What happened when we gave everyone Fridays off

Businesses worldwide are exploring ways to improve work-life balance, enhance productivity and attract top talent. At Interlink, we took a bold step forward and moved to a four-day working week. It’s been a resounding success.

Since founding Interlink in 2018 with my business partner, Jay Gorga, we’ve expanded to 120 employees and opened offices in India, Singapore, and the US — alongside our UK HQ. 

We’ve always tried to stay true to our goal of fostering a positive work environment, creating a business where employees feel empowered, engaged, and able to perform at their best. 

We’re proud of being disruptors in our industry and have always wanted to reflect this disruption in our business culture too, challenging norms and conventions to blaze a trail where others can follow. 

With this in mind, we decided to work towards implementing a four-day week. Our overarching aims were to improve employee wellbeing and work-life balance, enhancing employee engagement, retention and job satisfaction, while attracting top-tier talent by offering a progressive work culture. 

At the same time, we were determined to maintain or even improve productivity and client service levels despite reduced working hours.

An 18-month experiment

We knew this wouldn’t be an overnight change and took a methodical approach. Having taken on board advice from 4 Day Week Global, we invested in an 18-month gradual transition. 

This involved setting aside management time to lead the change effectively; investing in legal advice to ensure compliance with tax regulations; implementing tools for increased collaborative working, and investing in office space to optimise the time in the week when people are together as a team. 

By taking an iterative approach, testing different ways of working to find the most effective process, we were able to ensure productivity remained high while team members adapted to the schedule. 

For the first six months, everyone reduced their hours to a 4.5-day week, which was followed by six months of alternate teams working every other Friday. 

For the next six months, we implemented a full trial of a four-day work week before moving to a permanent change. Our approach is 100% pay, 80% hours, 100% output.

To make sure the change worked for everyone, including our customers, we introduced an automated urgent inbox for Friday queries for uninterrupted client service. In the interests of fairness and inclusion, the flexible work model applies equally across all roles and levels. 

And, to prevent isolation, we’ve doubled-down on our community values by implementing structured office days, virtual collaboration tools and various team-building initiatives in the year. 

Sick leave and resignations plummeted

Reassuringly, the results of our four-day working week have been overwhelmingly positive. Interlink stands out in the job market and has attracted 12 high-calibre candidates in the past year alone, which make up over 25% of our HR workforce. 

At the same time, our retention rate has stayed above 90%, with only three voluntary departures in the past year, well below the average for our industry. 

Not only have we been awarded the ‘Great Place to Work’ certification for three years in a row (with an average 90% satisfaction score), but an internal survey revealed a 15% boost in employee satisfaction related to flexible working and benefits. 

We’ve also seen a 12% reduction in sickness absence, which is now only two days per employee in a rolling 12-month period.

When it comes to business performance, we hit 100% of our revenue targets in 2023 and 2024 along with year-on-year growth; all evidence that a reduction in hours does not mean a reduction in productivity. And, our client retention rate is way above industry average, highlighting that there’s been no negative impact on customer service either.  

TGIF

Moving to a four-day week was never just about reducing hours, but instead a concerted effort to nurture a healthier, more productive and engaged workforce. 

We’ve shown that flexibility and performance can go hand in hand, setting a precedent for other businesses looking to embrace the future of work.

As Interlink continues to grow and evolve, we remain committed to balancing employee wellbeing with business success. Watch this space. 

Andrew McLernon, co-founder and CEO of Interlink

Andy is the co-founder and CEO of Interlink, a global company delivering AI-powered, cost-effective lead generation for enterprise tech businesses. An EY Entrepreneur of the Year Nominee (2024) and passionate 4-Day Week advocate, he launched Interlink in 2018 with co-founder Jay Gorga to bridge the gap between sales and marketing through ethical, transparent solutions.

Learn more about Interlink

March signalled the start of a four-day week pilot for tech businesses. Find out why technology and software is an ideal sector for the four-day week.