The four-day workweek has recently been strongly advocated across many industries. The idea of a shorter workweek without any loss in pay or productivity has sparked conversations across the globe. A frequently asked question about this new workweek format is whether Mondays or Fridays make for better days off.
Friday has, according to statistics, been shown as the most popular choice for a day off in a four-day workweek. A British survey revealed that 56% of people chose it as their preferred day off, and the same pattern seems to emerge in other surveys across borders and industries.
In this article, I’ll unpack the pros and cons of having Monday and Friday as the day off in a four-day workweek. This may help you to decide which option works best for your lifestyle. If this is something you’d like to know more about, keep reading until the end of the article.
How a Four-Day Workweek Works
For those just hearing about a four-day workweek for the first time, it is a work model in which the workweek is shortened into four days without a loss of pay or productivity. This model is based on the notion that people don’t need to do five-day work weeks if they can complete the work in four.
As a result of shortening the workweek, an extra day off is added to the weekly work calendar. Employees are usually given their pick of which day they would like to take off. The typical options are Monday and Friday, although some companies allow for an alternative day as long as the shift is covered.
Despite its rising popularity, the four-day workweek has had its fair share of critics who dismiss the optimism around this work model as nothing more than hype that will lose its sparkle once the realities start to sink in.
To give you a rounded view of what a four-day workweek entails, I’ll present you with the pros and cons so that you can decide if this could be a suitable option for you:
Pros of a Four-Day Workweek
Decreased burnout: An additional day off to relax and unwind can help reduce the risk of burnout due to work pressure.
Increased productivity: Although it might sound counterintuitive, having an extra day off can actually increase workplace productivity, as they are more likely to feel well-rested and motivated.
More time for hobbies and quality time with loved ones: Work-life balance is improved when employees can make time for things that add meaning and value to their personal lives.
Better for the environment: Having fewer people in the office means that less electricity and other resources are used, which can be better for the environment.
Cons of a Four-Day Workweek
Benefits of a four-day workweek are short-lived: As some critics point out, the four-day workweek may not live up to its hype. While there is a honeymoon stage at the beginning, the ensuing months can introduce increased pressure to beat deadlines.
Workers end up working the same hours as before: Workers who cannot meet deadlines due to fewer hours in the workweek may have to work overtime, equivalent to the same hours they have previously worked.
Can lead to more overhead costs for the company: The extra hours put in by workers are billed as overtime, which increases the company’s overhead costs.
May increase fatigue and stress levels: Shortened work days mean there is less time to meet deadlines, leading to an increase in stress and pressure. This can eventually lead to burnout.
Monday vs. Friday Days Off
Having a Monday or a Friday off each has its own set of pros and cons. Some experts who are cynical of the four-day workweek lament that the pros are often overemphasized, and workers become misguided in their push for a shortened workweek. But is this true?
Let’s consider the pros and cons to find out:
Pros of Having Monday Days Off
Friday is the most popular pick for a day off. However, Monday certainly has its perks, and here are some indisputable pros of taking Monday off in a four-day workweek:
Allows You To Beat the Monday Blues
Monday blues are negative feelings associated with work but some will argue that they exist only in the mind. The Monday blues usually occur at the start of the workweek and may be caused by poor job satisfaction or work-related stress.
However, in the experiences of a sizable number of employees, the Monday blues are as real as they feel. This is the reason some people choose Monday over Friday as a day off, as they want to bypass the anxiety and stress associated with the first day of the workweek.
Helps Avoid Monday Madness
One of the things that can trigger the Monday blues is the stress of the commute. The traffic volume is typically higher on Mondays, which generally means that most people are making a beeline for the workplace.
Having time off on a Monday means you get to skip Monday madness as other commuters stampede to work.
Decreases Absenteeism
Workplace reports across all industries show that Monday has the highest levels of absenteeism but this can be minimized by taking this day off.
Taking Monday off also encourages attendance at Friday meetings and other work activities, which employees usually skip whenever they can.
Helps Achieve Work-Life Balance
The biggest perk of having Monday off is the extra downtime to help achieve a better work-life balance. Most people use the weekends to get household chores out of the way, and the extra day to rest gives you time to yourself while the kids are at school.
Cons of Having Monday Days Off
If there are pros, there are bound to be cons. And whether one outweighs the other is a subjective matter that depends on your preferences and lifestyle.
Here are some cons of Mondays off:
It Can Feel Like You Missed a Day
Monday doesn’t stop being the first day of the workweek just because you took it off. Work continues without you but is started by another shift. Depending on the industry, picking up where someone else has left off on the second day of the workweek can be pretty stressful.
Some people have reported feeling anxious about starting the workweek a day later than others who have their days off on Fridays. Understandably, these feelings may be prominent when the company first transitions to four-day workweeks, but some workers admit that the feeling doesn’t go away as they hoped.
Less Time Before Friday Deadlines
Having Mondays off often means that you only have another four days to meet your Friday deadlines.
Shortened workweeks tend to drive up the pressure to meet deadlines as the idea of a four-day work week is to spend less time at the office with no loss in productivity.
May Increase Stress Levels
While meeting deadlines might not be a problem in the beginning, the four-day workweek will eventually lose its novelty, and the optimism and extra motivation can wear off. Failing to meet deadlines will mean work will spill over into your weekend, and you’ll have to make the time to catch up on the backlog.
May Eventually Lead To Burnout
Constantly feeling stressed and feeling the pressure of work deadlines could eventually land you in familiar territory: burnout.
This is why many workers who retake a survey about a four-day workweek six months after using this work model have a change of heart, citing chronic stress and burnout as the reason for the turnaround.
Pros of Having Friday Days Off
Now that I’ve discussed the pros and cons of having Mondays off, perhaps Fridays will turn out to be less disappointing.
Let’s begin with the pros of opting to take time off on Fridays instead of Mondays:
The Weekend Feels Longer
Starting your weekend early and before your fellow co-workers who have Mondays off can make your weekend feel longer. Having a long weekend to look forward to can help motivate you and keep up your productivity throughout the week, and encourage you to relax during your time off.
Less Pressure To Beat Deadlines
When you start your workweek on Mondays, there is less pressure to beat deadlines because you are there when the week begins.
As long as you put in enough work from Mondays to Thursdays, you can make it to the finish line before your long weekend begins.
Gives a Sense of Closure for the Previous Workweek
As long as you have met your deadlines, taking a day off work at the end of the week provides a sense of closure. This can help you start your weekend with a work-decluttered mind, and minimize feelings of missing a step, as commonly reported by those who have Mondays off.
Gives You Time for Hobbies and Spending Quality Time with Loved Ones
Many people enjoy spending time on hobbies over the weekend. With an early start to the weekend, you have time to catch up on the week’s housework and run chores so that you can dedicate Saturday and Sunday to your passion projects.
It also frees up Saturday and Sunday so that you can spend quality time with friends and family.
Cons of Having Friday Days Off
Having Fridays off has its own set of cons that merit serious consideration, too. Many of these cons are pointed out by people who have experienced the four-day workweek over an extended period.
Here are the cons:
May Intensify the Monday Blues
The unintended effect of having long weekends can be increased negative emotions about returning to work on Monday. This can occur when you’ve had a laid-back or long leisurely weekend, and you find yourself having to sprint back into corporate life.
May Mean Extra Workload on Thursdays
Having a third day off during the working week deviates from the traditional 40-hour week, but it doesn’t have an effect on deadlines.
If your work structure is such that you have fixed deadlines on a Friday, you may need to work extra-hard on Thursdays to meet them. This may involve working overtime on Thursday so that you don’t leave your work unattended until Monday.
Can Make the Transition Into the New Week More Challenging
In addition to suffering from the Monday blues if you take Fridays off, structuring your workweek in this way can also make the transition into the new week more challenging. After enjoying a long and leisurely weekend, when you go back to work on a Tuesday, you might struggle to go back into working mode.
The Best Day To Take Off
Well, here’s a plot twist. The best day to take off work is neither Monday nor Friday. It’s actually Wednesday. There is a dramatic difference between the pace of life on the weekends and the workweek, which explains why we get the Monday blues.
Sometimes a 24-hour mid-week break may be just what you need to combat stress and make your workweek feel more manageable. It gives you time to recharge without stopping the clock on your workweek for too long, making it easier for you to pick up the rhythm compared to returning to work after a long weekend.
Since it breaks your work week up in the middle, taking Wedesdays off means that you always have time off work to look forward to in the near future. For instance, if you’re having a particularly bad Monday, you don’t have to wait long before you can unwind again.
Taking Wednesdays off also has other benefits. Most people on a four-day week structure typically take Mondays or Fridays off. This means that if you run errands, such as grocery shopping on a Wednesday, you can expect the grocery store to be quiet and peaceful.
Having Wednesdays off also means that you can get a headstart on the workweek early and not have to rush as much to meet your Friday deadlines.
