Claxon implements permanent 4-day work week following successful three-month trial

Integrated growth agency Claxon has announced the implementation of a permanent four-day work week, effective immediately.

The bold initiative follows a highly successful three-month trial, conducted late-2024, during which the agency condensed its standard 38-hour work week into slightly longer days, Monday through Thursday, allowing the entire team Fridays off.

Unlike other versions of a 4-day week Claxon has not reduced employee hours, nor salaries, ensuring resourcing availability stays the same across the agency.

Says Daniel Willis (pictured below), founder and CEO, Claxon: “This isn’t just about improving culture; it’s about enhancing productivity and performance.  Claxon has a culture of a high-performance team, and one that runs at incredible pace with precision, and I wanted to see firsthand how an additional day of rest each week would enable our team to continue to perform long term at peak levels.

“The results exceeded our expectations, and I’m thrilled to report that not only did we maintain our high standards, the entire team flourished, and clients are also experiencing new and invigorated teams.”

While Friday is no longer a standard workday, Claxon’s team are still available for clients in case the agency needs to action anything of high importance.

Says Willis: “I’ve read all the studies and spoken with lots of other people both for and against us trailing it, plus pre-trial I personally notified all clients and offered them a direct line to me to share any concerns of issues they had at any time. Not only were there no client issues but many commented to team members during the trial that everyone seemed to be happier and more dialled in.”

Before mandating the change to a 4-day week, Willis surveyed all staff and asked for their genuine experiences, positive negative or otherwise saying he was blown away by the meaningful positive impact that it had on not only their professional, but their personal lives: “There seems to be a belief in agency-world that 4-day weeks don’t work – clients won’t be accepting, and that it just doesn’t ‘fit’. Well, I can confidently say that’s incorrect. If a highly collaborative, integrated and high-performance team like Claxon can do it, any agency can make it work.

“I know that there have been a couple of other brave founders who run on a 9-day fortnight, but the reality is team members ultimately end up with much more work to do when they return as the work has continued in their absence. Having a whole of agency 4-day week eliminates this and truly allows team members to switch off.”

While increased productivity was the goal, the initiative is already proving to be a significant drawcard for talent. Since the trial began, Claxon has advertised four new roles, with 50% of cover letters referencing the four-day work week as a key attraction.

In addition to the four-day week, Claxon has also embraced a hybrid work model, allowing staff to work two days in the office and now two days remotely, alongside Flextime options that cater to diverse schedules, but it is the 4-day week innovation that has proved to be a winner for staff and clients alike.

Says Jade Axford, chief growth officer, Claxon: “You sometimes hear of these mythical 4-day weeks, in companies far-far-away, but getting to experience what I have over the last few months makes me wonder why more companies aren’t brave enough to try. My productivity is through the roof and as are my happiness levels – it is an amazing feeling not to run out of energy during the week.”

Adds Willis: “A company is only as good as its people – and if you have happy, refreshed, engaged team members – then half the battle of building a successful company has already been won.”