You may be wondering, what are “Summer Fridays” and how did they come about? Legend has it that summer Fridays originated in New York City in the 1960’s in the advertising and publishing industries. Companies noticed their employees weren’t as efficient during the summer season as they were the others. In search of boosting productivity and principles, they came up with the idea of summer Fridays. Fast forward to present day, many companies still offer summer Fridays to their employees. Summer Fridays mean a shorter work week, a full day off on Friday or a half day. Here at South Shore Staffing we are fortunate enough to partake in summer Fridays. Every Friday from Memorial Day through Labor Day we close the office right after lunch, giving everyone an early start to their weekend. It really gives Happy Friday a new meaning!
Are you pondering over whether summer Fridays should be a part of your companies’ policy? Keep reading, here are some benefits of summer Fridays:
INCREASED COMPANY MORALE
Offering a bonus like summer Fridays delivers the message that you care for and value your employees. We are all human and let’s face it the summer is short lived, and we should be able to enjoy every minute of it. Allowing your staff to leave early on a Friday allows them to get a jump start to their weekend. Increased employee morale converts into a rise in employee gratification, stronger teamwork, and an escalation in self-confidence. When your employees feel appreciated, they will respect you, and work harder. It’s really a win, win, and it gives everyone something to look forward to after a long work week.
UPBEAT AND HEALTHY STAFF
Who doesn’t love a long weekend? And what’s even better then a long weekend is one that is during the summer months! Longer weekends and nice weather are a perfect combination that will make for a very upbeat group of people. All work and no play can take a toll on your staff’s health. More time off is good for mental health, stress reduction, and it decreases the chances of burnout. Your staff will come back on Mondays feeling well rested, relaxed, and ready to put their all into the work week ahead. An upbeat and positive staff is excellent for business.
PROMOTES PRODUCTIVITY
Research recommends that offering employees more time off can increase productivity. Knowing that time off is approaching, your staff has an incentive, and their time management skills can improve. Studies that have tested out summer Fridays indicated that employees got as much work done as they did during the rest of the year. Employees are also more likely to get more work done earlier in the week knowing that Friday is right around the corner. Happy people tend to be more productive, and motivated.
FAMILY FRIENDLY
Getting out of work early on Fridays or not having to work at all helps employees with arranging childcare. As many of us know finding childcare can be not only costly but also stressful. One less day a week of not having to worry about it can really make a difference for your employees. This flexibility gives them more time to spend with their families, plan vacations, and enjoy the short summer season. It shows that you not only care about their work life but also their personal life. Overall, this creates a healthier work-life balance.
BUILDS TRUST
Lastly, and most importantly summer Fridays help build trust between you and your employees. Offering summer hours conveys that you trust your team enough to get all the pending work completed in a shorter period of time. It has been proven that employees that feel trusted by their bosses perform higher and put forward extra effort. Bottom line, they will go above and beyond, and in return they will trust you.
You may have gone into this read uncertain of summer Fridays for your company. Hopefully this gave you some understanding of the benefits they do provide and perhaps this will be a new perk you offer to your team. Let’s face it summer vacation isn’t just for kids anymore.
If you find yourself in need of new employees — or want to start your own job search — give us a call at 781-575-0500. The team at South Shore Staffing would love to help you!