Work less, do more: designing the four-day week

The four-day week is emerging as a compelling method to improve employee wellbeing and boost efficiency across creative agencies. 

From July to December 2022, the UK was home to the world’s largest four-day working week trial. Promoted by 4 Day Week Global, a New Zealand-based not-for-profit organisation, and overseen by academic institutions and thinktank Autonomy, it was a resounding success: 56 of the 61 participating companies continued with the four-day week, 71% of employees reported reduced levels of burnout, and staff departures decreased significantly. Meanwhile, revenue stayed broadly the same, with a rise of 1.4% on average across the six months, but there was a significant increase of 35% against comparable six-month periods. 

“Reducing working hours for the whole organisation creates a terrific incentive for people to identify and put into practice efficiencies they might not have otherwise,” says futurist and author Alex Pang, who spoke to 27 creative agencies for his latest book Work Less, Do More: Designing the 4-Day Week. “It also makes for better, more resilient workplaces, giving people both more autonomy and independence and greater incentive to communicate and collaborate.”

There is, of course, scepticism around the concept. How can companies deliver the same outcomes in a shorter time frame? How can agencies keep doubtful clients happy? In the latest episode of the Zone Book Club, Pang talks to Campaign premium content editor Nicola Merrifield and sets out the case for a four-day week. 

Wellbeing and burnout 

“Most companies don’t get interested in a four-day week because they're trying to reinvent late capitalism; they're simply trying to solve very immediate existential threats to the organisation,” says Pang. One of those immediate threats is rising employee burnout, which impacts wellbeing, morale, creativity, and, ultimately, productivity. 

While wellness programmes can address burnout, this and similar change initiatives don’t always positively impact every employee. “One of the things a shorter working week does is help address a whole bunch of issues that organisations have often tried to solve through piecemeal solutions with varying levels of success,” he says. “With a four-day week, however, you know that at the end of a Thursday, that’s the start of the weekend. 

“So the feedback is clear, immediate, and tangible to everyone. It provides a clear and immediate payoff.”

Creative boost

Work Less, Do More presents rest as work’s partner rather than work’s competitor. It’s an important distinction and feeds into something that creatives have always argued: a rested mind is better for creativity than a distracted mind. 

Pang says affording employees time to use their default mode network - a term neuroscientists use for areas of the mind that are more active during times of rest compared to times of cognitive activity - is crucial in the creative industries. We all know that some of the best ideas can pop into your head when unloading the dishwasher or walking the dog, rather than when desperately reaching for an idea in a meeting. 

“The four-day week allows creative teams to work really hard and more effectively together because more downtime is built in,” says Pang. “It offers people and organisations a chance to tap into the benefits of rest to do better work and to do that work in a more sustainable way.”

Managing expectations 

It’s not only internal staff that agencies must consider when moving to a four-day week. It’s also clients. If a client is spending money with an agency, they may well insist on the agency being available for the traditional five days a week. 

So, how can agencies deal with that? “It is necessary to present your reasons for moving to a four-day week in the right way, and if you do that, you can turn clients from some of the biggest sceptics into some of your biggest supporters,” says Pang. 

This means talking the client through the benefits of changing work patterns. “If clients understand that it has been carefully planned and is an expression of professional values, rather than a retreat from professional values, they will see that it will result in better work for them over a longer period of time.” 

Pang also says attitudes are changing. Of the hundreds of conversations he’s had with businesses, only twice has a company lost a client due to moving to a four-day week. After all, clients are likely to suffer from the same levels of staff burnout, so they will be keen to learn from agencies how using four-day weeks can improve wellbeing and productivity. Also, a busy client may well appreciate not having agencies pestering them with questions or demands on a Friday.

Embracing adaptability 

However, the reality is that removing one-fifth of the working week isn’t always simple for every workplace. One size doesn’t fit all. So it’s essential to be adaptable for employees and clients. 

“The four-day week remains the most popular option in which, let's say, everybody works Monday through to Thursday,” says Pang. “Not every place can do that, though. It depends upon your market, client expectations, people's personal schedules and preferences. So, what we have seen as the movement develops is a growing experimentation with alternatives.”

These alternatives are varied. Some offices work six-hour days but remain open five days a week, while some agencies have a staff rota system so client expectations can be met five days a week. “You can have A and B teams, for example, with the A team working Monday to Thursday and the B team working Tuesday to Friday,” says Pang. “Explaining how that works to a client will really reassure them that someone is going to pick up a phone whatever day of the week it is.” 

Seven tips for adopting a four-day week

Involve everyone

 “A four-day week can never be a perk that just a few people have. It has to be offered to everyone, no matter where they sit in an organisation.”

Boost efficiencies

“For a lot of smaller companies, the four-day week is already here. We’re sitting in conference rooms, we’re trying to work out how to fix the toner, we’re having too many long meetings. So if we can get a handle on those things and improve the processes, you are already achieving in four days what used to take five days.”

Improve meeting “hygiene”

“Everybody thinks meetings are too long and inefficient, so starting with meetings is the best way to shorten working days. Make meetings shorter, have agendas, involve fewer people, and you can turn an hour-long meeting into a ten-minute stand-up.”

Change meeting room designs

“I know of one London agency that has a really nice meeting space for clients, with sofas and soft furnishings. But they have a second room that only has uncomfortable chairs and a small table, and that’s for internal meetings. This is a visual reminder to keep internal meetings short - if the chairs are getting uncomfortable, it’s time to move on!”

Use your technology more wisely

“Think about how you can automate less important tasks to give your staff more time for creative and valuable work.”

Reduce distractions

“Give people permission to not check emails except during specific times of the day, and reduce the number of Slack channels. This gives staff the time to do deep, high-quality work together without distractions - but make sure there’s also time to socialise during the day.”

Propose a trial run

“If you’re presenting the idea of a four-day week to the boss, propose it as a trial rather than a permanent shift. And suggest using it as an opportunity to test out other ways to operate more efficiently.”