Which three days to work? Post Reply

[ningaloo]

I wonder if any of have any advice on which three days are best to return to work. I am returning to work after my second child and dropping to three days from four. I think I would like to do consecutive days and had just assumed they would be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but my husband thinks maybe Tues, Weds and Thurs would be better. Do any of you do this and have any advice? Is it easier/harder to arrange a nanny on certain days? I would get the bank holidays off so a few two day weeks if Mon-Weds but are there any other factors to consider - better days to be in the office for example?

Thanks so much.

[kirstys75]

I currently work three days a week - Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (originally due to nursery only having these days available - but I found that it actually worked for me).

I have worked these days between my first and second children and again on returning to work after the second. The benefit of doing these days is that you feel like you have greater coverage of the week (I can pick up anything from Wednesday when I am in on Thursday), and that way I don't feel like I have to catch up two days on Mondays. There is also the perception that you are in the office more. Also, Friday is usually a quiet day in the office so I find it better to be in the office on busier days. It is also nice to have a day off mid week sometimes (although it can feel like the week is a bit stop start at times).

The people I know who work consecutive days tend to work Tues, Wed and Thurs - again because they feel like they have covered more of the week.

Depending on your employer you may also get any bank holidays in lieu - so if you don't work on the actual bank holiday, you can generally use the bank holiday on a day that you do work.

Hope that helps a bit.

[MMmmm]

I chose Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. My reasoning was that most bank holidays fall on Mondays which would mean that as holidays would be pro rated I would end up with less flexibility on the days of annual leave I could take. Ie if you work Mondays and a bank holiday falls you have to take it as a day off, if however you have Mondays off you get given a percentage of this time given back as holiday to take at your discretion. This was important to me as I wanted to have the ability to take a similar amount of holiday as my husband.

I also find that Tuesday through Thursday are the busiest in the office when most meetings are held so I don't seem to miss as much.

Best of luck with your decision, I don't think there is a best way of doing it, one make whatever scenario work.