With the nation's birthday falling on a Saturday this year, many of us were given Friday as a paid holiday. This was an inspiration to me. The 3-day weekend is a most glorious gift during a northern Michigan summer. Was it the glorious weather? Was it that the kids still had camp, making it a grown-up holiday? Whatever the source of the magic, I'm sold!
Instead of taking two week long vacations, I'm rearranging my schedule to take several summer Fridays off. I live here for the summers, so why not maximize the time spent enjoying it. Think about it!
Here are some options to 3 day weekends:
- If you are the boss, well, just do it!
- If you HAVE a boss, ask if you can squeeze an extra 8 hours into the first four days of the week. Just for 6 weeks of summer.
- Request a special project that you do off the clock in exchange for Fridays off.
- Offer to work 5 or 6 Saturdays or Sundays in the fall/winter.
- Take a week of vacation and make it 5 Fridays between now and Labor Day.
- Start complaining of mysterious symptoms of ill health around 3pm on Thursday afternoons. I think you get the idea. With any luck your co-workers will not recognize a pattern. Maybe space it out every 2 weeks.
- With fewer of us getting raises in this economy, negotiate summer Fridays off as compensation for your work.
