Can we adjust to a four-day work week?

Since the beginning of the pandemic, almost all industries have faced major changes in the way they do business. Thanks to technology, we realized that we are able to do most of our work from home and be equally productive and interconnected. Although most people found social contact much more effective than on-screen contact, according to the Owl Labs survey for 2021, 89% of European companies plan on having a hybrid workforce post-pandemic, since working from home reflects better on employees’ mental health without any negative impact on their productivity.

Taking care of your own health, stress reduce and happiness in private life has a significantly more positive impact on the quality of daily business tasks for employees, and that it is the main reason why more and more companies are turning to four-day work week business model or just shortening working hours by the day.

But what about the PR industry that needs to be at clients’ and media’s disposal 24/7? Is it possible for them to adapt to the four-day business model and in what way?

Teamwork is the key to success

Public relations agencies are constantly creating content that is relevant to the public and the media. The implementation of the communication plan and strategy does not stop on Friday, and agencies very often face deadlines within which they have to deliver the contracted output regardless of the day of the week.

Perhaps it sounds almost impossible to say “goodbye” to a working Friday, but anything is possible with good organization within the team. In this case, rotation among employees is crucial, as it ensures that PR professionals are always available to the client’s needs and requirements. Employees can organize among themselves, which day of the week they will be free.

Adapting to client’s industry is crucial

Clients always come first, and for this very reason, the PR industry depends on various client industries and their nature of business. In order to be able to fully switch to this type of business model, it is important to wait for the client to make the first move. It is encouraging that more and more companies from various industries are starting the experimental phase of introducing a four-day working week, which has led to interesting conclusions. According to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, 60% of companies saw a significant increase in productivity and employee satisfaction, while 74% of employees said three days off a week helped them find the perfect balance between business and private life. Microsoft Japan states that the productivity of workers has increased by 40% since they switched to this business model.

All depends on the type of agency

Switching to this type of business model is not as easy as it may seem. It’s very important to consider how this business model will affect employees and customers, as well as to consider a few important issues.

Will employees have to work 10 hours per day due to one day off, or is it feasible to work 36 hours per working week? How is this going to reflect on costs since the employees ’salaries would remain the same? Is it possible for all employees to be free three days a week, and does the same rule apply to everyone?

The answers to these questions vary from agency to agency, and it is necessary to start an experimental phase first, after which it will be possible to make a decision on the final implementation of a four-day working week.

Several marketing and PR agencies in Croatia have already started this business model and it will be interesting to see how this will affect business results in the future, and whether these agencies will become leaders in change that others will follow.