Isn’t it time the ad industry embraces a 4-day week?
Opinion
This industry already thrives on speed, flexibility and constant communication. A shorter working week is not only possible but potentially game-changing.
The four-day week has been hailed as the future of work, yet scepticism lingers in industries like media and advertising, where speed, service and responsiveness are non-negotiable.
Clients don’t wait, journalists don’t wait and deadlines certainly don’t wait. At first glance, cutting a day seems unthinkable.
But from my own time working in the Labour party press office — an environment where immediacy was everything — I know that the very nature of media work makes a shorter working week not only possible but potentially game-changing.
Here’s the crucial point: media work doesn’t pile up. It doesn’t sit around waiting for you to return from a day off. News breaks and someone responds. A client wants feedback and someone steps in.
The work is live and it moves on with or without you. That reality makes rota-based staffing not just feasible but highly effective.
In the Labour press office, we operated on a system where responsibilities shifted seamlessly depending on who was working that day. Journalists didn’t care whether they got me or a colleague — they just needed an answer.
The same is true in an ad agency: as long as someone credible picks up the call, campaigns don’t stall.
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Better rhythm
So how does this translate into a four-day week?
Think about a mid-sized agency with 40 people. Instead of shutting down on Fridays, staff rotate their day off across the week. At any point, 80% of the workforce is on hand — more than enough to keep projects live and clients happy.
When staff return, they’re not drowning in two days’ worth of unread emails, because the work has already moved on. The “catch-up fatigue” that dogs other industries doesn’t bite here.
Of course, this only works with proper planning. Agencies would need to map functions carefully so that every client team and every specialism is covered each day. Strong handovers and a culture of collaboration are essential.
But that’s not new. The media and ad industry already thrives on speed, flexibility and constant communication. Handovers and quick pivots are the job. This is already how most of the major broadcasters operate and a four-day model simply formalises that rhythm in a way that works better for staff.
Furthermore, staff wellbeing should not be an afterthought here.
The media and advertising industry is notorious for burnout. Long nights, “always-on” expectations and the blurring of work-life boundaries have driven too many talented people out.
A four-day week won’t fix everything, but it sends a powerful signal that agencies value sustainability as much as output.
Competitive edge
Finally, there’s a clear competitive edge. Agencies that embrace progressive working patterns won’t just boost morale — they’ll attract and keep the best talent.
Just imagine how much more refreshed your comms team will be with an extra day off every single week — leading to better decisions being made and fewer mistakes.
Younger professionals in particular are already voting with their feet, seeking employers that take flexibility and wellbeing seriously. Offering a four-day week could be a defining factor in retaining the brightest people in a sector built on creativity and ideas.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about working less. It’s about working smarter. Over 50 small and medium-sized advertising and marketing companies in the UK have already made the switch, but it’s time for the four-day week to be embraced more widely.
The media and advertising industry lives and dies on its ability to adapt quickly, share responsibility and deliver under pressure. Those same qualities make it ideally placed to pioneer a shorter working week.
Joe Ryle is campaign director at 4 Day Week Foundation and former Labour party press officer