In the last few days, three different clients have randomly asked me about our shorter working week. Maybe it’s that end-of-year thing where we’re all quietly running on empty, ruminating on whether we’re getting the balance right. But it’s certainly felt like a coincidence.
So, it’s made me want to share some of our experiences here at Fluid... because clearly there might be some curiosity out there. Six questions. Six answers. Six lessons.
Does it fix work-life balance?
No. It extends your weekend and it opens up family time on a Friday, both of which are brilliant. But I personally think work-life balance is easy to get wrong - especially when you’re passionate about your job. A shorter week doesn’t stop you worrying about work, waking at night, or habitually checking emails. We all have a personal responsibility to give ourselves permission to switch off… and I believe that’s getting increasingly difficult and increasingly important, regardless of how many days you work.
Does it reduce profitability?
No. Our profitability is up. But I should stress that our shorter working week is accompanied by a strong value-focused mentality, with a strong and committed culture across our team. The shorter week was a conscious decision introduced at a point of strategic change for Fluid. Without those foundations and that strong focus, I could imagine the shorter week meaning lost time that would otherwise be chargeable. At Fluid though, it’s just been a vehicle that’s helped us separate time and hours from money and value. So it’s been beneficial in many ways.
Does it harm client partnerships?
No. Our clients have been supportive, curious and respectful. I even had one (global) client say it had made her recommit to the four-day week she was supposed to be working, and that we could mutually support each other to make it work. It’s perhaps worth stressing that our client relationships probably aren’t typical. Instead of working as a service provider, we’re a committed partner to a small community of close-knit clients. So there’s a genuine mutual care there and a genuine sense that we’re sharing each other’s journeys. In a weird way, I think there’s also a growing focus around enabling or encouraging quality of life - as well as quality of work and strength of performance with our clients. There is for me anyway.
Does it strengthen culture?
No. I think it’s a positive sign of a strong existing culture. But working a shorter week doesn’t strengthen culture and I don’t believe it can ever be a shortcut to achieving a better culture. For me culture, character, wellbeing, values and vision are all immeasurably entwined to create something a little bit ethereal and a lottle(?) bit special. I don’t believe hours worked comes anywhere near the conversation when it comes to culture. Would our shorter week work without Fluid’s unique culture? Probably not, no. Has our shorter working week helped to create Fluid’s unique culture? Definitely not, no. That’s been 22 years in the making (and counting).
Does it help with recruitment?
No. Well, kind of. When we recruit at Fluid, it’s usually a simple case of reaching out to people that have already expressed an interest in working with us, or asking our colleagues and clients for introductions to peers. So we’re rarely out there promoting our ‘employee value proposition’. Instead we’re having quiet coffees with people that want to be part of something different. When we finally remember to mention our benefits and the shorter week, it’s always a lovely surprise and added attraction, but - so far - it hasn’t actually influenced whether people want to work with Fluid. Maybe that’ll change one day. But I kind of hope it won’t.
Does it make Friday a doss day?
No. I really hope not anyway. I’ve noticed two things on this point. First, the studio is very quiet on a Friday. We employ c. 50 people, and it’s not uncommon to just have six or seven in on a Friday. That doesn’t mean people aren’t working of course - it just feels weird to someone who loves being in a busy studio. I have noticed I have fewer client meetings on a Friday, and maybe that’s an unspoken part of them respecting our time as we’ve quietly and mutually adjusted the dynamics of our partnership. But that doesn’t mean I’m not working either - quite the opposite in fact, it means I can actually do meaningful work with proper headspace, and Friday often becomes my day for spending quality time with colleagues in 1-2-1s.
We work 4.5 days at the time of writing. Would we continue to take this further? Yes - we’d never say never. Are we ready to move to 4 working days? No. I think that’d feel like quite a significant leap, despite the strides we’ve taken, and there’s a strong gut feeling that we’re not yet ready. But let’s watch this space.