Summer is here at last with the UK having experienced a recent heatwave. But as temperatures continue to soar over the summer months (fingers crossed), employers should brace themselves for a less motivated workforce and a flurry of ‘sickies’.
According to new research by Dayforce, 45% of full-time employees in the UK admit they are less productive during the summer, and for those aged 18-34 this jumps to 57%. During nice weather, everyone is yearning to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, and for some, work can become less of a priority. With school holidays to consider, employees planning their long-awaited annual leave and excitement reaching fever pitch as England progress to the next stage of the Euros, it’s no surprise this time of year can bring a slump in productivity with employees sneaking off work early or pulling a ‘sickie’ to enjoy the sunshine…or the football!
The impact of this is significant with reduced productivity, increased financial costs, disruption to business, not to mention the umbrage of colleagues picking up additional workload to meet busy deadlines. So how can you keep employees on task and avoid the summer slack?
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- Managing workloads: The peak holiday period can disrupt workflow leaving colleagues with the additional challenge of picking up the slack to meet deadlines and ensure a flow of productivity. Proactive planning and communication is vital. Employers should communicate expectations in advance, prioritising projects and tasks and delegate work accordingly. Consider cross-training existing staff or hiring temporary workers to fill the gaps during peak holiday periods.
- Absence policies: It’s important to have robust policies in place. Most employers usually grant annual leave requests on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. However, any leave or time off requests should be dealt with consistently and fairly. Whilst one-off absences might sometimes appear genuine, employees should be reminded of absence policies if patterns occur. Conduct a return-to-work interview to ascertain the reason for the absence and take any necessary disciplinary action.
- Flexible working: During the summer, juggling family life and work can be particularly challenging for employees who have greater care responsibilities. Consider offering seasonal flexible working such as additional working from home to support them. Likewise, for those who would like to watch the Euros, consider allowing employees to swap shifts or leave work earlier to catch the games, providing they make up the time so there is no drop in productivity.
- Keeping cool: The summer heat can lead to feelings of lethargy. Consider implementing measures to keep the workplace cool during the warm weather such as the opening / closing of windows, use of air conditioning and provision of fans etc. Encourage staff to move around and take short breaks outside to increase endorphins and levels of serotonin. Consider relaxing dress codes to ensure staff can keep cool and comfortable and encourage them to keep hydrated.
- Tackling the Euros: Whilst sporting events can be great for team morale, which in turn can help boost productivity, it is ultimately down to employer discretion as to whether they screen games in the workplace or allow employees to listen to them on the radio or internet (providing a valid licence is in place!). Sporting tournaments and increased alcohol consumption usually go hand in hand, and this is particularly important for employees whose work involves driving or operating machinery. Remind employees of your alcohol and drugs policy and treat any instances of related misconduct in accordance with the disciplinary procedure.
Above all, it is important to have robust policies in place to manage lateness, sickness and absence, not just during the summer months but all year-round. Remind employees what is expected of them from the outset by reconfirming these policies, not forgetting to do so to those who are working remotely.
Our team is on hand to provide further information on all matters touched upon in this article or in relation to any other HR, Employment Law or Health, Safety & Wellbeing issue you may have. Contact us on 01942 727200 or email enquiries@employeemanagement.co.uk for a no obligation chat free of charge and in confidence.