Integrated growth agency Claxon has made a bold move by implementing a permanent four-day work week, following a successful three-month trial conducted in late 2024.

The agency has condensed its standard 38-hour work week into slightly longer days from Monday through Thursday, with Fridays off. Importantly, Claxon has not reduced employee hours or salaries, ensuring resource availability remains consistent across the agency.

The initiative, which aims to enhance productivity and performance, has reportedly exceeded expectations. Despite Fridays not being a standard workday, Claxon's team will still be available for clients for high importance tasks. Before implementing the change, CEO Daniel Willis surveyed all staff for their experiences and feedback.

"This isn't just about improving culture; it's about enhancing productivity and performance. Claxon has a culture of a high-performance team, and one that runs at incredible pace with precision, and I wanted to see firsthand how an additional day of rest each week would enable our team to continue to perform long term at peak levels," said Willis.

"The results exceeded our expectations, and I'm thrilled to report that not only did we maintain our high standards, the entire team flourished, and clients are also experiencing new and invigorated teams."

The four-day work week has proven to be a significant drawcard for talent, with 50% of cover letters for new roles referencing it as a key attraction. In addition to the four-day week, Claxon has also embraced a hybrid work model, allowing staff to work two days in the office and two days remotely, alongside flexible time options.

"There seems to be a belief in agency-world that 4-day weeks don't work - clients won't be accepting, and that it just doesn't 'fit'. Well, I can confidently say that's incorrect. If a highly collaborative, integrated and high-performance team like Claxon can do it, any agency can make it work," Willis stated.

Jade Axford, Claxon's Chief Growth Officer, shared her positive experience: "You sometimes hear of these mythical 4-day weeks, in companies far-far-away, but getting to experience what I have over the last few months makes me wonder why more companies aren't brave enough to try. My productivity is through the roof and as are my happiness levels - it is an amazing feeling not to run out of energy during the week."

"A company is only as good as its people - and if you have happy, refreshed, engaged team members - then half the battle of building a successful company has already been won," Willis concluded.