Since 2006, Ryan Carson, the CEO of Treehouse, has maintained a four-day workweek for his employees. “There’s no rule that you have to work 40 hours, you have to work more to be successful,” says Carson. “We’ve proven that you can take it from an experiment into something that’s doable for real companies and real people in highly competitive markets.” Citing the benefits of a more flexible schedule, Carson believes that the reduced time in the office ultimately leads to an overall more productive work environment. But for Carson, his decision ultimately comes down to priorities. “It’s not about more family time, or more play time, or less work time—it’s about living a more balanced total life,” says Carson. “We basically take ridiculously good care of people because we think it’s the right thing to do.”

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