Safeguard Global’s four-day workweek looked like a win—until burnout and secret Friday work pushed its CEO to ditch the mandate

Safeguard Global, an Austin-based workforce management company, initially piloted a four-day workweek in 2023 to boost recruitment and retention. However, the company soon realized that the arrangement was not universally effective. Employees began working longer hours to finish tasks before Friday, leading to burnout, while others secretly worked on Fridays and felt pressured to catch up, ultimately undermining the intended culture.

As a result, CEO Bjorn Reynolds shifted to a more flexible approach, allowing employees to choose their own working hours and days. The company now focuses on outcome-based measurements of performance, rather than strictly enforcing traditional working hours. For example, customer service representatives are evaluated based on account growth, customer satisfaction, and response times.

This shift towards outcome-focused management allows employees to prioritize critical tasks and align their work with the organization's broader goals, while fostering a more balanced and productive work environment.