TGIW? How Wednesdays Have Risen to the Rank of Most Popular Workday
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Nicholas Morine
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Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, about the only thing Wednesday was notable for is the ridiculous way it’s spelled. Oh, and there’s that whole “Hump Day” thing often talked about around the water cooler.
But since the pandemic, Wednesday is suddenly the coolest, freshest day of the workweek. For that, it can thank a rise in flexible schedules that allow workers to spend part of the week working from home and part heading to the office or worksite.
This typically involves some combination that almost always includes Wednesday as an office day, giving co-workers a chance to get together and head out on the town after work.
“Some [companies] are saying [come into the office on] Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Some are saying Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Some are saying Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,” Brian Kropp, chief of human-resources research for Gartner, told the Wall Street Journal. “All the natural rhythms of work say that Wednesdays are going to be the day when we’re together.”
In March, an average of 46% of U.S. office workers headed to the worksite on Wednesday, according to data from Kastle Systems, which monitors access-card swipes. That compares with only 35% on Monday.
Wednesday was the busiest workday in April on commuter rail lines in cities such as Boston and San Francisco, the WSJ reported. Wednesday also has the highest weekday rate of hotel occupancy in many big cities — a sign that sales reps have their best chance of finding contacts in the office then.
For businesses that depend on office workers for their livelihood — like bars and restaurants located in business districts — Wednesday is now the day to rake in the cash. Restaurants in some cities are so busy for lunch and dinner on Wednesday that you have to make reservations to snag a table.
And as the WSJ reported, dozens of office buildings managed by JLL hold themed events every Wednesday. One San Francisco office building hosts “Woof Wednesdays” that let dog owners bring their furry friends to work. Buildings in other cities host “Wellness Wednesdays” that offer fitness classes.
In many cases, workers make a point of going into the office on Wednesday (even if they could choose another day) because it gives them a better chance of socializing with colleagues.
But others take the opposite tack, especially workers who have gotten used to the quiet of working remotely. For these folks — including Allie Brush, client-relations director for a New York architecture and engineering firm — Wednesday is the day to avoid going into the office.
“I avoid the chaos of Wednesday,” she told the WSJ.
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