Many employers are serving up such red-hot benefits as flex time and early Fridays.
With Fourth of July celebrations just over, and summer officially here, many of us are kicking off our shoes in favor of flip-flops. And many employers are serving up some red-hot benefits, according to a recent article in TalentManagement magazine.
Three out of four HR managers who responded to an OfficeTeam survey released in June said their companies offered flexible schedules during summer months, and 63 percent of them said employees could opt toleave early on Fridays. Employees who responded to the survey agreed these are their top choices for summer benefits. (Read full survey pdf).
It’s easy for productivity to drop in the summer months because people just want to get out and do things; they have family and other interests on their minds and schedule, according to OfficeTeam.
People want to be more active and even expect some flexibility during the summer months. Of course, you need to do your homework and determine if it’s practical before implementing such a policy.
If your business is heavily customer or client focused, you’ll want your people to be on call and available to deal with any issues that may arise. And if that’s the case, you may not be in a position to dismiss everyone at noon on Fridays. A staggered approach may be your better solution.
Or on one Friday, certain people can take off a little early and the next Friday others can. That way, you’ll be promoting a schedule knowing what your limitations are and making sure it’s fair and equitable for everyone. Either way, offering flexible hours is an easy way to boost morale and may not be as damaging to employee productivity that many business leaders fear.
Twenty-eight percent of HR managers say their companies organize activities, such as picnics or potlucks, during the summer months as a way to boost morale for the team. Many companies I know also organize coed softball and bowling teams, offer free tickets to concerts and sporting events – and do so all year-round.
And at the very least, employers can encourage workers to take advantage of their lunch breaks and the vacation time that’s due to them.
And if you are telling everybody else to take vacation, but you’re staying late every night and don’t take it yourself, it’s hard for people to believe that they can or feel comfortable doing it themselves. Many business leaders or (non-delegating) managers worry that they will lose potential business or alienate clients, or that the business will not be able to handle a crisis if they take some time off. Really?
The survey also found that most HR managers (57 percent) are offering workers the option to swap out business attire for a more casual look.
Relaxing the dress code however, can be somewhat tricky, because an individual’s perception as to what is acceptable or appropriate attire varies greatly. This may also be more of a challenge for those organizations with customer-facing employees.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to set up and possibly even print a policy that outlines your expectations of what’s acceptable or not.
Regardless of which summer benefit or benefits you choose to order off the menu, doing so isn’t merely about giving people a warm, fuzzy feeling (particularly during the summer). It can be a wise business decision for several reasons.
From a retention perspective, there are usually periods of time throughout the year where you may be particularly busy or have deadlines – whether it’s budget period or business plans – so there’s an expectation that your team will do a little more, work harder and longer during those times. And you give back to them and say, “Thanks for all those other things you do.”
Offering flexible hours or allowing workers to leave early on Fridays can also decrease absenteeism because your people can cross tasks or outings off their list that they may otherwise take time off to do.
And lastly, “summer perks” can serve as a strong inducement for potential candidates during your recruiting and hiring process.
And if the job market continues to move in the right direction, individuals have other options – so if you’re trying to bring someone into your company, it’s great to be able to say: “Here are some of the terrific perks we can offer you when you join our team.”