3 Ways to Help Your Employees Get the Most Out of Summer

1. Offer Activities to Take Advantage of the Nice Weather

For employees that have already returned to the office, looking out on the beautiful weather from their desk can be demotivating. Increase productivity and morale of employees by creating opportunities to enjoy the outdoors during the workday. Capitalizing on scheduled breaks can do wonders without distracting from the workday.

Start Clubs That Promote Staying Active and Getting Outdoors

Finding an employee with a passion for hiking, yoga, or even walking can start a large movement that improves the health and mindset of your entire employee base this Summer. These employee led clubs offer a fulfilling leadership role for those willing while showing everyone that your company values the needs and wants of employees. Based on the location of your company, these initiatives can take place around the workday, including before the start of the day or during lunch breaks.

Organized Sports Can Be a Fun and Cooperative Way to Get Outside

In addition to peer lead activities, employers can organize larger scale events that capitalize on the sunshine while building comradery among team members. Corporate sports leagues are a great way for employees to get to know each other (and their families) outside of the workplace. A Summer weekend spent playing a softball or soccer game with employees’ loved ones in the stands, is a great way to have some fun while promoting staying active.

W3LL’s annual Summer Olympics involves getting active and having different teams of people, who don’t work together on a day-to-day basis, working together and competing in fun games. Get to know what your employees are most likely to participate in by offering them options on how to spend their time. Let your employees tell you what they want to ensure high participation rates.

Provide Tables Outside to Offer Some Much-Needed Air

An easy way to enjoy the Summer during the workday is taking lunch outside. If your space allows it, setting up outdoor seating and a little landscaping can go a long way. Encourage employees to revitalize themselves during their lunch break and get their daily dose of vitamin D.

2. Allow for a Flexible Summer Schedule

Long hours do not always lead to increased productivity and can work against the mental health of your employees. Be mindful of the limitations of your employees and provide increased incentives to ensure the time spent at work is being put to good use.

Account for an Increase in Vacation Time

Summer is a popular time for vacations. Ensure you are accounting for an increase in time off requests, so your employees can spend time with their families without undue stress. Planning ahead, providing a reasonable amount of vacation time, and having a seamless time-off request policy will ensure that your company does not become overwhelmed during vacation season.

Be Understanding of Employees that Need Flexible Hours

Be mindful that employees have priorities outside of work that require flexible hours when possible. Kids out of school and visiting relatives can change the daily schedule of your employees. Especially for employers still utilizing a work-from-home or hybrid method, consider being flexible with employee working hours and accommodate when you can. Having an employee setting their own hours prevents them from being distracted by outside issues during the traditional 9 to 5 setup.

Consider Offering Perks Like Summer Fridays

Having additional perks to employments can help you attract and retain top talent. Letting employees out early on Fridays during Summer is an easy way to show that you care about their emotional health and happiness with the company.

3. Take the Extra Step to Foster an Exciting Work Environment

With Summer being a high time for distractions, keep the workday exciting and attractive. A new perspective and little mood lifting additions to the offices can go a long way.

Tackle New and Exciting Workplace Projects

Depending on your busy season, Summer can offer the perfect time to focus on projects that are not typically part of the day-to-day. Creative initiatives and long-term goals can revitalize your employees by breaking up their regular workload.

Bring Light into the Office

Opening windows, placing plants around the office, and adding pops of color to reflect the outside can help boost employee attitudes. Life and sunlight are natural mood enhancers and can make long days spent inside more tolerable. Bring a little of the beauty of Summer into the office to help create a positive work environment that so many companies strive towards.

Focus on Company Culture

Because Summer is during the off season for a lot of industries, now might be the time to renew focus on your company culture. Take this time to listen to the concerns of your employees and effect positive change in the company. Shifting workplace environments and employee needs result in companies needing to adjust their existing policies to best ensure a healthy work-life balance and a positive experience for all employees.

For more tips and ideas to strengthen your workforce, contact us! We can help your company explore a variety of benefits platforms that drive employee satisfaction without compromising your bottom line. Whether you need additional information on ICHRA options or just need better tools to offer staff who may rely on the Marketplace for health insurance, W3LL can help.