Leeds-based integrated marketing agency Ponderosa has officially made the move to a nine-day-fortnight, following a successful nine-month trial.
Employees will now have every other Friday off, alternating between two teams so every client always has a contactable representative.
The agency says there will be no loss to salary, benefits, or holiday entitlement connected to the move.
Richard Midgley, founder and CEO of Ponderosa, said: “Long before the pandemic, we implemented an agency-wide early finish every Friday. Between market changes, Brexit, COVID, wars – the world has changed, and so have we. The nine-day fortnight is a key initiative to drive forward our wider ambitions around health and wellbeing within the workplace.”
Sophie Bennett, MD, added, “Fostering this new way of working allows us to free up more time for our team to do the things they love – whether that’s exercising, spending time with family, or even traveling. Our ambition is to instil an enriching, balanced environment that maintains our high levels of retention, whilst also attracting a new, diverse range of talent.”
The trial reported that 97 per cent of staff felt better rested, with more than three quarters (85 per cent) experiencing a better work-life balance.
Based in Leeds, Ponderosa employs more than 50 members of staff across multiple marketing disciplines, including brand communications, creative, digital, social media, and web development.
Ponderosa has built insight-led marketing campaigns for a host of high-profile brands, including Russell Hobbs, Moonpig, Hisense, Quorn, George Foreman, and Dr. Oetker. Founded in 2010, it’s now part of Audience Collective – a network of specialised agencies comprising over 200 communications experts across the UK and Middle East.
