A Bristol company has switched its employees to a four-day week.
Cre8ion, a marketing and branding agency in Hengrove, still pays its staff for working five days even though they are only in the office from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday.
Employees are given every Friday off; there is a two-week cycle with the first week ending with a normal day off and the second week spent on career progression, education and projects.
Owner Darrell Iwrin switched to a four-day week after discovering the five-day week was brought in during the 20th century for factory workers.
"Life is busy and yes, we work, but we want our staff to have a great home life as well," he explained. "I think that many people are looking for a better work-life balance.
"Today’s workforce doesn’t want work to dominate at the expense of what is being worked for (family, friends, opportunity)."
Darrell says he pays staff for five days because it is a way to retain talent and create a stronger company culture. He also says it's "not all about money".
"Cramming in hours to get a day off just doesn’t fit what we are trying to achieve. With four straight days our team are on it.
'It's about a cause to believe in'
“We make the best use of hours we have. We waste less time as a result but everyone knows there is a tangible benefit. Extra time for life and exploration.
"It’s about a cause to believe in... If your team is happy and more productive then of course it does help increase the bottom line."
Andrius Bartulis, a tech lead at Cre8tion, says the four-day week is "the best perk" and has given him more time for his hobbies.
“It makes the weekend feel much longer meaning that I end up being more rested and focused during the four days," he said.
Darrell came up with the idea while at the Bristol Natwest Accelerator programme, which aims to help any company grow their business (they don't have to bank with Natwest).
Olly Reid, who works at the Bristol accelerator hub, said: “[Cre8ion's] move to a four-day week certainly hasn’t diluted their growth as the company continues to go from strength to strength.”
Darrell added: "It all feels a bit revolutionary but no one ever made progress without making a few brave choices."
