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Branding
We adopted the 4-day workweek.
100% of Bruno's members are in favor of the 4-day work week. Um. 77% of French workers are in favor of the 4-day work week. This is at least the finding of the February edition of the AGPI Economy Barometer, Challenges, and BFM Business.
Here, we adopted the model as of 2023. The idea was launched during a conversation: the team wanted to test it, we studied the question, and we implemented it. The rhythm is more suited to our professions and aligns with our vision of work. We have no regrets, and we will explain why.
Rebalancing our lives
Well-being is not limited to the conditions in which we perform our jobs. In our view, it resides in the balance between personal life and professional life: finding a place for work, a place for loved ones, a place for oneself.
By adding an extra hour of work each day, the free time we have left for the evening is not significantly reduced. Yet, we gain a whole day of freedom. This means:
Having this day for administrative tasks, medical or personal appointments, and taking care of home matters.
When our loved ones do not live nearby, visiting them earlier and thus longer, without feeling like we are running everywhere.
Having extra time for personal projects, passions, and fulfilling aspirations.
Thanks to this extension of rest time, creating a genuine disconnection from work and reducing stress.
Taking care of oneself: the box is checked. As for the health of one’s company, some remain skeptical and fear a drop in productivity. Honestly, it’s almost the opposite.
Healthy performance
Contrary to popular belief, the 4-day work week is incredibly productive. At Bruno, the amount of work done has not decreased. Inspiration, essential in our creative professions, cannot happen if we constantly have our heads down. Having the time to enrich ourselves outside of work, but also to rest our minds, allows us to come back even stronger. To be more relevant. And ultimately, more efficient.
Not to mention better efficiency, this way of working can also limit absenteeism and sick leave. Knowing that long-term sick leave is on the rise and that many of them are related to burnout, it seems crucial to find a way to lighten the mental load of employees.
Let’s be frank, the 4-day work week is also a key argument for recruitment. Like our peers, it’s a talent war: in a tight job market, choosing to focus on well-being and innovation attracts qualified candidates. A favorable work environment means reduced turnover. Being attentive to one’s employees also means retaining them.
Implementing the 4-day work week
Changing the way we work is not always easy. Plan, communicate, internally and with your clients. Here are some tips for making the transition as smooth as possible:
Every company is unique and must adapt. We, to fit in an extra hour of work each day, arrive a bit earlier and leave a bit later. This allows us to maintain a reasonable hour for the lunch break, which is dear to our culture of good living.
Concentration over a longer period is a challenge. We do not hesitate to set aside break times and to vary tasks throughout the day.
We think of our clients. To ensure continuous follow-up, our executives continue to work 5 days a week. For the rest of the team, we have a rotation of days off: 50% on Monday, 50% on Friday.
We must anticipate as much as possible. Planning tasks, client feedback, expectations, and requests for the week informs about deadlines. We also make our clients aware of our organization to avoid disappointments if a response is not handled on the day off. No unpleasant surprises.
Overall, the 4-day work week is widely appreciated by the team and has positive impacts on our way of working. So, why deprive ourselves of it?
100% of Bruno's members are in favor of the 4-day work week. Um. 77% of French workers are in favor of the 4-day work week. This is at least the finding of the February edition of the AGPI Economy Barometer, Challenges, and BFM Business.
Here, we adopted the model as of 2023. The idea was launched during a conversation: the team wanted to test it, we studied the question, and we implemented it. The rhythm is more suited to our professions and aligns with our vision of work. We have no regrets, and we will explain why.
Rebalancing our lives
Well-being is not limited to the conditions in which we perform our jobs. In our view, it resides in the balance between personal life and professional life: finding a place for work, a place for loved ones, a place for oneself.
By adding an extra hour of work each day, the free time we have left for the evening is not significantly reduced. Yet, we gain a whole day of freedom. This means:
Having this day for administrative tasks, medical or personal appointments, and taking care of home matters.
When our loved ones do not live nearby, visiting them earlier and thus longer, without feeling like we are running everywhere.
Having extra time for personal projects, passions, and fulfilling aspirations.
Thanks to this extension of rest time, creating a genuine disconnection from work and reducing stress.
Taking care of oneself: the box is checked. As for the health of one’s company, some remain skeptical and fear a drop in productivity. Honestly, it’s almost the opposite.
Healthy performance
Contrary to popular belief, the 4-day work week is incredibly productive. At Bruno, the amount of work done has not decreased. Inspiration, essential in our creative professions, cannot happen if we constantly have our heads down. Having the time to enrich ourselves outside of work, but also to rest our minds, allows us to come back even stronger. To be more relevant. And ultimately, more efficient.
Not to mention better efficiency, this way of working can also limit absenteeism and sick leave. Knowing that long-term sick leave is on the rise and that many of them are related to burnout, it seems crucial to find a way to lighten the mental load of employees.
Let’s be frank, the 4-day work week is also a key argument for recruitment. Like our peers, it’s a talent war: in a tight job market, choosing to focus on well-being and innovation attracts qualified candidates. A favorable work environment means reduced turnover. Being attentive to one’s employees also means retaining them.
Implementing the 4-day work week
Changing the way we work is not always easy. Plan, communicate, internally and with your clients. Here are some tips for making the transition as smooth as possible:
Every company is unique and must adapt. We, to fit in an extra hour of work each day, arrive a bit earlier and leave a bit later. This allows us to maintain a reasonable hour for the lunch break, which is dear to our culture of good living.
Concentration over a longer period is a challenge. We do not hesitate to set aside break times and to vary tasks throughout the day.
We think of our clients. To ensure continuous follow-up, our executives continue to work 5 days a week. For the rest of the team, we have a rotation of days off: 50% on Monday, 50% on Friday.
We must anticipate as much as possible. Planning tasks, client feedback, expectations, and requests for the week informs about deadlines. We also make our clients aware of our organization to avoid disappointments if a response is not handled on the day off. No unpleasant surprises.
Overall, the 4-day work week is widely appreciated by the team and has positive impacts on our way of working. So, why deprive ourselves of it?
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Bruno
Drafting @Bruno