There is no such thing as a summer break in an office environment. However, that doesn’t stop employees from losing some motivation during the summer months. The weather is beautiful, beaches are beckoning, and the kids are out of school, which means many employees are craving time away from the office more than ever.
As an employer, you can offer certain perks and benefits to help keep your employees happy, productive, and engaged throughout the summer. Learn how to keep employees engaged with our tips.
Encourage Vacations
Ensure employees know the company’s vacation policy and encourage them to use some PTO during the summer months. Set a precedent for employees who are hesitant about missing work by taking a short vacation and unplugging for a couple days.
Time away from the office will help them relax and recharge, promote a healthy work-life balance, and increase productivity overall. However, it's important to ensure vacations are scheduled ahead of time so you can keep track of when certain employees will be gone to avoid any overlap and unintentionally overworking the employees who are in the office.
Offer Flexible Schedule Options
Who doesn’t love a summer Friday? According to a recent OfficeTeam survey, the summer perks most employees are interested in are shortened Fridays and flexible schedules while working in the summer. And because the summer months tend to require less work than the rest of the year, perks like these can be very easy to implement.
Offer shortened hours on Fridays to allow employees to start their weekend plans a little early. It may seem like time thrown away each week, but in reality, employees tend to work harder during the hours they are in the office in order to finish on time. This boost in productivity generally outweighs any possible downside.
Giving an extra day off around holidays like the Fourth of July and Labor Day can also do wonders for employee motivation. Or, you can choose to allow employees to work from home every so often and offer more flexible hours. Just like shortened Friday hours, there is very little downside associated with giving employees more freedom. It shows that you care about their personal lives and will motivate them to give you—and the company—their best work all year round.
Set Goals
To ensure your employees are completely focused during their time in the office, collaborate to establish goals throughout the summer. Review vacation schedules and set tangible goals around them. Proper planning will help employees stay engaged and optimize productivity throughout the summer months.
Relax the Dress Code
Unless your office is customer-facing 24/7, a relaxed summer dress code might be a great way to keep employees engaged. Comfort is key, and that becomes especially important during the hot summer months. Offer a relaxed summer dress code that allows employees to wear shorts, t-shirts, and even flip-flops to stay comfortable in the heat. However, a dress code is still important, and as an employer, you should enforce certain rules throughout the year to help employees avoid fashion faux pas.
Get Outdoors
Hold one-on-one walking meetings, and suggest group meetings outdoors under a shady tree or at a picnic table. Everyone needs some vitamin D, and just a short 20-minute outdoor meeting can help recharge employees for the rest of the day.
Plan Company Activities
Summer is the best time to plan team building activities, barbeques, and other outdoor events for your employees. Hold a wiffleball game in the office courtyard, plan a midday picnic and order an ice cream truck as a frozen treat, or have a company BBQ on a summer Friday.
Company activities show your commitment to employee appreciation and give employees a chance to socialize in ways that they normally wouldn’t.
Offer In-Office Education
The summer months are slower than the rest of the year, leaving extra time for things like professional development, training, and other educational exercises. Use these months to offer seminars, networking opportunities, and retreats to help employees grow within the company.
Create a Healthy Company Culture
Summer perks are only motivational if you’re promoting a healthy company culture year-round. Encourage employees to take vacations when they need them. Give them increased ownership over their projects. And provide simple perks and robust benefits packages to show your appreciation beyond the summer months.
For help with choosing the benefit offerings that are right for your company, visit Clarity Benefits Solutions today.
Sources
2. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/9139-summertime-employee-motivation.html
3. https://www.businessinsider.com/keep-your-employees-motivated-this-summer-2016-6
