We dream big. For some time we’ve been working towards a four-day week - and now it has finally happened! It has been a logical step for us, with roots in our ‘Why’ message -
"We believe it's time to ditch traditional ideas about work. Work shouldn't be boring. Work shouldn't be stressful. Work shouldn't be just about earning money. Work shouldn't reduce individuals to a number, it shouldn't crush people's creative potential and it shouldn't restrict development based on arbitrary goals.
This philosophy applies to everything we do, both within Rusty Monkey, and for our clients. We want all our team members, and all our clients, to achieve happiness, fulfilment and success through their work.
We do this by helping people communicate more effectively, and by innovating systems to make life easier."
- Rusty Monkey
More and more businesses are beginning to adopt this working week structure. We wanted to share our journey with you.
What is a four day week?
The concept of a four-day workweek involves reducing the traditional five-day work schedule to four days, while maintaining the same workload and without a reduction in employee pay. This model aims to boost productivity, work-life balance, and overall employee satisfaction.
Our four-day work week consists of eight hours per day, resulting in a 32-hour total workweek. This approach has been trialled and implemented by companies around the world with varying degrees of flexibility; for example, some companies allow employees to choose their days off, while others designate Friday as a universal day off. We have opted for having Friday as the day off.
Our research
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated interest and experiments in alternative working patterns. Many businesses were forced to reconsider work configurations, prioritise employee health, and adapt to remote working conditions. These changes made non-traditional work schedules, including four-day weeks, more feasible and attractive. It's all about being able to adapt.
In the early 2020s, several structured trials have been launched around the world, including in Spain and Scotland, where governments are exploring the impacts of a four-day workweek on productivity and well-being in a variety of sectors.
The world's largest study trialling a four-day workweek was in the UK, where 61 organisations took part in the six-month pilot in 2022. The majority of companies that took part made the policy permanent and all the managers and CEOs reported a positive impact on the organisation.
Employee benefits observed in such trials are:
Improved employee well-being: A shorter workweek can lead to less stress and burnout, as employees have more time to rest and engage in personal activities. This can improve mental health and overall well-being.
Enhanced job satisfaction: Employees generally report higher job satisfaction when they have a better work-life balance. A four-day week can make jobs more attractive and improve employee retention.
More flexible work environment: The adaptation needed for a four-day week can lead to more flexible work arrangements, such as adjusted hours or remote work, accommodating diverse employee needs such as disabilities.
Support for parents and caregivers: A shorter workweek can significantly benefit those with caregiving responsibilities, providing them more time to spend with family without sacrificing employment.
Potential for a healthier lifestyle: With an extra day off, employees will likely have more time to engage in physical activities, prepare healthier meals and maintain a better overall lifestyle.
Benefits to the businesses are:
Encouragement of better time management: With less time in the office, both employees and managers need to prioritise tasks more effectively, which can lead to better time management skills.
Increased productivity: Studies have shown that shorter workweeks can lead to higher productivity. With fewer days to work, employees are often more focused and efficient, striving to complete tasks within the designated time.
Reduced operating costs: For larger businesses that can close or operate minimally on the additional day off, there can be significant savings in operational costs such as utilities and office maintenance.
Lower absenteeism: With more time to manage personal matters and recover from stress, employees are less likely to take unplanned days off, reducing absenteeism.
Greater attractiveness as an employer: Offering a four-day workweek can make a company more attractive to prospective employees. In competitive job markets, this can be a significant advantage.
Increased employee engagement: When employees feel their well-being is valued, they are more engaged at work. The additional day off can increase morale and commitment to the company.
Environmental benefits: A shorter workweek can contribute to reduced carbon emissions, as commuting days are decreased. This can also lower traffic congestion and pollution. This gets a big tick from us!
Possible challenges of a four day week:
Potential for overwork: To maintain output with reduced hours, employees might work more intensely, which could lead to stress and fatigue despite the extra day off.
Customer service challenges: Reduced availability might affect customer service and client interactions, particularly in industries where 24/7 availability is expected.
Inconsistent schedules: Coordinating schedules within the company and with external stakeholders can be challenging if not all departments or businesses adopt the same days off.
Initial adjustment period: The transition might lead to temporary drops in productivity and require adjustments in project timelines and deliverables.
Regulatory and compliance issues: Adjusting work hours must comply with employment laws and union contracts, which can be complex.
How we prepared to face the challenges
Our main concern has always been how to balance reaping the positives of this exciting work model, while ensuring we pass on the benefits to our clients.
Here’s how we did it.
Over the last four years we’ve been learning what it means to be truly Agile (with a capital A). Rusty Monkey is a holacracy, which adds its own unique benefits and challenges to managing the four day week. While there is a need for comprehensive planning to manage workloads and response times, the holocracy model can provide a flexible, innovative structure. Communication both internally and externally has been key.
We've implemented elements of Scrum and Kanban to help us improve productivity, while remaining flexible and sensitive to our clients’ needs. This has stood us in good stead, and helped to provide a benchmark for getting things done, as part of our four day week journey.
The team had various anxieties about working fewer hours. Could we still produce enough work to keep our clients happy? Would we simply be working harder and getting more stressed, just to stay on top of things?
We're an optimistic lot naturally, but sometimes that can translate to unrealistic delivery dates. Will working fewer days only make things worse?
Our answer came from something we’ve learned from Scrum: Focus on completing the work you have committed to each week, don't be side-tracked (unless it's a genuine emergency), and thereby manage expectations more effectively.
We have developed the concept of an “achievable week”, where everyone can be committed to and focused on completing the work that the agency has agreed is the highest priority. We already have a great foundation of openness and respect for each other, so with a little extra courage we know we can make our four day week work, if we stick to this plan.
"I'm excited to spend more time on my hobbies, and maybe take the odd long weekend away! I'm also looking forward to the brain-space it will give me which will help me feel more refreshed and creative."
- Mel Roddis, Rusty Monkey
How we implemented the four day week
Pilot program: A few weeks before we made the switch, we carried out a soft launch, which involved working longer days Monday to Thursday (8 hours), then a short day on Friday (5.5 hours). This was to get us used to getting the bulk of our work done in four days. From the 1st June we bravely switched on the four day week, keeping the four 8 hour days and closing the office on Fridays.
Employee input: We continually involved all team members in the planning process to address their concerns and preferences. This helped us to customise the approach to fit the needs of everyone involved.
Clear policies and training: We developed clear policies to manage workload and expectations, and have provided training and tools to help employees manage their time effectively during the reduced hours (see the above section referring to Agile project management).
Regular review and feedback: We are continuously monitoring the program's impact on business operations and employee well-being. We are open to making adjustments based on feedback and the data collected. The tool we use for this is OfficeVibe by Workleap.
Communication: We continue to maintain transparent communication with all stakeholders, including our clients, to manage expectations regarding availability and response times.
Client support: We have implemented automation to alert us to high priority requests raised by clients out of hours
Legal compliance: Obviously, we have ensured the plan complies with employment law and have discussed the changes with legal experts.
How it’s going so far…
We've taken the 5 Scrum Values to heart, and we're making it work for us.
The 5 Scrum values:
Commitment
Courage
Focus
Openness
Respect
So far so good! We’re keeping the communication channels open both within the company and with our clients. Productivity is up, company and client feedback is positive.
It all comes down to having a truly holistic approach. If the team is happy and supported, our clients will be too. If we succeed, our clients succeed.