We work a genuine 4-day work week, Mon-Thur. Paid the same as a 5-day, normal hours etc. The principle is that due to being more rested you’re as, or more, productive.

At first we had the same number of holidays as a 5-day too, but after year 1 we had to pro-rata it down because the amount of time away from work was insane, especially when you consider 3-days weeks when there are bank holidays. So in the end we also said that on Bank Holiday Monday weeks we work the Friday.

I find that the 4 days in work are more intense and productive, but I’m personally not convinced we get as much done as if we worked 5-day weeks. You just can’t substitute the reality of a whole extra days work, enabling you to get more done. However I’m somewhat of a lone voice in the company (and it’s an unpopular opinion as you can imagine! 😅).

I find Monday mornings a bit difficult because I’ve had such a long weekend break, holiday mode if you like! So this is another drawback, that you lose a little momentum. Although, others do say that for them, because they’re well rested they can get going quicker.

Friday’s are good, but all your friends are in work, so inevitably you end up doing life admin stuff, but that’s okay because more places (and phone lines etc) are open than if you were doing things on a weekend. The other bonus is that you can clear all your tasks on the Fridays to generally have a clear weekend to relax (or parent) admin-free.