Many business owners provide their staff with a modified summer work schedule that allows for Friday off. If business typically slows down at this time of year, doing so is practical. Additionally, providing time off on a gorgeous, sunny day boosts employee morale. Workers can go to the beach, work on that project in the garage, or take the family on a weekend road trip.
A summer hours work schedule benefits both employees and employers. Employees are more engaged at work thanks to a better work-life balance, and employers benefit from having more devoted and effective workers. Workers are less likely to become ill with less stress, which lowers the cost of the company’s health plan. On Fridays, there is no need for electricity in the building, which could result in cost savings for the business.
On Memorial Day, most businesses begin summer Fridays, returning to regular business hours after Labor Day. The paid time off is the most alluring aspect of the shorter work week, besides getting a longer weekend. There are no pay reductions or hours taken away from the employees’ paid vacation or sick time by the finance department. Read on to find out about the various work schedule types and how to implement them if you’re wondering how to make summer Fridays a reality for your company.
Summer Fridays | Friedman LLP
Different summer Friday schedules
There are a variety of summer Friday schedules available, including these:
What are summer Fridays?
Some businesses decide to implement summer Fridays, a flexible work schedule, during the summer season. The policy typically extends from Memorial Day to Labor Day and permits their staff to take Fridays off. The way a company chooses to implement a flexible summer work schedule may vary depending on the sector it operates in.
Companies in the U.S. are adopting these guidelines with increasing frequency. S. but not all business models are a good fit for summer Fridays. Businesses in sectors like food service, shipping, entertainment, and retail typically do better at the end of the week. Giving the staff a day off every Friday would therefore be counterproductive in terms of increasing the company’s overall success and profit.
Benefits of offering summer Fridays to employees
Because of the extensive advantages summer Friday policies provide, including those listed below, more human resources managers and representatives are promoting them in the US:
How to implement summer Fridays in your workplace
To ensure a successful implementation of your company’s summer Fridays policy, take the following actions:
1. Send out a survey to staff to gauge interest
Prior to investing the time and energy necessary to develop and implement a plan for summer Fridays, it is crucial to confirm that your staff is in favor of them. Send out a survey or hold a meeting to find out how your staff feels instead of assuming that summer Fridays will make them happy. Some workers may prefer to stick to their regular schedules over the summer, particularly if the summer Fridays policy you intend to implement necessitates additional work from Monday through Thursday.
2. Make a summer Fridays policy document available to all staff
A document outlining the new policy is a good idea to create before implementing it at work. Make this document easily accessible to everyone so that they can consult it if any questions arise. An orderly transition to the new system is made possible by developing a plan.
3. Hold a meeting to go over the summer Fridays policy
Hold a meeting to go over the new summer Fridays policy and create staff accountability for understanding it rather than sending the policy to everyone and expecting them to read it. You can also address staff inquiries during a meeting regarding the new system.
4. Have a system for work accountability
It’s likely that some employees at your place of business will find it difficult to adjust to the new summer Fridays policy. Set up a system to keep an eye on your team and make sure everyone is doing well, particularly in the first few weeks of the new schedule. A summer Fridays policy should allow your staff to unwind and enjoy the summer, rather than forcing them to work overtime Monday through Thursday if they can’t finish their work by the deadline. Provide your staff with the assistance they need to make the transition successfully.
5. Consider summer Friday alternatives
If a full-day summer Fridays policy is ineffective for your company, you might consider other options. Giving your staff alternate Fridays off or half days can still help them avoid burnout. If your staff would prefer Mondays or Wednesdays off instead of Fridays, you might also think about providing flexible hours other than just Fridays. Working from home on Fridays might be a popular choice because it eliminates the commute while still enabling employees to complete their work.
Summer Fridays policy sample
You can use this model as inspiration to write your own summer Fridays policy if you’re considering doing so for your company:
Example: Summer Fridays Policy
We at Hex Corp value the health and happiness of all of our employees, so we provide the Summer Fridays Policy to all qualified employees. This year, Memorial Day weekend, on May 28th, 2021, marks the start of the summer Friday season. It ends on September 6th, 2021, after Labor Day weekend.
By providing you with this flexible scheduling, we hope to be able to better support your health, happiness, and work-life balance. Employees should be able to perform their duties from Monday to Thursday because Hex Corp operations slow down by at least 20% during the summer. During the summer Friday season, the building and all auxiliary facilities will be closed on Fridays. This indicates that all doors will be locked on Thursday at the end of the day and won’t reopen until Monday morning.
If you believe you need an extra day to finish your tasks for the week, we’ll support you in working remotely on Fridays. Contact your manager if you have any concerns about finishing your work within this time frame.
The summer Fridays policy is an employee benefit, and the management team reserves the right to revoke it and return to regular work hours if it ever appears to be misused or to be impairing performance. This policy only applies to summer Fridays; it has no bearing on your accumulated paid time off (PTO). Contact your manager if you have any questions or concerns about this rule.
FAQ
What is a summer Friday policy?
A type of flexible scheduling known as “summer Fridays” enables workers to either leave the office early or take the day off at the end of the workweek. These shortened hours, as the name implies, only apply to Fridays during the summer.
What is summer hours policy?
An alternative that benefits many companies is setting summer hours. The concept is straightforward: Staff members choose to put in an extra hour of work each day from Monday through Thursday in order to leave the office early on Friday. Summer vacation time is extended for employees while the same or even more work is completed.
What percentage of companies offer summer Fridays?
Summer Fridays are now a well-liked perk, with about 55% of American businesses offering them in some capacity.
What are some of the advantages & disadvantages of the summer Friday program for the employees for the employer?
- Pros.
- Employees love them. …
- Distance may not interrupt work. …
- They can prevent burnout and boost productivity. …
- It may make people more efficient. …
- Cons.
- They can send the wrong message. …
- It may increase stress.
