We adopted a four-day workweek six months ago—here’s how it’s going

Six months ago, we took a leap of faith—our agency introduced the famous four-day workweek. And we weren’t alone—Branch Road, along with more than 60 other companies, took part in the world’s largest four-day workweek trial.

The results from the trial have been promising—with 71% of employees saying they’re experiencing less “burnout,” and 39% are feeling less stressed compared to when the trial started.

If you remember our previous update, dropping a single day of work came with plenty of benefits for us in the first few months. But six months on, what does the four-day workweek look like at Branch Road?

Has our staff turned into a bunch of lazy bums? Are we yearning for the good ol’ days of a traditional workweek? Or are we still crushing our goals and boosting our work-life balance in the process? 

Let’s find out.

How the four-day workweek has shaped our work practices

As far as productivity goes—so far so good.

Over 85% of our team members have said their workloads are still manageable after taking a day off the workweek, and none have reported falling behind. Yes, we move a little faster now with four days to get work done, but the result has been more efficiency and even better collaboration. 

Our content team has only become more proactive when managing their workload and taking more initiative with workflows and approvals. As one Roadie explained, “Communication has improved on the whole, as there’s a need to know where tasks are at all times.”

For Claudia, our Senior Integrated Comms Manager, the four-day workweek has also come with more flexibility, more rest, and better concentration. “Before we introduced the four-day workweek, I struggled to stay focused for five full workdays and complete all my weekly tasks. I sometimes had to take long breaks to recharge and regain focus, then ended up working after hours to catch up. Now, I can either have a 3-day weekend and start the week feeling much more rested, or I can simply have five shorter workdays. Either way, I’m able to stay concentrated and deliver work that I’m proud of—without sacrificing my evenings or days off.”

The four-day workweek impact outside of work

Perhaps the most rewarding benefit has been the impact on our team members’ personal lives. With the extra day off, 36% of us are spending more time with friends and family, another 36% have more time for resting and relaxation, and 28% have picked up a new hobby.

Nataly, our Hong Kong-based Head of Marketing Operations, has started learning Chinese in her spare time. And I’ve personally used my extra day to engage in more fun, novel activities around my city, like learning to ride a horse in the desert.

Claudia also mentioned, “Having an extra day off definitely takes the pressure off the weekend to get all my housework and life admin done, as I can now do some of those less fun personal things on Mondays! I also love having more time to do the things I love, be it going for a walk in the park, seeing an exhibition, or taking a creative or fitness class. It’s truly allowed me to enjoy my life more.”

Another Branch Roader said that while they’ve also spent more time with friends and family, there has been another unexpected benefit. “I rest more without feeling guilty that I’m ‘wasting’ a weekend day by not having any plans. I have also enquired about beginning to volunteer for a few hours on Mondays now.”

Why does the four-day workweek give Branch Road an edge?

Because the quality of the work we produce starts with the actual producers—our Roadies. Giving everyone an additional day of rest has been a great boost for our productivity, mental health, and social lives, but the four-day workweek has also allowed us to work on developing other skills and become more well-rounded people overall. 

Whether those skills are related to the work we do or not, at Branch Road, we believe that in order to bring more unique, innovative perspectives to our content storytelling and our clients, we have to foster an environment that encourages these ideals. And just one of the ways we’re doing that is through a four-day workweek.

Got more questions about how the four-day workweek is benefiting Branch Road and our clients? Feel free to talk to the team and be sure to look out for our next post!