I think I’d go for Monday. Shift the Sunday blues out a day and feel like you turn Sunday into a full weekend day.

19. Friday for sure, makes it feel like a long weekend. And mentally feel excited.

    Wouldn’t do Monday because it would just feel like I’m hanging around waiting to go back to work!

20. Been trying to get colleagues and managers to consider a 4-on, 4-off pattern but I don’t think it will happen.

    Currently work 7 backshifts, with 2 off, then 7 earlies, then 5 off.

    7 in a row is too much, forget about planning an appointment cos your whole week is unavailable. Then madly trying to catch up with housework on your days off, get outside and feel rested before you’re setting the alarm for 0445 and saying goodbye to life for another week.

    The five days off every three weeks is nice, but christ it’s a long way to go to get there.

21. Monday. I already clock off early on a Friday, say around 2pm, so I can get to the hills.

    Monday would make a nice long weekend.

22. Monday coz bank holidays become additional leave. Almost An extra 2 weeks leave a year.

23. Alternate Mondays and Fridays so every 2 weeks you get a 4 day weekend.

24. Tuesday. It’s a four day weekend broken up by a few hours of work, then an easy three day week.

25. I think Id do a Monday. Having that consecutive 3 days off is neede to get a proper reset, and still working Friday means that Il probably still have that “go easy” feeling on Friday afternoon

26. One of the perks of nursing is the opportunity for 3 day working weeks. I love my days off in the week, don’t know how Mon-Fri people do it.

27. I work 4 days a week and choose Wednesday as my additional day off for pretty much the reasons you state.

    Pretty much everyone else I work with goes for Monday or Friday to extend the weekend.

28. We’ve just done this at work and I was already doing 30 hours a week spread across 5 days. My week is 9-5.30 on Mondays and 9-3 the rest of the week and it works for me.

    Otherwise Friday because no other fucker seems to work on Fridays except me.

29. Wednesday for me, too.

    Gives me a day in the week where I can do household chores where shops would definitely be open if I had errands to run, and would break up the week nicely.

    No point taking Monday. The whole “I hate Mondays” thing would immediately become “I hate Tuesdays”, since that’s when I’d be coming back to work.

30. I work I hospitality. If a 4 day week was introduced then mine and a lot of other hospitality workers’ hours would probably go up, and a lot of us already work 40+ hours and 6 days a week.

    Be nice for some, but not for others.

31. I’m going down to 4 days a week and have picked Friday. A 3 day weekend to look forward to every week is the appeal.

32. I’ve worked 4 day compressed weeks for years. Initially used to have a Monday off and loved the 3 day weekend. Due to health reasons I now have a wed off which is good as you never work more than 2 days before a break.

33. Wednesday is an elite choice, that little break in the middle of the week is perfect.

34. I work remotely and with flexible hours and I already see lots of our people work more hours Mon-Thurs so that they can largely have Fridays off. Because this has started to be a thing more people are now finding it much easier to not work Friday as there are usually no regular meetings on, few expectations etc. Trying to take a Wednesday off doesn’t really seem to work.

35. Wednesday I like to break up the week.

36. I currently work a 4 day week and my day off is Tuesday. This works well for me because I hate Mondays and knowing that Tuesday is a day off helps tremendously. whenever there’s a bank holiday you automatically have a 4 day weekend without having to use annual leave. You also appear virtuous because most people choose Monday, Friday or Wednesday and Tuesday seems like the duff option! Win win!

37. I think Fri/Mon is the best choice but if it had to be another day then definitely Thursday.

    You do the hard bit of the week – take Thursday to do all your chores and admin and boring stuff – then back to work for Friday (basically a doss day anyway, especially if it’s a WFH day) and then you have a full weekend to chill.

38. Prefer Friday so I could take weekend city breaks around Europe.

39. I once had to use up some annual leave and opted for 13 Wednesdays off ! OP has it right idea.

40. Totally Wednesday.

    2 days at work? Noice.

    Feel like a part time job.

41. So my friend chooses to work a Monday and has a Friday off. That way in her eyes, she gets the bank holidays and it gives her a 4 day weekend for a good few weeks of the year. Think I’d do the same. Fridays off and get the bank holidays when they come.

42. I’d choose the day most people are working.

43. Wednesday!!
    Taking Monday or Friday would just make my weekend longer. Sure it’s nice, but Wednesday actually stops the week in its track to give me some rest. It wouldn’t feel like a working week, but more like some working days in a week.

44. I have an amazing boss and he’s given us Fridays off for three months over summer (same pay) and we’ve had two so far and it’s been lovely. I’ve felt like I can truly relax with the long weekends and still get things done that I need to do.

45. I jumped in here thinking “Monday of course!” but after reading a bunch of the replies I’m tilting more against Wednesday.

46. I work four days with Wednesdays off and I enjoy it! You only ever have two consecutive days in work, plus if you book two days of leave you get five days off with short weeks on either side!