How to keep employees motivated during the summer

Do you find that as the weather gets warmer and the days last longer, it’s hard to keep employees motivated or productive? Between planning vacations, balancing kids’ schedules during summer break and much more, many employees have a lot on their mind when they come to work. Here are a few ways to help increase employee productivity and keep them motivated during the summer:

Plan in advance
Most companies have a vacation request policy minimum of two weeks notice prior to the request for time off. But stress to your employees the importance of having as much notice as possible to try to accommodate everyone’s requests. Something that works well in our office is having a calendar displayed online for all of our employees to see who has what days off. This way when employees are looking for time off they will have a general idea of coverage for their day-to-day functions during their vacation.

Provide flexible work options
Most employees who have kids are planning summer vacation and childcare while school is out of session. Consider creating a flexible schedule during these three months to balance out employees needing to come in late or take a half-day every other Friday. Another thing to consider is letting employees work from home on occasion. A study completed by Gallup research found that those employees who worked remotely (even just one day a week) were more engaged and productive than at work.

Encourage breaks
According to the New York Times, “Taking regular breaks from mental tasks improves productivity and creativity – and that skipping breaks can lead to stress and exhaustion.” Therefore, encourage employees to actually take their lunch or even just a few minutes to go outside. They will ultimately come back feeling refreshed and able to focus. This could also apply to having office birthday celebrations or other monthly breaks.

Bring the excitement of outside in
With many employees dreaming of being on a beach or out at a BBQ, try to bring the excitement of the season inside the office by slightly altering the dress code. Maybe for the summer try casual dress, rather than normal business causal. Allow employees to decorate their office with greenery for a more outdoor feel. Even consider throwing a Friday afternoon BBQ to treat your employees for a productive week or holding a team meeting outside to change up the scenery.

In conclusion, happy employees are productive employees. No one said work can’t be fun, it’s just a matter of how you can adjust your work environment to best fit your employees’ needs. Had any success with increasing productivity and motivation in your office? Tell us your thoughts below in our comments.

Photo Credit: Alle