The increase in productivity linked to technological progress has led some Swiss companies to reduce their workweek to four days. However, this change implies ensuring certain conditions. Stefan Planzer, director of the digital marketing firm Addvanto, shares insights after successfully implementing this change.
Businesses must ramp up their creativity to attract the best talent in a highly competitive job market. The four-day workweek has now permeated public discourse emerging as a societal issue across Europe. However, the model struggles to gain traction in the workplace. Nevertheless, reducing working hours holds strong potential to enhance the appeal of SMEs, particularly against larger competitors with greater financial resources. Stefan Planzer, Director of the digital marketing company Addvanto, was one of the first Swiss companies to introduce the four-day workweek in 2022, reflects on the challenges of implementing such an arrangement.
What are the reasons that prompted you to transition from a five-day to a four-day workweek?
Stefan Planzer: The nature of work and related tasks in digital marketing have significantly evolved over the past 20 years. We've transitioned from traditional advertising billboards and TV spots to a fully digital landscape, characterized by data processing, automation, algorithms, and more. Such a shift naturally impacts the profiles we seek. We often find ourselves competing with large corporations that can offer high salaries to their employees. As an SME, we’ve had to find a way to stand out. Implementing a four-day workweek has boosted our attractiveness. Previously, we would receive a few dozen applications per job posting. Today, we easily reach over a hundred applications.
What role did the health crisis play in this operational change?
Planzer: The successive lockdowns laid the groundwork because they forced us to adopt new working methods quickly and efficiently. Immediately following the crisis, we maintained remote work for a while. Now that the health restrictions have been lifted, we have reverted to a model largely centered on in-person work. Remote work indeed adds an additional challenge to our highly interdisciplinary and agile project management. Interactions among colleagues, vital for the smooth functioning of operations, flow much more smoothly and effectively in person than remotely. And it is precisely by enhancing efficiency that a company can afford to offer its employees an extra day off.
How did you practically implement this four-day workweek?
Planzer: Initially, we had to consider the implications of this new arrangement in terms of employment contracts, client management, work routines, and the need for new monitoring tools. We also devised a contingency plan in case we needed to revert to a five-day week. The only mistake we made was allowing employees to choose their day off, which resulted in teams that were never fully staffed, and therefore never operating at full capacity. This made project management and progress very challenging at times. The teams quickly voiced their frustration, prompting us to agree on a common day off for everyone: Friday.
We were able to make this change because our teams were performing well, and we were already well-positioned in the market. Despite all the benefits of the four-day week, it's important to remember that such a change entails a transition period that can be chaotic.
Belgium introduced the four-day workweek into its labor code in 2022. However, the number of weekly working hours remains unchanged. How does it work at Addvanto?
Planzer: We've implemented a "true" four-day workweek, with a workload equivalent to 34 hours per week. Our model isn't based on hours spent in the office, but rather on the productivity of our teams. This approach rewards efficiency but also requires us to be proactive. To ensure the model works sustainably, we ensure our clients and partners aren't disadvantaged by our absence on Fridays. Some specific cases may require us to work a few hours for a client on Fridays, and we're flexible in this regard. However, our operating method encourages us to set deadlines earlier to ensure we never fall behind during this workday.
Have you observed any improvements regarding the well-being and health of your employees?
Planzer: It's a somewhat difficult metric to measure accurately. Sick leave days have decreased slightly, by around a fifth to a quarter. More notably, I've observed a surplus of motivation and positive attitude among our staff. They take pride in working for us and appreciate the benefits, readily sharing their satisfaction with others. In the past two years, we've even hired a few individuals through employee recommendations, and no employees have left.
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