Less burnout less stress, less sickness - with the same productivity: according to a recent British study, the advantages of the four-day week are clear. The marketing magazine W&V wanted to know how creative agencies like Graft Brandlab deal with such a working time model.

 
Rico Zocher, Managing Partner | Business of Graft Brandlab:

"I fully agree with the idea of making working hours more flexible. However, a fixed model that ultimately requires everyone to deliver 100% productivity in 80% working hours is not, in my opinion, the 'universal solution'. Some people can benefit from it, such as families who can better organize their daily lives. Others may feel driven by an unconscious pressure to do more in less time. And then there are many who are immersed in their work, value collegial exchange, and may feel cut off.

At Graft Brandlab, we approach this differently. We focus on the individual employee. We accommodate personal circumstances by offering flexible work models: Alternating models between home office and office hours, predominantly remote work, or even individually agreed on part-time models, depending on the life situation. In this way, we work together with the employee to create the optimal work model for him or her. 

We are a creative agency and creativity needs space and time to unfold. We provide this space - on an individual basis. It is important to be in constant contact with our employees because situations can change. And as HR managers, we need to recognize this early on.

So I am not a fan of one-size-fits-all models. They just don't fit every business model, every company size, and every industry. We are a boutique agency with international clients. They expect us to be personally available during normal business hours. As a service provider, we want to meet that demand - in person, not with chatbots."

Read the full article here.