4-day workweek was cure for employee burnout at Primary online

Millions of Americans are quitting their jobs and rethinking what they want when it comes to work and work-life balance. Companies are responding, meeting their employees’ needs in areas like remote work, flexible hours, four-day workweeks, compensation and more. This story is part of a series looking at the “Great Reshuffle” and the shift in workplace culture that is taking place right now.

Online children’s clothing retailer Primary’s four-day workweek was born out of the harsh impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on its employees.

Endless weeks of juggling work and home life were taking their toll on workers.

“Everyone was just really burnt out by the end of the week,” said Christina Carbonell, Primary’s co-founder and co-CEO.

“When folks were coming back in on Monday, people were just not refreshed and it was affecting productivity,” she said.

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In May 2020, the New York-based company shortened its workweek, and Carbonell noticed an instant change, with people showing up to work rejuvenated.

That perk has since become part of the culture — and will be carried over after the public health crisis passes, as long as it works the way it’s intended. That means focused employees and no drop in productivity.

“It does feel life-changing, knowing that you have that day to catch up on everything, whether it’s thinking about a hard work problem or grabbing a doctor’s appointment that you haven’t gotten around to,” said Galyn Bernard, co-founder and co-CEO at Primary.

An online-only retailer, Primary doesn’t have the hassle of staffing bricks-and-mortar shops. Its 60 employees work regular hours Monday through Thursday, except for the customer support team, which is staffed on a four-day schedule that includes Friday. The pay rate is not downsized to reflect the shortened week.

Efficiency is seen as key. What’s more, meetings have been trimmed — and some hours are blocked off as meeting-free.

With the four-day workweek in place, deadlines for seasonal launches weren’t changed and products arrived in the warehouses on time.

“We didn’t have to back off of our ambition or our goals, or lighten up the workload for people,” Bernard said. “They really rose to the occasion.”

Primary’s leadership team cites twin goals: employees’ wellness combined with the company’s overall success.

The changes at Primary are happening during the so-called Great Reshuffle era, with Americans walking away from their jobs in…