Summer time and the living is easy?

Well, workers still have to work and managers still have to manage, no? Where it’s true that working pros can’t really live this mantra to the extent they wish to, there has to be some flexibility during those precious summer months.

Some of the best perks that employees love include flexibility in when they have to be in the office, and what time they get to leave on Friday. Giving employees the chance to go and soak up some vitamin D hours before they might normally is a good way to boost company morale.

High company morale equates to a higher retention rate in most companies.

What are some of the best perks you can give employees during the summer time?

- If leaving early on Friday isn’t really good for business, why not try a company lunch hour with activities out on the lawn (if you’ve got one)? Have someone on the grill with hot dogs and let them loose in the sun, playing KanJam.

- Company picnics are also a great way to boost morale and keep the employees engaged and interacting. In fact, employees tend to ask for them as part of their wishes for summer benefits. This is different from the parking lot-KanJam-lunch hour idea, in that this is a specially planned out event at a different locale. Company picnics at a theme park or a beach are generally very appreciated, especially if a lot of your employees have families.

- Relaxing the company dress policy can also be a great booster as people don’t like to be bogged down by heavy office clothes when they leave at five.

Of course, with any leniency that you might enact at the office, just make sure that you have clear guidelines in place to deter any drop in productivity. If you’re allowing flexible schedules, make sure there is a chain of command established for when people are out of the office.

Part of retaining employees is being able to show them that you value their work and their time. One of these simple summer perks could be just the thing that shows them just that.

For more information on how to retain, engage, and manage employees, please check the Josephine’s Professional Staffing website.