Motio has begun its nine-day working fortnight, or ten days in nine, this week after recently completing a three-month trial.
The place-based and audience experience media company grappled with the concept of a four-day work week, opting instead for a nine-day fortnight where it was found that work over nine days was possible and more efficient.
The Sydney-based team has a growing team of 27, all of whom are happy to take on a heavier load over nine days to have every second Friday off.
Motio’s CEO Adam Cadwallader said: “We wanted to take the best of lockdown and, frankly, ditch the worst of it. Our team have been delighted to be back in the office and working together, but this has added a real level of excitement and a definite change in productivity for the better.”
Adam Cadwallader
The company offers the new nine-day fortnight without any change in pay or conditions, but there are a few rules, and some adjustments have been made. The company is split into two groups, with a ‘buddy’ system to ensure customers or enquiries don’t slip through the cracks.
Cadwallader added: “We are doing it nine months of the year with December, January, and April exempt giving team members around 18 additional days to enjoy throughout the year and an additional three weeks off if you lined the days up”.
Gordon D’Mello, product and marketing manager at Motio, said he was extremely excited about the recent changes but conceded that perhaps once or twice throughout the year, staff may choose a work from home scenario to ensure that productivity is maintained.
“We are a small, growing business and we want to keep it that way, but everyone is totally pumped for the extra time to refuel and re-energize. It’s that flexibility to balance your work, while understanding the power of in-person office collaboration, all with a tangible reward in the extra time off that has certainly got me excited for the year ahead.”
Gordon D’Mello
Motio are far from taking a leaf out of Elon Musk’s book, but the company does like their team to be in the office when they can.
“I totally understand people wanting to work from home, and for larger businesses that can certainly work. For Motio, we have a view that growth is every day and whilst the flexibility is always there if people need it, working in the office certainly has a positive knock-on effect for our business,” Cadwallader conceded.
While D’Mello said the idea that people need to be at their desk to be seen as ‘working’ is ridiculous, communication would be key to making the concept a success.
“We know what we need to do, we have excellent management systems in place and the team can measure and self-regulate what they need to do. I believe in our team here, and as long as we communicate it’s going to be a great program for Motio and our team,” D’Mello added.