Why InkHouse Works From Home on Fridays

When we got our first office space at InkHouse back in 2008, we agreed on one thing: we’d work from home on Fridays. At the time it was pragmatic. I needed time to get actual work done outside of the flurry of meetings and conference calls that is the life of a PR person. There were fewer than 10 of us back then, and now at almost 130 people, we love Work From Home Fridays for the same reasons, and many more. They enable thoughtfulness, focus, and the breathing room to be creative and strategic (and sure, to throw in some laundry while we’re at it).

I asked our team members what they like best about Work From Home Fridays, and their answers both reaffirmed my original reasons, and illuminated even better ones that help make our culture what it is today. Calm for strategic planning, being able to get our kids off the bus, focused time for writing, extra quiet time outside of our commutes, and so many more. I’ll let their words speak for themselves below:

“Early bird special! ;) Working from home on Fridays gives me the opportunity to take my children out for an early dinner and the chance to beat the crowd. Because my husband travels so often for work during the week, our Friday night dinners are a chance for us all to come together and reconnect after a long week.” - Julie Sellew

“For me, NYC ignites a lot of positive and inspiring energy, yet at the same time, it's also an energy drain (standing like sardines on the subway, people bumping into me on the sidewalk, cranky and very vocal cab drivers--and I say this with love, truly). When I moved here 10 years ago, the realization that I couldn't sing--err, rap--at the top of my lungs while driving alone in my car was an adjustment! When was I going to get a moment to myself to decompress? On a Friday after a busy week, I so appreciate starting my day in a state of uninterrupted "calm." It centers me.” - Kara Pinato

“On Fridays, I like to take the 30 minutes that I would typically spend commuting to reflect on my week and think about my personal goals. Being away from the hustle and bustle of the office helps me concentrate on larger projects that require more focus, such as by-lines or presentations. I also like to set aside an hour in the afternoon on Fridays to hunker down and pitch reporters when their inboxes are less cluttered." - Adam Ouellet

“Work from home Fridays give me a much-needed change of pace from the speed of the PR industry. Fridays are now an opportunity to slow down and reset, which often leads to new perspectives on projects I am working on.” - Dani Leopold

“I have often found the two-day weekend to be too short to actually be refreshing. With WFH Fridays, I've essentially been able to move most of the life admin necessities to Fridays because I have two full hours back in my day from not having to commute, plus taking five minute chore breaks away from my computer helps me get the essentials done in addition to having a mental break from staring at a screen that helps me be more productive.” - Amanda Jacobsmeyer

“The biggest benefit for me is quiet: it comes with mental space for me, time to slow down and work on the plan I've been mulling over, the opportunity to talk to fewer people and just think. Also, I get up at 4:30 a.m. on Fridays to teach yoga and afterward, I have several hours that I'm not rushed to commute or go anywhere.” - Rachel Marsden

“I find it most useful for taking some quiet time to think about strategy and drafting plans. Being uninterrupted helps carve out time to focus on creative ideas, and especially the things that will work best for my clients. I also find it's a good time to pitch since it's often a quiet news day!”  - Angela Smith

“Collaboration and meetings in the office can be really great, but sometimes you need space to really buckle down. Sitting in my own space and not spending time in the car gives me mental space as well. It's a productive chunk of time to check things off of the to-do list before unplugging and recharging over the weekend.” - Rachael Durant 

“Work from home Fridays bring me a huge sense of calm and clarity. Especially on a particularly busy week filled with client launches, calls and meetings, Friday brings everything back around. I feel refreshed, get big writing projects done and can look back at the week feeling confident everything that needed to happen is wrapped up. It allows me to go into the weekend feeling really positive and motivated about the week ahead.” - Stephanie Fergione

"Avoiding the morning scramble and stressful commute helps introduce a calm to the day that gets me in a more thoughtful and creative mindset. It's a moment to step back and think about how our work is (or isn't) impacting our clients' businesses, instead of thinking about where the heck I need to be for the next meeting. On Fridays, I also love being able to ask my kids how their day was when they get off the bus or home from summer camp. You can't put a price on those moments.” - Keith Giannini

“The luxury of time not spent in the car affords me so many benefits: I can exercise. I can be present and make breakfast and eat with my daughters without rushing. I have time to stop and say hello to my neighbors, it creates community. I don't have to wear make-up or get dressed if I don't want to.” - Susan Elsbree

“Work from home Fridays means more time with my son, and it’s distraction-free time to get more 'deep work' done like writing and planning.” - Dan O’Mahony

“I like work from home Fridays because it aligns with the work-life balance that InkHouse prides itself on. On Fridays, I'm able to take my time in the morning as opposed to rushing to the subway. And I'm able to spend some extra time with my girlfriend and my dog that I don't get Monday through Thursday.” - Max Lerner 

“So much of the week is spent commuting or rushing from meeting to meeting that I often don't have time to really sit with a big project for long periods of time. Fridays at home give me the chance to think big. Most importantly, I get to be home when my kids get home from school. ” - Jackie D’Andrea 

“It allows me to have a reprieve from what is a long commute and the misery of the Mass Pike. And perhaps most importantly, I can set aside time for working without interruption and focusing on writing. It's always nice/fun/productive when you get into a writing groove and can just zoom through docs/projects because you have great rhythm and your brain seems to be clicking well!” - Brendan Monahan

“Working from home means I don't have to get ready in the morning, wait for buses to arrive, commute to and from the office, or wait in line for a salad during the downtown lunch rush. This daily routine adds up to about two and a half hours down the drain, but on Fridays, I get that time back. It is my most productive day of the week and allows me to enter the weekend feeling proud of what I've accomplished and confident about where my work stands.” - Darah Easton

“Working in PR means working in an extremely fast-paced and stressful environment, where oftentimes, we overextend ourselves, both physically and emotionally, for the betterment of our clients and our agency. Having work from home Fridays allows us to separate ourselves from that cycle, and remind ourselves what we can do to ensure our own personal happiness and success. It’s one day out of the week where we can dictate the working environment that's best for us and our well being.” - Tucker Hallowell

Work from Home Fridays is just one of the ways InkHouse is dedicated to reinventing the PR agency model. The PR agency life can be frenetic, and busy and require all sorts of time outside of regular business hours. But that shouldn’t be the case all of the time. We believe that fulfilling personal lives lead to meaningful professional lives, and we’re committed to creating a workplace that enables us all to restore balance in our lives in between the busyness. 

Want to join us? We’re hiring. See our opportunities here.