Time’s up. Our official trial of the 4-day week has come to an end. As we wait for the results of the pilot coordinated by 4 Day Week Global and their research partners at Boston College, we’re ready to share some of our own results and what comes next. 

Last October, PRAXIS joined a six-month pilot program following non-profit 4 Day Week Global’s 100-80-100^TM model, advocating for 100% of the pay, working 80% of the time, with a commitment to maintaining 100% productivity. We chose to participate as an investment in the wellbeing and happiness of our team, and as a business improvement strategy, focused on working smarter rather than longer, recruiting and retaining the top talent in the industry and maintaining the highest standard of client service. 

A healthy work-life balance has always been an important part of our culture, and a challenge due to the nature of agency life. Our goal was not to condense the work into four, 10-hour days, but to learn new strategies to improve time management, productivity, and efficiency that would allow for a shorter week. 

With our team, our clients, and partners on board, we spent months researching, planning and preparing for a seamless transition. And our hard work has paid off. 

The results 

While we wait for the published results from the global pilot study, we’ve been conducting our own internal research through staff and client surveys and time tracking software and other tools. And the news is very encouraging. 

Feedback from our clients continues to be very positive. They are supportive of our commitment to provide a healthy and balanced work environment for our employees. Our team has reported higher job satisfaction, increased time spent with family & friends, and improved mental health.  

As a company, we have seen our business thrive and client base continue to grow. We’ve found efficiencies in areas like reducing internal meeting time and streamlining some of our internal processes. 

Highlights from our research include:

• 51% increase in time spent doing what matters most 

• 42% increase in work-life balance 

• 26% increase in mental health 

• 25% reduction in time taken off for personal and sick days 

• 15% less time spent on internal and administrative tasks 

What’s next? 

We’re excited to announce that we will be extending our 4-day week trial for at least another six months!   

There is still a lot to learn and some challenges to work through, but the impact to our team and our business has been very positive. We’re working together to constantly evaluate and refine our 4-day week model. Communication and flexibility have been key, especially recognizing that it may look different from person to person and week to week.  

We are proud to be leaders in our industry who are innovative in the way people work, and we will continue looking for new opportunities to show we value both our employees and our clients.  

Do you have questions about our experience with the four-day work week? Drop us a line, we’re happy to chat!