Treehouse Island Inc., a Delaware corporation is changing people’s perception of the typical 5-day workweek. The online education company, founded in 2010 has a yearly revenue growth of over 120% and owes it success to less demanding workweeks.

Treehouse employs 70 full-time employees at the same salary as other tech company workers but they are doing something a little different. Instead of the traditional 5-day workweek, Treehouse employees only work a 4-day workweek, a total of 32 hours. Clearly, the company is doing something right. With more than 70,000 customers, Treehouse is generating over $10,000 a year in sales.

So what does this mean for your business? The business schedule developed by Treehouse has been studied and incorporated by other companies as well.

FOUR-DAY WORK WEEKS

After starting their own business in 2006 and dedicating 7 days a week, CEO Ryan Carson and his wife decided to limit the hours they worked to 4-days a week. In an attempt to alleviate stress and create a higher standard of living, Carson discovered that fewer hours at work equaled more efficiency.

Carson then decided to instate the same philosophy for his newest business, Treehouse. The company benefits from the shorter workweeks because it has increased “output and morale.” The work quality has also increased because employees are more eager and efficient in the 32 hours they work. Carson goes on to say that employees are “invigorated and excited” when returning to work on Mondays and cannot wait to get their workweek started.

In Sweden, public-sector employees have engaged in a new social experiment. Employees work a 6-hour day rather than the more traditional 9-5 8-hour workdays. The experiment acknowledges both the social and economic benefits associated with shorter hours.

Just like Treehouse Inc., the Swedish study found that fewer work hours equate to greater leisure and higher standards of life for employees. The study goes on to find that companies will benefit from employees who have worked fewer hours because they are refreshed, happy and focused on work.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, employees who work longer hours have poorer health and higher mortality rates; leading to a less productive work quality.

NO INTERNAL EMAILS

Another key to Treehouse’s success is the company’s ban on internal emails. Treehouse aims to avoid interrupting employees who are in the middle of a job. Rather, employees will post their questions on an online forum such as Convoy.

No emails allow for a “pull” system rather than a “push.” A push system, such as emailing, pushes information onto employees who are in the middle of a project rather than allowing them to pull the information they need when they need it. The Convoy system allows employees to post their ideas, comments, jokes, and funny videos without bombarding employee inboxes.

The ban on internal emails probably also leads to a more efficient work product. Most employees who receive internal emails usually receive them when they are at home with their families. Which actually increases their workday to more than 8 hours. Rather than leaving work at work, employees must respond to their employers and colleagues’ demanding emails. Not giving them an opportunity to relax and unwind after their demanding workday.

A new French law prevents employers from requiring their employees to check and respond to work emails after office hours. There is a concern however those employees would still feel pressured to read their emails after the workday has ended. Therefore, the question still remains whether or not the law is actually enforceable.

As a result, the ban initiated by Treehouse seems to be both plausible and successful. With a complete ban on internal emails, employees receive approximately 20 emails a day. All of which are from an external source. As a result, there is no work to take home and when the clock strikes 6:00 on Thursday evening; employees are really off work and left to go home.

Such a business motto has received a lot of attention lately by other companies as well. Recently, Reusser Inc., announced that they too have moved to a 4-day workweek and give an extensive list of reasons why they find it more efficient for their business.

With small businesses growing and the times changing, maybe developing a similar business motto will help business grow. It is a risk that does not seem to scary to take, with a benefit that can prove be significant.

Topics: Business Tips, Delaware, Small Business, Startups