LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The four-day workweek concept has been a big topic over the last few years, and it can be quite controversial.
About a year ago, Arkansas-based company Rock City Digital turned plenty of heads as word of them implementing a four-day workweek began to circulate.
Their goal at the time was to provide work-life balance for their entire staff. However, as of today, their four-day workweek model is out and they’re doing things differently once again, with the same end goal in mind.
"We think we can utilize things and eliminate Fridays altogether," said Kelli Campbell, COO at Rock City Digital.
Last year, Campbell said that their stair-step approach towards a shorter work week could allow them to utilize certain things and eliminate Fridays altogether.
“In our last discussion, I mentioned that if we don't think it'll work, we'll just go back to the way that things were,” Campbell said.
As a team, they found that the 4-day workweek didn't work for them.
Campbell explained that mandating Fridays off did the opposite of what they were hoping for— it added stress and gave them less flexibility.
“We had to start counting when they went to doctor's appointments, or dentist appointments because we really needed to make up the time that we were losing on that Friday,” Campbell described.
Once Campbell and her business partner Kait Hill learned how it was impacting their team and possibly their clients, they decided to switch it up.
But Rock City Digital didn’t go back to the typical five-day work week. Instead, their current model is a half day on Fridays.
“We work Monday through Thursday, regular business hours, and then on Fridays,” Campbell explained. “If everybody is done, then at noon, we can log off.”
That noon hour isn't strict either if demands are met, and employees at Rock City Digital said they love it.
According to Project Manager Sarah Hamel, the half day on Friday alleviated stress by not having to cram work into a shorter week.
"I like the structure and I think it allows us to check in with our clients on that Friday and give them just a little bit of that touch point while still giving me that little bit of cushion to schedule any appointments, get any errands done,” Hamel said.
While it works for their company, each time Rock City Digital announces a change to the norm Campbell said employers and employees alike can’t seem to wrap their heads around the concept.
For this, she encouraged leaning into technology and automation.
“There are ways that you can work more efficiently without forcing everyone to sit at their desk till five o'clock on a Friday,” Campbell said.
Campbell believes that a modified workweek can become a reality for any company.
She suggested that if it matters to an employer, finding people who have done it or tried to in their specific industry can be a stepping stone.
“Use tools and do the research and make sure that everybody wins,” she added.