A whole two days off from work, in which we can do what we please, has only recently become a near-universal right. It has been the norm in the UK since 1926, for India in 1929, and for Australia, since 1948, only 74 years ago.

The two days set aside for socialising, sleeping in, and brunching in the afternoon always loom on the horizon. For most of us, life assumes a different rhythm on the weekend; we clean the house, cut the grass, and wash the car. We also go to the movies, we exercise and play games. 

Remember the saying, "Thank God it's Friday"? Or the acronym 'TGIF'?

At Alphalake, there's not much reason to use it. "Why?" you ask?

Well, we have just adopted a 4-day work week where Fridays will be permanently off and Alphalakers will be having an extended weekend every week! There's no catch — the same exact wages will be paid as if you were working those hours on a Friday.

There's work, and then there's your life outside work — and Alphalake Ai gets that.

According to the Founder & CEO, Olly Cogan, he says he's been implementing four-day workweeks since March:

"We decided to implement the 4-day week for a number of reasons. We see this as something that will become increasingly normal over the coming years, and we're a progressive bunch! We want people to be energised and driven when they are at work, and a four day week is a great way to enable that.

The challenge for me is how we balance that with our ambitions to grow as a business and drive the positive impact in healthcare that motivates us as a team. Being a startup, we all have to work hard to get our message heard and translate our vision to the market. We also support automated workflows and environments for our customers that require 24/7 focus.

This is requiring our Projects and ServiceHub teams to transition to shift working that incorporates the workday to weekend ratio of 4:3. The rest of the company is 'proactively operational' from Monday to Thursday. We all expect to on occasion have to do some work on a weekend, which now extends to a Friday, just like they may have had to if there was a tight deadline or were behind on work.

It's not without its challenges, but for us, this state of transition is absolutely worth it. It doesn't present issues but rather things we need to work through as a team to develop the right culture that drives success but in a sustainable way. All part of the fun for a team of problem-solvers!

Project planning factors in a 4-day week. Services teams work out shifts that cover the extended weekend and everyone shares a collective understanding that we must work together to build structure, and effective communications and always measure success, for both ourselves and our customers."

Hear from two of our employees on how they find our hybrid work model with the 4-day work week implemented:

"I love Hybrid working as it allows me to be comfortable and productive at work whilst not having to spend unnecessary time and money on commute. I am a lot better rested and, therefore, happier at work. My Fridays consist of home errands which would normally be crammed into work nights. I also love to play music, kick back and watch movies." - Michal Marcewicz, Content Designer

"I love having a flexible working week! It allows me to have a better balance of work and home life! I find that it helps me enjoy working more, and I still have enough time to get the jobs I need to get done. I tend to make my Fridays off a day for going for walks and exploring with my dog; I also love that I get an extra day to see and spend time with my family. As that's something really important to me!" - Bea Mercer, Customer Success Manager UK&I

Here at Alphalake Ai, we set healthy boundaries and allow Alphalakers to be the best versions of themselves for both work and in life. Our offices and people span three continents and five countries, and we embody the "#FutureOfWork", working as a close-knit team, embracing modern collaboration and team-working to give our automation clients in healthcare and human services follow-the-sun support and 24/7 operational capability.

We recognise that the world of work is changing. A 4 day work week is no longer an "if" for most organisations, it has now become a question of "when".