Cultural impact of a 4-day work week

Flexible working models are the new norm, and adapting to the needs of your employees post-Covid goes a long way in retaining top talent and cultivating a healthy workplace culture.?

While the models are many and the approach is fairly new, Reusser has been operating within a 4-day work week for over a decade. We’re here to break down some of the benefits and challenges we’ve encountered, as well as pull the curtain back on some tried and true practices that impact our culture for good.

Why we switched to a 4-day work week

To keep it simple, we hope to cultivate a team of individuals who take pride and ownership in their sphere of influence, possess an entrepreneurial spirit, and develop a deep value for balance between work and their personal lives.?

We know that providing space to recharge over a long 3-day weekend (every weekend) places value on our employees, their families, and their person. Coming together to create best-in-class work the other four days of the week shouldn’t have to be a soul-sucking grind.

Benefits and drawbacks to a flexible working schedule

You take the good with the bad. Thankfully, it’s been a lot more good than not-so-good, but in the spirit of transparency, here’s a quick look at some benefits and drawbacks we’ve experienced.?

Benefits

Compressed and shorter work weeks allow employees to:

• Increase productivity
• Get more rest with longer weekends
• Use less PTO
• Be able to work on side gigs
• Feel less scatterbrained and more focused

Drawbacks

• Longer work days (we do 10-hour days here at Reusser)
• Managing client response time and expectations
• Fast-paced work environment
• Less time to build personal relationships with colleagues (due to a compressed schedule)
• Availability for scheduling

Hire and retain talent through culture

The 4-day work week is deeply ingrained in the culture at Reusser. What about your workplace culture is worth marketing in order to draw in top talent? By highlighting the unique qualities that make up your culture, promoting it through social media and email, and showing a behind-the-scenes look through photos and video, it can help you attract the right talent for your company.?

“A culture is not invented. A culture constantly evolves… which is why it must be nurtured.” ? – Simon Sinek

Find what works for your business

Every team is unique and operates their own way. What works for one team may not work for another. Here are a few thoughts:

• Let your team have a voice
• Test ideas for a period of time
• Don’t be afraid to pivot
• Does it build culture and produce results??
• Does it energize the team?

Culture-building activities

Just a few ways we work to build culture at Reusser include sharing meals together, off-site events and community service, and of course, SWAG. We’ll show you a high-level look at some of our scheduled culture events—you’ll see several more examples on our social channels!?

Here’s how it’s working at Reusser?

A happier team, better work-life balance, and the ability to truly put work aside for a time and rest are all positive outcomes we've seen over the last decade. Giving the gift of allowing your employees to truly “forget” about work for a few days goes a long way.

If your workplace offers a standard 2-day weekend, and one of those days is filled with the Sunday Scaries, are your employees really getting enough time to rest before the new week?

Questions to ask before implementing a 4-day work week

??? Here are some key questions to consider if you're thinking about making the switch:?

1. How will this impact employees??
2. How will this impact customers??
3. How many work hours will we work per week??
4. What metrics will we monitor??
5. What operational changes must be made??

If you're curious about implementing a major culture shift like this, we'd be happy to answer your questions!

About Reusser

Founded in 1999,?Reusser?is an award-winning, results-driven digital agency crafting innovative solutions that create demand and generate value for its clients. Nationally recognized in publications like?Inc. Magazine,?Fast Company?and?CNNfor its work and culture, Reusser supports businesses and organizations on their journey to become a better version of themselves. For additional information on Reusser, visit?www.reusser.com.