Managing a creative agency on a four-day work week: The challenges and wins after two years

This article currently features on Mumbrella, written by Lauren Crystal.

When I tell people we’ve been running a 4-day work week for two years, the reactions are always the same: “It must be amazing for creativity and productivity!” Yes, it has its perks, but the reality is much more complex. Two years in, I can confidently say we’ve not only grown our staff headcount, but we’ve also achieved consistent profitability. The 4-day work week is now a core part of our business culture, but it’s not without challenges. If you’re curious about making the leap, here’s what we are learning – the surprises and the challenges.

Why we did it 

Like many businesses post-COVID, we found ourselves in a whirlwind of  ‘back to the office’ energy. And as we settled into this new pace, I noticed an alarming trend: exhaustion. The same people who once thrived in collaborative chaos are now burnt out. Too many ideas, too many meetings, and too little time for personal errands.

That’s when we decided to trial the 4-day work week for six months. The premise is simple: 80% of the time for 100% pay, with the expectation of 100% output. Two years later, we’ve never gone back to five days.

What’s surprised us 

1. More collaboration, not less 

You’d think reducing work hours would mean less collaboration, right? In reality, the opposite happens. Our team is more collaborative than ever. When you know you only have four days to get things done, there’s no room for procrastination. Meetings are short and to the point, and teams are more intentional about talking through ideas. People make their time in the office count. Interestingly, the social aspect of work is stronger because people don’t want to waste their limited office time.

2. The office is busier 

We split our team in half—some take Wednesdays off, others take Fridays. This arrangement keeps the office open for clients five days a week, and it turns out, the office is still buzzing with energy. Clients never feel disconnected from us, and employees don’t miss out on the culture and collaboration that comes from physically being in the office. 

The challenges

1. Making the model manageable for clients 

As a creative agency, one of our main challenges is managing client expectations. While our clients appreciate the innovative model, it requires recalibration on both sides. Sometimes, clients expect immediate feedback on days when half the team is off. We set boundaries, manage expectations, and build trust, ensuring clients know they’ll always receive high-quality work.

2. Handling holiday leave 

Managing annual leave in a 4-day workweek setup is something we struggled with for a long time. Without clear guidelines, staff were accruing too much leave on top of their regular day off, making it difficult to balance workloads and plan effectively. Public holidays add another layer of complexity – those weeks are particularly tricky as we often find ourselves running on a skeleton crew. We’ve learned that pre-planning with the team and maximising efficiency during those shorter weeks is the only way to keep things moving.

3. Less time to share & celebrate

As an independent team with a reduced work week, we have less time to focus on extracurricular projects like entering awards, creating case studies, or adding to industry discourse. While client work always takes priority, this has left little room for us to focus on the long-term growth strategies that help build visibility and credibility in the industry. It’s something we know we need to address, but we haven’t quite found the right solution just yet.

The wins

Despite the challenges, the 4-day work week has brought some undeniable wins. In today’s competitive job market, it’s a magnet for top talent. Not only are we attracting highly skilled people, but our retention rates have skyrocketed. Our team is more focused, which has led to a 20% increase in productivity. With only four days to meet deadlines, we’ve become hyper-aware of inefficiencies, and open discussions around workload and capacity have strengthened our overall culture. Creative teams are thriving—smaller, more agile groups are delivering faster and more polished ideas, and the extra day off gives everyone time to recharge. Clients have noticed, too; they’ve praised the quality of our work and the sharpness of our execution.

I understand the scepticism – getting five days’ worth of work done in just four is a hard justification for clients. But after experiencing burnout in a previous life, my priority is the creative output and well-being of my team. 

As an independent agency, we’ve heard the “it’ll never work” comments from larger businesses. Yet, now, we’re the ones being asked, “How did you do it?” That’s a powerful position to be in, and it proves that prioritising balance and productivity isn’t just sustainable – it’s the new way forward.