Lessons learnt in implementing a 9-day fortnight

In recent years, many businesses across various industries have begun re-evaluating traditional work structures. Back in October 2024, here at Macmillan Davies, we boldly decided to permanently implement a 9-day fortnight. While the journey has been rewarding, it has not been without its challenges and lessons. Here Managing Director, Darren Hayman shares a candid look at what we've learned so far.

Understanding the why

The decision to adopt a 9-day fortnight was not taken lightly. Our primary goals were to enhance employee well-being, attract and retain top talent, and maintain, or hopefully, improve productivity. The idea emerged from the results of our annual engagement survey, where employee welfare was identified as a top priority.

Lesson: Clearly communicate the ‘why’ behind the initiative to all stakeholders. This transparency fostered trust and helped to address scepticism early on.

Planning and trialling

Implementing a 9-day fortnight required meticulous planning. We began with a quarter-long pilot programme, followed by a break to analyse the results. This approach allowed us to focus on productivity rather than simply tracking hours. Scheduling was one of the first challenges: ensuring that reduced hours wouldn't compromise client service or internal collaboration. The teams were split into two, with Fridays designated as the rest day.

Lesson: A trial period is invaluable. It allowed us to test assumptions, gather feedback, and make data-driven adjustments before rolling out changes company-wide.

Braving volatility

Launching this initiative during a period of market volatility was particularly brave. We understood the risks but remained committed to prioritising employee welfare while maintaining business performance.

Lesson: Bold decisions during uncertain times can yield meaningful results when backed by clear goals and data.

Communication is key

Transparent and ongoing communication was a cornerstone of our implementation strategy—internally, at least. While we didn’t broadcast the new working arrangement to clients, our consultants ensured that clients were informed about who was managing their work during rest days. This approach helped to maintain client confidence and ensured seamless service delivery.

However, not all of our communication was perfect. When we ended the trial and took a break to analyse the results, we didn’t provide a clear date to the team for full implementation. This caused uncertainty among the team and could have been handled better. Reflecting on this, I recognise that providing stronger communication at this stage would have offered more clarity and reassurance.

Lesson: Open lines of communication mitigate resistance and foster a sense of shared ownership in the change. Even when challenges arise, we know that honest and clear updates are essential to maintaining trust.

Flexibility within structure

We quickly learned that a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn't work. While most employees embraced the 9-day fortnight, individual circumstances required flexibility. For instance, we still don't have a solution for part-time employees, although we currently don’t have any in our team. Additionally, our office attendance policy—one day per week in the office—has helped balance collaboration with flexibility.

Another unique challenge arises with single-person roles, such as operations and marketing. For these individuals, communication is particularly key to ensure last-minute tasks aren’t handed to them on Thursday nights, disrupting their ability to fully benefit from their rest day. Similarly, when consultants are managing offers, they often prefer to oversee this critical process themselves, even if it falls on their rest day, to maintain a seamless candidate and client experience.

To maintain fairness and structure, we do not allow staff to swap their designated rest days. Additionally, the usual rules for carrying annual leave across years remain unchanged. This ensures that leave is appropriately distributed, and we avoid a situation where employees build up excessive unused leave and take all of December as annual leave.

Lesson: Balance structure with adaptability. It is important to recognise that not every team or individual will have the same needs or challenges.

Measuring success

We defined clear metrics to measure the success of the initiative, such as employee satisfaction, retention rates, and productivity levels. Regularly reviewing these metrics allowed us to assess the initiative's impact and address areas needing improvement.

Lesson: Data-driven insights are crucial to understanding what works and what doesn't. We need to be prepared to pivot if the results indicate issues.

Challenges faced

While the 9-day fortnight has been a largely positive change, it hasn’t been without hurdles. Balancing workloads on shortened weeks, addressing client perceptions, and ensuring equitable workloads among staff were some of the key challenges we navigated. Additionally, the conscientiousness of our team—while commendable—sometimes blurs the boundaries between rest and work.

Lesson: Anticipate challenges and address them proactively. We always aim to be open to feedback and willing to iterate on the model.

The results so far

The benefits of the 9-day fortnight have been clear. Employee engagement and satisfaction have risen, absenteeism has decreased, and our productivity has remained stable. Moreover, it has positioned Macmillan Davies as an employer of choice in a competitive market. This is particularly noteworthy given that we are a small team of 10 spread across three offices in London, Manchester, and Birmingham.

Lesson: Positive outcomes are possible with thoughtful implementation and consistent monitoring.

Market insights

Our experience aligns with broader market trends. A survey by Hays UK revealed that over a quarter (28%) of employers have implemented or are considering implementing a 9-day fortnight. Additionally, 68% of professionals indicated they would be tempted to move to an organisation offering this working pattern. These statistics underscore the growing appeal of flexible work arrangements in today's employment landscape.

Lesson: Staying attuned to market trends can provide valuable insights and reinforce the benefits of progressive work policies.

Final thoughts

Implementing a 9-day fortnight has been a transformative experience for our business. While the journey required patience, adaptability, and constant communication, the results speak for themselves. For organisations considering a similar move, our advice is simple: plan thoroughly, listen to your people, and stay committed to the process. The rewards can far outweigh the challenges.

Get in touch

Should you wish to have a confidential chat with Darren Hayman to discuss the current HR market, your search for work/recruiting into your team, or how we can support you with psychometric profiling, please contact him directly at dhayman@mdhr.co.uk

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