Now that spring has arrived and winter is a distant memory, it’s time to start planning for everyone’s favorite season: summer!
Summer in the office is still a period when employers generally provide concessions that allow employees to take advantage of the weather. Summer benefits are an essential (and entertaining) way to reward hard work and give people the rest they need, even in our new world of hybrid and remote workplaces.
So, what are individuals doing these days to make the most of the summer season at work? To help you establish business culture and retain employees, we’ve compiled a list of benefits and activities you should consider implementing in your office.
PTO (Personal Time Off)
PTO benefits that are both flexible and unrestricted have practically become a requirement for tech companies and ambitious startups trying to hire top personnel. Summer is typically when employees take full advantage of their benefits.
Unlimited PTO rarely entails giving individuals ten-week vacations; rather, it fosters a partnership in which employees work hard in the knowledge that they will be able to enjoy a fantastic vacation later. Similarly, flexible PTO, which places few constraints on when employees can take time off, fosters a work-hard, play-hard culture in which employees know they can take a vacation whenever they need it.
Retreats and team outings
Consider organizing an outing or retreat somewhere to remind people of the power of connection if people are progressively returning to a physical office and you’ve set certain safety rules to facilitate in-person collaboration.
A park or neighboring beach might be a terrific place to gather outdoors for something easy. BBQs and picnics are fantastic places to hold team-building activities or have important team discussions to boost morale and engagement. If your office is still WFH or geographically dispersed, a team expedition can be simulated by planning a series of virtual field day activities and hangout sessions over the course of an afternoon.
Policies for WFAnywhere
Allow your teams to make the most of summer by allowing them to work while they travel, staycation, or go throughout the country, now that we’ve demonstrated that working remotely is a viable alternative for many work settings.
This may entail being more flexible with hours, as people in different time zones may prefer different times for meetings and other collaborative events. Try to plan activities around people’s different schedules, and promote social events (virtual happy hours, team building, etc.) to take place at times that are convenient for everyone.
