As the summer approaches and temperatures rise, small business owners may be considering implementing summer hours as a way to combat employee burnout. A recent report by the Society for Human Resource Management found that a significant number of U.S. employees feel burned out, emotionally drained, and used up at the end of the workday. Given that small businesses may not have the resources to offer better pay and benefits compared to larger corporations, providing summer hours can be a cost-effective way to boost morale among employees.
Before implementing reduced summer hours, business owners should consider factors such as employee workload and deadline schedules. If offering the same hours off to all employees is not feasible, staggering time off or providing alternate weeks off can be a solution. It is important to establish clear guidelines for summer hours, including start and end dates, and communicate this information to employees in advance.
Once the summer hours policy is in place, it is essential to evaluate its effectiveness at the end of the initial season. Assess what aspects worked well and what needs improvement, in order to make necessary adjustments for future summers. By keeping these considerations in mind, small business owners can successfully implement summer hours as a perk for employees while maintaining productivity and efficiency in the workplace.