Integrated growth agency Claxon has decided on a permanent four-day work week, effective immediately.
The initiative follows a three-month trial in late 2024, during which the agency condensed the standard 38-hour work week into slightly longer days, Monday through Thursday, allowing the entire team Fridays off.
Independent full service agency Equality Media + Marketing also has a four-day work week, with total hours worked at 32 per week. Other agencies have tried but abandoned the shorter week.
At Claxon, employee hours, and salaries, haven't been reduced.
"This isn’t just about improving culture; it’s about enhancing productivity and performance,” said founder and CEO Daniel Willis.
“Claxon has a culture of a high-performance team, and one that runs at incredible pace with precision, and I wanted to see firsthand how an additional day of rest each week would enable our team to continue to perform long term at peak levels.
“The results exceeded our expectations, and I’m thrilled to report that not only did we maintain our high standards, the entire team flourished, and clients are also experiencing new and invigorated teams."
While Friday is no longer a standard workday, Claxon’s team is still available for clients in case the agency needs to take action on anything of high importance.
“I’ve read all the studies and spoken with lots of other people both for and against us trailing it, plus pre-trial I personally notified all clients and offered them a direct line to me to share any concerns of issues they had at any time,” Willis said.
“Not only were there no client issues but many commented to team members during the trial that everyone seemed to be happier and more dialled in.”
Before mandating the change to a four-day week, Willis surveyed all staff and asked for their experiences, positive/negative or otherwise.
He was blown away by the meaningful positive impact that it had on not only their professional, but their personal lives.
“There seems to be a belief in agency-world that 4-day weeks don’t work – clients won’t be accepting, and that it just doesn’t ‘fit’,” Willis said.
“Well, I can confidently say that’s incorrect. If a highly collaborative, integrated and high-performance team like Claxon can do it, any agency can make it work.
“I know that there have been a couple of other brave founders who run on a 9-day fortnight, but the reality is team members ultimately end up with much more work to do when they return as the work has continued in their absence. Having a whole of agency four-day week eliminates this and truly allows team members to switch off.”
Since the trial began, Claxon has advertised four new roles, with 50% of cover letters referencing the four-day work week as a key attraction.
Claxon has also embraced a hybrid work model, allowing staff to work two days in the office and now two days remotely, alongside Flextime options that cater to diverse schedules.
But the company says it is the four-day week innovation that has proved to be a winner for staff and clients.
Jade Axford, Claxon’s chief growth officer, said she wonders why more companies haven’t been brave enough to try the four days.
“My productivity is through the roof and as are my happiness levels – it is an amazing feeling not to run out of energy during the week,” Axford said.
Willis said a company is only as good as its people.
“If you have happy, refreshed, engaged team members – then half the battle of building a successful company has already been won,” he said.
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