The Hutch 4 Day Week

The 4 Day Work Week was a natural next step for us to promote productivity, sustainability and better work life balance for our Hutchies. We want the industry to learn alongside us, and use our results to help make working in games the fantastic experience it should be.
Shaun
Shaun

CEO and Founder

Company

Hutch 4 Day Week Confirmed!

Back in June 2022 we began trialling a 4 day week here at Hutch, and we can now officially announce that the 4 Day Week will continue!

The Hutch 4 Day Week

Back in June 2022 we began trialling a 4 day week here at Hutch as part of 4 Day Week Global’s official trial alongside 61 other companies taking part to show the value of a change to working practices. We tried out this new way of working in our 3 offices in London, Dundee and Nova Scotia - tracking our productivity, staff wellbeing and a host of other metrics along the way.

At the end of the trial, we were over the moon to see that our productivity had remained stable, we’d had a lower turnover of staff and higher job offer acceptance rates. And with staff feeling happier and healthier, we decided to keep the 4 Day Week. It’s now been added as a rolling 12 month policy for all our staff (to be reviewed annually).

What We Did

Taking part in the 4 Day Week trial and implementing a shorter week took a lot of preparation and a lot of hard work, but it was worth it!

  • Discussed feasibility at a leadership level

  • Signed up to the 4 Day Week Global trial

  • Shared with the wider team and opened EVERYTHING up for discussion

  • Decided as a company that Friday would be our new day off

  • Kicked off the 6 month trial of a 4 Day Week!

  • Supported staff and as a company learnt how to be more efficient (and how to get our work done in 80% of the time with no extra stress)

  • Tracked various metrics, including productivity and staff wellbeing

  • Discussed the results at end of the trial and decided to stick with the 4 Day Week!

What We Learnt

Along the way, we learnt a lot about ourselves and changed the way we work for the better.

  • Fewer meetings!
    We did a meeting audit and massively reduced the number of meetings across the company. And we introduced meeting guidelines to ensure that we were being efficient with who was being invited to meetings.

  • Focus Time
    We introduced methods like the Pomodoro technique where our team were coached to work with highly productive chunks of time and ensure frequent rest periods. Alongside this, we implemented quiet hours that encourage the team to disconnect from Slack and emails.

  • The Fun Factor
    Some staff were concerned that a 4 Day Work would mean less time for the fun stuff because we would all be focused on getting everything done in a shorter space of time. With this in mind, we're extremely mindful of not becoming ‘all business, no fun” and we're continually exploring new ways to ensure that the social side of Hutch doesn't suffer because we are focused on getting everything done in a shorter space of time.

  • Productivity Days
    We now have a bi-monthly productivity day when we all get together to share productivity hacks and learn new methods of getting more done in a shorter space of time. And it's also a great opportunity for us all to get together!

Advice for New Joiners

Thinking of applying for a job at Hutch but want to find out more about how the 4 Day Week? We've got you covered!

The Hutch Guide to Implementing a 4 Day Week

Are you interested in trying out a 4 Day Week at your company? Or do you wish your workplace would give it a go but they need a bit of help? We've put all of our learnings and guidance in one place!

Company

The 4 Day Week: A Head of Analytics' Story

Our Head of Analytics, Anna shares her 4 Day Week story and how her team have adapted to the shorter week (and the longer weekend!)

People

Hutch Fridays!

Now that we're officially a 4 Day Week company, Friday is the new Saturday! Find out how Brand and Marketing Associate, Vi is spending her free Fridays...

Company

The 4 Day Week: A Head of Brand's Story

Here at Hutch, we've been trialling a 4-day working week since June. Here's Chris, our Head of Brand and Community to talk about his experience so far.
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