Corporate Ink’s 4-Day Workweek: How We Made It Possible

A few years ago, Corporate Ink had a happy hour at Kings in Boston’s Seaport. After a few rounds of bowling, our President Greg Hakim shared a glimpse into his vision for the company’s future.

“I’d love to have a shorter workweek with three-day weekends. It won’t happen overnight, but I think it’s possible,” said Greg. From that moment on, we’d never let him forget it.

Corporate Ink grew – and times changed. Forward-thinking companies were redefining what it meant to work full time. We had already rolled out incremental changes, like a shorter Friday for folks with two years’ tenure. Every small step we took together prepared us for the jump into a four-day work week. After discussing as a team, we knew it was officially time.  

The 90-Day Trial: Reactions, Adjustments & Results

We announced the Inker Friday trial to the team in February. Every other Friday, folks could spend the day however they wanted – whether it was volunteering at a local animal shelter, rediscovering their passion for a certain hobby, or simply taking the time to catch up on work and then relax. As you can imagine, we were met with resounding excitement and enthusiasm. We rolled out a guidebook that contained:

• Guiding rules and best practices to ensure Inker Fridays were successful.
• Our measurement of trial success, including team surveys, account lead assessment, client feedback and more.
• Our 90-day schedule – complete with two teams for alternating ‘flex weeks’ to ensure accounts were fully covered at all times.
• FAQs to ensure common questions and concerns were answered clearly.

Team pulse surveys were critical in measuring the sentiment, productivity and stress levels of our employees as we worked less hours. Each week, the data got stronger as we tweaked the program and made improvement. By the time Memorial Day rolled around, the results were in: the trial was a huge success. One hundred percent of employees valued the benefit and wanted it to continue – and 100% rated their happiness and engagement at Corporate Ink as a 4 or a 5 (on a 5-point scale). Inker Fridays were here to stay.

Like Greg expected back at Kings, the success didn’t come overnight. But everyone saw the potential gain and was committed to rolling with the punches and working through the challenges. We quickly got better at planning and prioritizing, as well as helping our colleagues who were off that week. We became more efficient and effective. Success was a team effort made possible with extreme accountability and collaboration, and an intense focus on results over process.  

Present Day: Working Less is Better

Our official Inker Friday program began this summer. In August, we shared the program with clients – which until that point, was totally invisible due to our seamless transition and dedication to great service. We received incredible feedback, which speaks to our clients’ innovative mindsets (check out WorkStep showing support in their LinkedIn post!).

Given the program’s all-around success, we encourage our team to actively question other antiquated workplace norms. We strive to be on the cutting-edge of other new trends that serve our people and maintain our 100% retention rate. We’re inspired to push boundaries, try new things, and measure what matters most (for example, our results instead of hours). 

It’s all possible because we have a top-notch team – that not only entertains our crazy ideas, but helps us make them a reality. We can’t wait to see how our Inker Friday program evolves, and what’s in store for Corporate Ink in 2023.

Interested in joining the greatest and most innovative team in PR? Check out our LinkedIn page for open job opportunities or connect with us via HR@corporateink.com.