North Bay Woman Magazine: How does a 4-day work week sound?
10 questions with Founding Partner & Creative Director, Aimee Kilmer.
When did you first start thinking about moving to a 4-day work week, and what inspired this?
As a company, we're aware of the state of life we're in — succumbing to the normalcy of "grinding" it out for five days, then attempting a restful break on the weekends, only to come back still tired on Mondays. We were intrigued by the astounding results that came out of various studies and trials conducted all over the world, which showed that a 4-day work week had been proven to give workers a clearer mind, resulting in increased productivity. As a branding and communication agency that relies heavily on creativity, we think that allowing our team to have a flexible relationship with time gives creatives more space to help them do their best work. And we love our team and want them to be happy.
What research did you do before implementation?
We found studies in Europe, and later in the US, that showed over 90% of companies continued after their trial and saw productivity and profitability grow. So we trusted the data and went for it. It feels good to be part of a global shift towards a better work-life balance and a more sustainable future and hope we inspire others to follow suit.
How did you tell your employees, and what did they initially think?
We shared the news at one of our all-hands meetings and it was met with intrigue and enthusiasm. Two of our team members have kids, so the chance to have more time with their family or just a 'me day' was pretty motivating.
Does moving to a 4-day week make the workdays longer for Monday to Thursday? And if so, how much? If not, how do you still get all of the work done?
We use the 100:80:100 model. It means our team gets 100% of their salary while working 80% of the working week while maintaining 100% of their productivity. So Rather than four 10-hour days, we do four 8-hour days. We had to reframe how we work and change old habits. Meetings are 45 minutes instead of 60, and we scrutinized who needed to attend. Emails are checked twice a day and for 20 minutes each time, making us more decisive. We block out 2 hours of focus time every morning, meaning no interruptions and no checking email or Teams. This was the toughest for me since I constantly bounce in and out of email, but by monotasking, I get so much more done. Studies show if someone's in a workflow and gets interrupted, it takes at least 20 minutes to get back onto their flow. That blew me away and made me wish I'd used some of these tactics years ago.
What has been the biggest challenge in the process?
Not knowing what we didn't know! We engaged the help of the 4-Day Work Week community to help guide, mentor, and measure our 6-month trial's success. For the past few months, we conducted workshops internally to make sure it's the right fit with our purpose, culture, and values. As a creative agency focusing on only purpose-driven work, we were impressed with the results of the trials, which boasted higher levels of productivity and employee satisfaction while maintaining high-quality work. We're also lucky all our clients purpose-driven, so they respect and support the change. And if a client needs something urgent on a Friday, a team member is on call to field any questions.
Has there been any unexpected outcomes and what have those been?
It's early days, but I'm already feeling more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on Monday morning, even before my coffee.
What advice would you give to another business owner thinking about moving to a 4 day work week?
Start with a 6-month trial and enlist the help of the 4-Day Work Week community. It set the right expectations and helped shape our new policies. They are instrumental in guiding and mentoring us and will share our progress by analyzing ongoing questionnaires from our team.
Now that you have been doing this for 60 days or so, what do you and the team think about it?
It's going great. But you certainly don't want to put the genie back in the bottle if the trial fails. It definitely fuels our motivation to constantly recalibrate as we go.
Does a 4 day work week have any affect on paid time off? (Vacation time)
Before the trial, we offered unlimited PTO. But now we have every Friday off, it was no longer practical. So, we transitioned to 4 weeks of PTO for every team member, regardless of how long they've been with the agency. 16 days plus 52 Fridays is a pretty sweet deal!
What other perks do you offer that keeps your team engaged and stable?
Any team member can volunteer during work hours, which started a few yers ago. One example is we lend support to Griot Theater Company in Marin City, which amplifies the culture and voices of Black and brown students. We've dedicated two designers as hands-on mentors, helping them develop their brand identity, website, and marketing plan (which amounts to about $80k pro bono). It's pretty rewarding, especially since Griot recently received a $250k County grant.
Is there any question(s) that I didn't answer that you have been asked frequently? Or that you think would be informative to our readers?
People ask us what we do with our Fridays. Three days off is perfect because there's one day to do something fun, one to get all your boring chores done, and then one to veg out. My Fridays now give me time to learn skulling along Corte Madera Creek with Marin Rowing. The novelty of learning something entirely new and super technical, with a view of Mount Tam, has been blissful. Although it has zero to do with our work at Good Stuff, it's feeding my soul and, in that way, will feed my creativity. A win-win!