[Frost1x]

Depending on your role and environment, certain days are also have more value in my eyes than others. For example, people tend not to push heavy stressful and potentially disaster risk processes on Fridays. They either do these on weird off hours for their target user base at large scales or Mondays in general. Fridays where I’m at tend to be “easier” days people intentionally try to make so for a gentle transition into the weekend.

As such, taking off Fridays tends to get me less ROI while Mondays tends to be nice because while everyone deals with problems from the last week head on, I can roll in on a Tuesday with the benefit of their insights and progress. Then there’s the fact even if I’m off on Friday people I socialize with are likely still working anyways so… it could be any day for myself.

[bombcar]

This is key - taking the week between Christmas and New Year's often maximizes PTO days, but everyone does that so that week is quiet, simple, and you can put your head down and get some real work done.

[madcaptenor]

I wish I could do that but I have little kids. But we have generous PTO that expires at the end of the year, so everyone takes off lots of time in December... even by December 1 things are getting quiet.