Help me choose my remote days - Thurs/Friday or Monday/Fri?

[Anonymous]

I’m in a hybrid plan (3 days in office, 2 days out), and elect to be in office M-W and WFH Thursday and Friday. It’s nice to start strong and have the end of the week be a bit more laid back.

[Anonymous]

I did remote M-F in the Before Times and it was glorious. GLORIOUS! You use the Monday to recoup from the weekend and prep for a productive week. You use the Friday to wrap up loose ends and slow down from said productive week. I'm a huge fan.

I'm still FT telework, but I wouldn't mind going back to this schedule. It was great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would pick Thursday. I agree that there are enough Monday holidays that you'll wind up home for a lot of those.

Totally this. Tally up the number of holidays off from school on Mon vs the rest of the days of the week. If all you need is a warm body in the house to alleviate everyone's stress, choose Thurs as your extra remote day.

[Anonymous]

Yes, also, a lot of places are closed on Monday, so you may not be able to get a haircut or whatever errand you need. Thursday would probably give you more options for stuff like that.

[Anonymous]

I started off doing remote on Mondays and Friday's. Then I noticed that the rest of my office was doing the same. Now I go in on Monday's and Fridays and I'm the only one and its - glorious - I can open my door, not wear a mask, it so quiet and I get so much done. I thought I would hate starting the week off at work - but it turns out having a Monday, that I can just power through my work and not see the "house work" at home is a blessing. Are you allowed any flexibility to change your days after a few months? I also thought I'd like the back to back days - but after doing that a few times I discovered getting ready and dressed for work was a pain in the neck - so having a break between days, commutes was actually really nice.

[Anonymous]

Thu/Fri for me

[Anonymous]

I'd do Thurs / Fri. Partly because our cleaners come every other Monday and I prefer to be out of the house. Also, just personal preference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it would be nice to start the week off at the office so you have momentum, then telework later in the week to finish stuff up.

If you typically grocery shop or run other errands later in the week, it would be easier if you're not commuting those days.

That's how I roll as well. When we have to go back three days a week, I've decided to gut it out M-W, then work from home Thursday and Friday.

[Anonymous]

I currently work a hybrid schedule, and my two work from home days are Monday and Tuesday. Wed-Friday are in the office. I like my days, but I agree with the pp who said that some of the benefit of Mondays are lost because of holidays. Otherwise it would be the ideal.

[Anonymous]

You should ask if the Monday remote people can switch to Thurs remote on the weeks when there is a Monday holiday.

[Anonymous]

I would pick Thu-Fri because I could do some stuff around the house before the weekend. And I know myself, if I was home Mon, it’d be hard to motivate myself to dive into work.

OP— remember everyone is going to be out of the office on Friday. So you’ll only miss people on that Thu.

[Anonymous]

Pre-pandemic I WFH on Th/Fri and it was a good schedule. Monday is lighter traffic, most meetings are Tues/Weds, and then you wrap up the week at home. And as someone said, there are a lot of Monday holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd pick Thursday! Pre-pandemic, too, I had the option of being remote M-W-F or Tu/Th/ F. I chose the latter as it somehow makes for a more relaxed second half of the week. I can do some prep during my movement breaks to make weekend meals easier in between all the sports practices and kids activities, and I have more energy to start the work week.

I think that would be my feeling, too. If you're starting the week, knowing you have two days of working from home to look forward to if you just get through M-W, then that feels psychologically important.

That said I've always hated going into offices and have a tense relationship with work basically no matter what I am doing, so YMMV if you have a healthier/more positive approach.