Revolutionizing Work Life The 3-Day Work-Week Experiment in Consulting
- Ash L'haj
- Jul 18
- 3 min read
Why Even Think About Three Days?
Across knowledge-economy roles, the modern employee is "on" far longer than they're productive. According to TriNet, the average worker is productive for 3 hours a day, with some studies citing that the maximum number of productive hours is 6. Add escalating burnout: in the UK’s landmark four-day week pilot (June–December 2022), 71 % of participants reported lower levels of burnout after six months, according to research from the think tank Autonomy.
Yet the jump from five to four days increasingly looks like a halfway measure for firms whose value comes from bursts of expert problem-solving rather than "seat time." Enter Ne Taba International (NTI), a Rochester-based social impact consulting firm specialising in cross-sector social impact projects.
NTI's Bold Blueprint
On 9 December 2024, NTI flipped the switch to a three-day schedule for all staff delivering specialised, technical services. Key pillars:
Policy Lever Details Intended Outcome 208 days off per year (incl. weekends) Employees work three days, followed by four consecutive days off. Deep recovery windows; fewer mid-week context switches.
Vacation-Contribution Program NTI contributes to an employee's vacation fund when they fully disconnect. Encourages use of time off, not just accrual.
Outcome-based KPIs Client satisfaction scores and project milestones, not hours, drive performance reviews. Keeps focus on value delivered, deters "cramming."
"When we invest in the health and happiness of our top talent, we cultivate a thriving environment that ultimately delivers extraordinary results for our clients." Halimah S. Ouedraogo, CEO, NTI
Early Signals: What We're Seeing & Where We're Headed
NTI’s three-day workweek pilot echoes global experiments in rethinking productivity. The landmark UK trial of a four-day workweek offers early benchmarks worth watching. Conducted over six months with 61 companies and nearly 3,000 employees, the results point to sustained or improved performance across multiple dimensions:
These trajectories line up with external evidence: South Cambridgeshire District Council Britain’s largest public-sector four-day trial cut staff turnover by 39% while improving performance in nearly half of service areas.
What Made It Stick? Five Design Decisions
Voluntary but Not Vague: Staff could opt in or remain on a traditional schedule; most chose the three-day model. Clear guidelines for hand-offs keep mixed schedules friction-free.
Front-Loaded Client Communication: Every project kick-off now includes a "working rhythm" slide so stakeholders know exactly when consultants are online.
Async Collaboration Defaults: Documentation lives in Zoom; "demo videos over live walkthroughs" is the mantra. Meetings are limited to the last two working days of the week.
Performance Windows, Not Time Slots: Deliverables are tied to week night check-points (depending on the team's chosen three-day block), not specific hours.
Health & Compliance Guardrails: Maximum daily hours are capped at 12, with mandatory breaks, ensuring the schedule remains compliant with state overtime and rest-break laws highlighted by TriNet.
Could You Run a 3-Day Pilot? A 6-Week Roadmap
Common Objections & How NTI Answers Them
"NTI’s implementation of the three-day workweek is a bold and commendable step toward reimagining what true wellbeing and balance can look like in the workplace. It reflects a deep respect for the humanity of its team and a commitment to sustainability, not just in theory, but in practice." Erica VanLandingham, Senior Consultant, NTI
The Bigger Picture
The global re-negotiation of time at work is well underway. From Iceland's civil-service trials to Belgium's compressed hours law, evidence continues to mount that shorter schedules can protect well-being and sharpen performance. NTI's three-day leap is simply the logical next test case.
If the early data hold, expect more high-skill consultancies and perhaps your own organization to pause before asking, "Could we do in three what used to take five?"
The 3-day work-week experiment at NTI has shown promising early results, with improvements in employee well-being, client satisfaction, and overall performance. As more companies explore alternative work arrangements, NTI's bold approach serves as an inspiration for others to challenge the traditional 5-day model and redefine what's possible in the modern workplace.
Ready to explore a pilot? NTI offers a Rapid 90 Minute Consultation to map a minimum-viable three-day experiment for your team, complete with KPI templates and compliance check-lists. Book your slot here.
Ne Taba International building high-performing social-impact teams that change lives, sustainably.
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