At 37signals, we work four days a week during the summer. It's called Summer Hours.
I remember reading about it long before I joined and thinking it sounded pretty great. And it won’t surprise you to learn, it really is. What a privilege!
It normally lasts from May—August, but this year, we launched Basecamp 5 in May, so we went with June—September. Even better.
The logistics are simple. You work four days each week and take one day off. Most take Friday or Monday, but you work that out with your team to make sure things are covered.
What makes this more feasible is that we're not closed one day a week. That means progress is still happening, people are getting help, and we're covered if something urgent pops up. Customers don’t have to adjust to our schedule.
There’s something magical about shifting your rhythms when school ends for the year, the weather warms up, and summer travel season starts. Having a little more margin to explore your town, take some long weekend trips, or just catch up on projects makes a real difference.
But it’s not just that summer is better, it’s that fall is, too. The shift back to normal weeks makes it feel new and different. School starts, the leaves start to change (can you tell I live in the northeast?), and you feel rejuvenated to jump into new things.
It’s like intervals when you’re working out. You can go further because you're not just pushing through at the exact same pace indefinitely.
I get that it's a hard sell for most companies. Four-day work weeks sound like fantasy (imagine how much more popular AI would be if that's what it made possible), and even a whole summer might seem like too much. But maybe try a month or six weeks next year and see how it goes. You'll be surprised at how little productivity changes. We’re all calibrated for what we accomplish in a week and usually deliver something pretty close. Drop most meetings during this time, too, and you're 90% there!
Friday is our last summer day this year. I’m going to enjoy the beautiful weather, visit a local museum, maybe go out to dinner. I’ll do laundry, go to an appointment, and maybe do a little work, too.
Mostly, I’ll be grateful for the margin and flexibility, and staying true to the rhythm of the seasons.
I remember reading about it long before I joined and thinking it sounded pretty great. And it won’t surprise you to learn, it really is. What a privilege!
It normally lasts from May—August, but this year, we launched Basecamp 5 in May, so we went with June—September. Even better.
The logistics are simple. You work four days each week and take one day off. Most take Friday or Monday, but you work that out with your team to make sure things are covered.
What makes this more feasible is that we're not closed one day a week. That means progress is still happening, people are getting help, and we're covered if something urgent pops up. Customers don’t have to adjust to our schedule.
There’s something magical about shifting your rhythms when school ends for the year, the weather warms up, and summer travel season starts. Having a little more margin to explore your town, take some long weekend trips, or just catch up on projects makes a real difference.
But it’s not just that summer is better, it’s that fall is, too. The shift back to normal weeks makes it feel new and different. School starts, the leaves start to change (can you tell I live in the northeast?), and you feel rejuvenated to jump into new things.
It’s like intervals when you’re working out. You can go further because you're not just pushing through at the exact same pace indefinitely.
I get that it's a hard sell for most companies. Four-day work weeks sound like fantasy (imagine how much more popular AI would be if that's what it made possible), and even a whole summer might seem like too much. But maybe try a month or six weeks next year and see how it goes. You'll be surprised at how little productivity changes. We’re all calibrated for what we accomplish in a week and usually deliver something pretty close. Drop most meetings during this time, too, and you're 90% there!
Friday is our last summer day this year. I’m going to enjoy the beautiful weather, visit a local museum, maybe go out to dinner. I’ll do laundry, go to an appointment, and maybe do a little work, too.
Mostly, I’ll be grateful for the margin and flexibility, and staying true to the rhythm of the seasons.