Summer Fridays How to Make the Case Your Company Needs Them

Summer Fridays How to Make the Case Your Company Needs Them Theres no doubt that the popularity of Summer Fridays as a work perk is on the rise. One 2017 survey by Gartnerrevealed that over 40% of surveyed offices took part in this initiative, up 20% from 2015s record.But while Summer Fridays morale-boosting powers encourage mora and mora workplaces to put them into action, there are still plenty of bosses who balk at the idea of cutting the work week short, even by a few hours. If youre stuck with one of unterstellung militant managers and want to make the case for Summer Friday, arm yourself with these key facts about Summer Fridays, how they work, and their productivity-boosting benefits.What are Summer Fridays?Summer Fridays happen when offices choose to give employees additional time off throughout the summer, typicallybetween Memorial Day and Labor Day. The exact way a Summer Friday policy is structured can vary from company to company. Some offices grant half-days on Fridays, with employees either leaving a few hours early, at 2 or 3 p.m., or as early as noon. Other offices structure Summer Fridays as days the company will close down in full, with all employees getting the whole day off. And still other companies offer Summer Fridays as floating holidays that employees can receive a set number of to use at their discretion, regardless of what the company as a whole is doing that day.What remains standardized across all of these policies, though, is that Summer Fridays are not intended to cut into employees paid time off. Instead, they are seen as an extra perk, intended to exist alongside but ultimately separate from the rest of your PTO and federal holidays. Its worth noting this also means that, in the fest you were to lose your job, Summer Fridays arent something you would reimbursed for as you would with unused PTO, since they dont count as official vacation time.The existence of these policies also does not mean employees are expected to do less wor k. If anything, they may result in a need to come in a little early or stay a little late on a given Monday or Wednesday to offset the time spent away from your desk at the end of the week. Insisting on making use of Summer Fridays when your workload is far from finished, then, could result in some raised eyebrows or negative attention, and it isnt a strategy we would particularly recommend. (That said, if your company does offer Summer Fridays but youre regularly too busy to take advantage of them, that could point to a problem with an unrealistic workload and is probably a conversation worth having with your boss.)Ultimately, if youre strategic with your time and eke as much impact out of your Monday through Thursday workdays as possible, Summer Fridays simply mean you have a few extra hours (or even en entire day) to jumpstart a beautiful summer weekend. And that sounds like a perk most of us would love to be signed up for.Summer Fridays vs Summer HoursSurprise They are essential ly the same exact thing.Its possible that summer hours may be used slightly more often to refer to a business itself operating with shorter or altered hours during the summer months. For instance, this would be a scenario in which the entire company logs off and locks up by 3 p.m. on a Friday, instead of a handful of employees electing to use their freebie half-day that day. But by virtue of the company being closed, that, of course, means workers wind up with this time off themselves. Meaning, theyre basically getting a Summer Friday out of it regardless. Tomat-oh, tom-ah-to, right?Statistics About Summer Fridays45% of workers feel more distracted during the summer, according to onestudy66% of employees who have summer hours feel more productive not less as a result, according to a study from Opinion Research Corp.Workplace productivity doesnt increase with hours worked, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which found that workers in Germany ar e 70% more productive than workers in Greece, despite Germans only clocking 1,397 hours of work a year compared to Grecians 2,034 hours20% of employees who feel overworked report making mistakes at work, according to a 2005 studyEmployees are more engaged when they have weekends and vacation time to recover from work stressCompanies with engaged employees are 22% more productive than companies with relatively few engaged employees, Gallup foundHow Do I Ask My Boss For Summer Fridays?Generally, managers who dont love the idea of Summer Friday cite a loss of productivity as their main reason. But while that concern makes sense hypothetically employees working a half day rather than a full day could very well get less done research indicates that the flexibility and better sense of work-life balance provided by Summer Fridays can actually motivate employees to accomplish more in a shorter period of time.According to a 2014 study by Captivate Networks, workplace productivity inherentl y drops about 20% during the summer months, with or without Summer Fridays. Forbes contributor Elena Bajic uses these stats to support her argument on behalf of Summer Fridays, claiming that very few employees abuse the freedom offered by Summer Fridays (refuting a common fear among bosses) and that the shortened work week boosts company morale, which can ultimately lead to higher output and greater returns. Bajic explains it like this By giving employees permission to leave early and enjoy a longer weekend, employers send a message that they value their workers mental health as well as their lives outside of work. Efficiency, after all, is not measured in hours, so giving employees more time to relax means time spent at the office is used more productively and with more focus. When people feel better and are happier with their employer, they are more motivated to get their work done and done well.Perks like Summer Fridays help companies attract and retain top talent. Because Summe r Fridays indicate an employers commitment to ensuring her employees happiness, theyre a benefit that make participating companies especially appealing to competitive candidates. With the national unemployment rate dipping to 4%, companies have more reason than ever to make attractive offers to talented individuals. When these offers include flexibility benefits like Summer Fridays, they catch the attention of high achievers who want to feel valued and trusted by their employers. Summer Fridays are effective at reengaging employees, because from an employee perspective, the company is putting their money where their mouth is, giving the schadstoff of time. An engaged employee will work harder those other four and a half days, and theyre less likely to quit during the summer, CEB HR practice leader Brian Kropptold Fast Company.While Summer Fridays arent viable for all industries (unfortunately), office-based jobs will typically reap more advantages than handicaps by putting this seas onal policy into action. As long as deadlines are upheld, clients are notified, and clear start and end dates are established, Summer Fridays increase productivity and elevate happiness in the workplace. So go ahead, make the case to your boss and (hopefully) enjoy your season of half-day Fridays