Four summers in: what I got wrong about Summer Fridays

I'm a Gen Xer raised on a farm. My grandfather’s favorite hymn was “Work for the Night is Coming.” I was taught from a young age to out-work everyone, all the time. First one in, last one out. There was no work-life balance, just work, followed by more work.

So when we first discussed the idea of giving our team Fridays off during the summer, the head trash I had around the idea was almost insurmountable.

When clients read this email, they will think we’re slackers, they will assume we’ve lost our edge. Or worse, they’ll start looking for another PR agency.

This year is our fourth year of Summer Fridays. And none of the above worries proved true. Quite the opposite.

What we actually do

Every year from the Friday after Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, the Irvin PR team takes Fridays off.

There are three rules:

1. We keep an eye on email and texts. We have an out-of-office Summer Friday email teed up, but if a client needs something urgently, we will respond. Most often, it can wait until Monday.
2. If a client has a deadline that lands on a Friday, we hit the deadline. We understand that Summer Fridays are a privilege and not a guarantee, and we operate as such.
3. If something genuinely catches fire — a crisis, a breaking story, an event that needs all hands on deck — we show up. That's the job. Amplifying the good doesn’t always happen on our schedule, and we embrace that as part of the work.

PR is a 24/7 business, and summer is when clients are executing those winter and spring plans. We know it is part and parcel of event-based work. We're already on the clock for summer festivals, community events, in-studio interviews, and other client work. Trading one weekday for the weekend hours we're already giving back felt — after I got over my head trash— less like a perk and more like simple math.

The fear that didn't come true

As Mark Twain said “My life has been filled with terrible misfortunes, most of which never happened.” In other words, 99% of the things we worry about don’t happen. 

I expected pushback from clients. I drafted that first email four years ago with great care and concern. I tweaked it and re-tweaked it. I sat on it for a day (or more). I finally sent the email and braced for impact.

What I got instead was:

"Can I come work for you?!"

"We know how hard you and your team work on our behalf. I'm so glad you're taking care of them."

 "I love this for you guys!"

 “We do this, too, but we do it on the down-low.”

Four years in, not one client has told me this policy is inconvenient; some had genuine logistical questions, not eyerolls. Every single question was easily resolved.

What it does for the team

Three things, in order of importance to the team:

It's a morale anchor. The team genuinely cherishes those Fridays. Whatever I might have spent trying to manufacture the team-building equivalent of a summer of Summer Fridays, it would not have come close.

It reshapes the work itself. When Friday is off the table, the team gets sharper about scoping the week. Meetings move. Drafts move. Decisions move. None of it is dramatic — just a steady pressure toward a tighter, more deliberate week.

It's a great recruiting tool. When a candidate is weighing offers, this is the policy that gets their attention. We are a small agency competing for talent against bigger names, and our commitment to Summer Fridays gives us an edge.

What I'd tell another agency owner thinking about it

First — the Summer Friday introduction email matters. Tell clients exactly what's happening, exactly when it starts, and exactly what doesn't change. Be confident and excited about it. That enthusiasm will resonate with those who chose you as their partner.

Second — actually take the Fridays. I’m still learning this one. The fastest way to make a four-day summer workweek turn back into a five-day workweek is for leadership to keep sending emails at noon on Friday. Your team is watching, as are clients. Lead by example and do what you said – with enthusiasm – you were going to do.

Third — accept that some weeks you'll work on Friday. Client deadlines happen. So do emergencies. A seasonal policy doesn’t alter that. Rather, I view it as a seasonal perk we work hard to protect and honor. Summer Fridays are our default policy.

The email

For anyone curious what the note to clients sounds like in year four, here's roughly what we send. Short, clear, and kind:

We're once again implementing a four-day workweek during the summer — to support the many weekend events we work and to take time to enjoy the summer ourselves. This will start Friday, May 29, and will run through Labor Day. Nothing will change in terms of how we service you; we're just redesigning the week to be more present for our team and our clients. We will always find ways to support unforeseen moments. I'd just ask you to modify any deadlines or meetings to Monday through Thursday. Thank you for your continued trust and collaboration. We appreciate you.

That's it. No drama. No eye rolls. Just a calendar with a little more breathing room in it — and a team that comes back on Monday energized and ready to make the most of a shorter week.

Have a WONDERFUL Summer!

Sarah

p.s. - The picture is of me and my grandbaby, PJ, with whom I have the honor of spending many a Summer Friday.