Roy Aftimos, CEO, C2 Comms.While the industry debates purpose, we decided to live it.
Not through manifestos or mission statements, but through something far more radical: Policies that actually put people first. Because here’s what we’ve learned after years of building campaigns about human connection, you can’t authentically sell what you don’t genuinely practice.
Traditional agency governance follows a predictable pattern: Maximise billable hours, minimise operational costs and maintain industry standards. It’s efficient. It’s profitable. And it’s exactly why talented people burn out and brilliant ideas never see daylight.
We chose a different path. One that started with a simple question: What if we designed our workplace around human flourishing instead of human endurance?
The answer led us to policies that industry peers called ‘unrealistic’ and ‘unsustainable’. Today, those same policies are driving our most award-winning work and our strongest client relationships.
In our region, there are statutory minimums when it comes down to personal time off. For us, birthday leave isn’t just about giving people their special day off, though we do that. It’s about recognising that personal milestones matter as much as project deadlines. When someone feels valued as a human being, not just a resource, their creative output transforms.
“In an industry that glorifies the grind, we’re saying the opposite: rest is productive,” Roy Aftimos, CEO, C2 Comms.
We also believe in what we call ‘green leave’, time dedicated to causes that matter to our people. It’s not about ticking corporate responsibility boxes; it’s about understanding that when our team connects with purpose beyond our walls, they bring that energy back into everything we create. The designer who spends time with environmental causes brings fresh perspective to sustainability campaigns that no brief could
ever capture.
Sabbatical leave though, might be our boldest move yet. After three years, two weeks paid. After five years, four weeks paid, renewable every two years. In an industry that glorifies the grind, we’re saying the opposite: rest is productive. Reflection is valuable. Distance creates clarity that proximity never can.
These principles shape more than just how we think about time away, they influence our entire approach to the rhythm of work itself. We’ve learned that creativity doesn’t follow a nine-to-five schedule, and breakthrough ideas rarely emerge from exhausted minds. So, we’ve built breathing room into everything we do, from how we structure our weeks to where we allow inspiration to strike. It’s about creating space for the unexpected, the spontaneous, the genuinely innovative moments that make all the difference.
Last Friday off every month isn’t a perk for us; it’s a philosophy. While companies chase weekend warriors with ping-pong tables, informal training sessions and team building activities, we give our team something more valuable: guaranteed time. Time to recharge. Time to explore. Time to remember why they chose creativity as a career.
We also recognise that great ideas don’t only happen in conference rooms. Some of our most breakthrough concepts have emerged from kitchen tables and coffee shops, from minds freed from the constraints of traditional office dynamics. That’s why we’ve built in regular opportunities for our team to work from wherever inspiration strikes, because the best creative work happens when people feel trusted and empowered to find their own optimal.
Here’s what happened when we stopped managing people like machines and started treating them like humans.
Our retention rates soared while industry turnover reached unprecedented levels. Our creative output became bolder, more authentic, more emotionally resonant. Clients started asking not just for our campaigns, but for our culture. Awards followed, not because we chased them, but because work born from genuine care simply performs better.
This isn’t altruism disguised as strategy. It’s strategy informed by humanity.
Happy employees create happier clients. Rested minds generate fresher ideas. People who feel valued deliver value that can’t be commoditised. In an industry where talent is everything and differentiation is elusive, treating people exceptionally well isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s the smart thing to do.
Our approach costs money upfront. It requires planning, flexibility and faith that investment in people pays dividends beyond quarterly reports. But it’s delivered something priceless: a team that chooses to be here, not because they have to, but because they want to.
While others debate the future of work, C2 Comms is living it. Our governance model proves that you can prioritise people without sacrificing performance. That you can be profitable while being progressive. That the best business strategy might just be treating humans like humans.
This is our revolution: Quiet, consistent and completely focused on the people who make everything else possible. Because when you get the culture right, everything else follows.
The industry is watching. Some are sceptical. Others are starting to follow.
We’re just getting started.
By Roy Aftimos, CEO, C2 Comms
