When we introduced the six hour workday, it was not a stunt. It was a choice to design a company around focus and sustainable performance. We kept full pay, cut the on-site hours, and rebuilt our habits so that every hour mattered. More than a decade later, we can say it works in practice, not only in theory.
Shorter days forced real prioritization. Vague tasks do not survive. Meetings are shorter and rarer. Decisions move faster because there is no room to wait. The effect is simple. People come in rested, do the work that moves the needle, and go home on time. The next day they repeat it with the same energy. Productivity is not about counting hours. It is about protecting attention and momentum.
A stronger team with shorter days
From the start we believed quality would rise when fatigue dropped. That is what we have seen. Fewer mistakes. Clearer communication. Better handovers. Teams collaborate better when no one is running on empty. The six hour day became a structure that rewards efficiency instead of endurance.
It changed how we think about growth. We fix processes that waste time. We automate where it helps. We remove busywork that only looks like progress. The result is better output.
Recruitment really improved. People apply because the promise is real. That gives us a larger pool and a better chance to hire the right person, something we have said publicly for years and that outside media have noted as well.
We don’t expect less
It also shaped our culture. We expect high standards during the hours we are at work. We expect self-driven development and curiosity over time. We give people room to choose where they go deeper. That balance of structure and freedom keeps motivation high as the employee engagement surveys during my time as CEO was record high.
Misconceptions about our 6 hour work days
There are common misconceptions. One is that shorter days are a political statement. For us it was a business decision. We wanted a workplace that could deliver strong results over many years, not one that sprints until it collapses. Another is that fewer hours must mean weaker delivery. Our experience points the other way. Focus beats sheer time when the work is complex and creative, which outside coverage of our story has also reflected.
What about the bottom line. A shorter day only works if clients get what they pay for and the company stays healthy. That has been our filter since the beginning. We look at the work that actually drives outcomes for clients and remove the rest. We do the work better and faster because we designed the day for it. Press coverage and our own notes over the years tell the same story. The model helps us keep talent, keep quality and keep pace.
After more than ten years, the lesson is clear. Working less can make you achieve more when you build the system around it. Protect attention. Cut the noise. Keep the bar high. People will do their best work and go home with energy left for life. That is the kind of performance that lasts.