Monday, 4 July, 2011

A thought on long weekends

Ah, long weekends.  With July 1 falling on a Friday this year, we had the pleasure of enjoying a three day weekend.  And what a glorious three days it was.

But, does it matter when we get the day off?  Is it the same if it's on a Friday or a Monday?  Some would say "no".  The smart man would say "yes".  That smart man is me.  Here is my take on it.

If the day off falls on a Friday, what you have a is a short week (Monday to Thursday) followed by a three day weekend.  Not bad, you say?  Well, you're right.  It's isn't bad.

But, if the day off falls on a Monday, it's much better.  That's because you work a full week (Monday to Friday) and then get a three day weekend as a reward.  All done, right?  Nope.  After your glorious long weekend, you get a short week (Tuesday to Friday) followed by another weekend.  Awesome.

The Friday long weekend essentially rewards you for working a short week.  It's like giving yourself ice cream for taking the escalator instead of the stairs.  It's nice, however it's over in one fell swoop.  With a Monday long weekend, you get two rewards back-to-back.  It's like extending your reward over two weeks.

The good thing is that most long weekends in the year fall on a Monday.  And if the day off is a fixed date, there's a 3 in 7 chance it will fall on a day that will end up being a Monday.

So is there anything better than a Monday long weekend?  I guess perhaps a four day weekend.

Teeks

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