It’s no doubt that every kid’s favorite time of the year is summer break. Most adults, however, don’t get to spend those warm, inviting summer days enjoying the weather and soaking up the sunshine. As the days start growing shorter, and the realization that fall is around the corner hits, you may notice a slight dip in employee morale.
Luckily, it is possible to allow employees some opportunities to take advantage of the season while still getting productive results in the workplace. Here are our top 5 ideas for fun end-of-summer office activities.
- Ice Cream. What better way to spread a little simple joy than with ice cream? Take an hour out of the work day to treat employees to a frosty treat. You could arrange for an ice cream truck to make a visit, walk to a nearby sweet shop, host an ice cream social in the conference room, or even just stock the office freezer with all the frozen treats you can fit inside and encourage employees to take a break and enjoy them outside.
- Employee Appreciation Barbecue. Close the office a little early and invite employees and their families to a cook out at a local park. Add in a few games and prizes, and you’ve got a great summer-friendly morale-boosting event.
- Summer Hours. Pick one day week and change the schedule to allow employees to leave early. It can be as much as a half day, allowing employees to leave at noon; or something a little more conservative, like leaving an hour or so earlier than normal.
- Summer Dress Code. Loosening up the dress code a little bit doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it’s a great mood booster for employees. If you can, allow employees to adopt a more casual dress for a period time. You can do the classic Casual Friday, have a week of casual dress, or even for the rest of the summer.
- Hold a Competition. Start some friendly competition among employees with a summer-themed prize, like a free pass to leave early one day, a gift card for food or entertainment, or tickets to a local event. There are so many different types of contests and ways you can do them, but the end result is always the same; happier employees.
Of course it always depends on the company’s flexibility, budget, and HR approval, but it doesn’t have to take up a lot of resources to bring some summer fun into the office.
Emplicity understands that HR Outsourcing should be simple and meaningful. As a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), we strive to be a great partner in supporting your business. If you would like to request more information on how we can assist your needs, please reach out to us at 877-476-2339. We are located in California – Orange County, Los Angeles, and the greater Sacramento and San Francisco area.
NOTICE: Emplicity provides HR advice and recommendations. Information provided by Emplicity is not intended as a substitute for employment law counsel. At no time will Emplicity have the authority or right to make decisions on behalf of their clients.
