If you’ve never participated in a Summer Friday at the office, you might not be familiar with the term. Summer Fridays are typically held at Fridays at businesses during June, July, and August. Some companies will close the office for a half day, while others will shut down entirely for the day. This gives employees the chance to leave work early and use the extra time however they wish.
However, implementing a Summer Friday policy is not as simple as it may seem to be. Before you decide to give your team the go-ahead to shut their workstation down early, keep the following dos and don’t in mind to ensure your Summer Fridays are a success with everyone.
DO… Plan ahead. Don’t start planning how you’ll execute this kind of initiative in May, long after everyone has requested time off from work to take vacations. Begin mapping out a strategy early into the year and consider all of the details for how it will work. If the company is closing early every Friday, but still considered to be within its business hours, how will you let your clients and customers know about this decision? Will you choose to rotate the employees that are allowed to leave early in order to keep someone actively working in that department? If you employ hourly workers, how will the lost hours affect their pay? Consider every detail and thoroughly plan ahead as much as possible.
DO… Consider the financial savings. Believe it or not, Summer Fridays can help your business save money. If you run a storefront or work out of an office, your team will be out for a few hours which can help save on electrical and air conditioning bills.
DON’T… Allow employees to see this perk as a reason to coast. Summer Fridays are generally a reward for all of the hard work that your team has done over the course of the year and should be treated as such. Remind your team that they must still continue to keep up the good work and avoid slacking off. If you start to notice productivity levels decreasing or notice that the privilege is being abused (such as leaving significantly earlier than allowed), you may decide not to offer the perk again next year.
DO… Meet with your team if you decide to implement Summer Fridays. It’s fine to send a companywide email letting everyone know what’s going to happen, but it’s even better to meet in person. By meeting with your team you can address any questions or concerns that they may have to keep everyone on the same page.
DON’T… Overextend the initiative. They’re called Summer Fridays for a reason, so don’t allow the perk to continue beyond August into the fall months.
DO… Use it as a benefit when hiring new employees. When seeking out new talent to join your staff, you’ll want to play up all of the perks that come with working at your business. Summer Fridays is a great incentive and one that potential candidates may see as yet another wonderful reason to join your team.