Learn more about Summer Fridays, a company benefit in which employees are allowed to leave early – or sometimes not work at all – on Fridays.
usnews.com, July 15, 2022, Robin Madell
In the summertime, work and productivity may take a backseat to seasonal priorities – like having fun outside. Whether you work from home, in a hybrid arrangement or in an office, warm weather can make getting outdoors and away from your desk feel urgent.
A 2022 survey commissioned by Wisetail and conducted by OnePoll found that 23% of respondents flagged hot temperatures as a factor in decreased productivity. Other studies show that employee productivity plummets by 20% between June and August and workplace attendance decreases by 19%.
To try to counter these trends, some employers have instituted a workplace practice called “Summer Fridays.” Read on to learn more about Summer Fridays, how it’s implemented and which companies offer this workplace perk.
Summer Fridays are a company benefit in which employees are allowed to leave early – or at some companies, not work at all – on Fridays during the summer months. The months that employers generally offer Summer Fridays are June, July, and August – essentially Memorial Day through Labor Day.
There’s some variation in how different employers apply Summer Fridays; it’s dependent on each company’s policy. In some organizations, Summer Fridays allow workers to skip out early or take the day off every Friday, while other employers apply Summer Friday rules only on select Fridays.
How Common Are Summer Fridays?
Recent research from Gartner shows that Summer Fridays have become more popular in the last few years, with 55% of American companies offering this perk to their employees, according to survey findings.
One reason that so many bosses may be willing to cut their crews loose early – or completely – on Fridays is that contrary to what you might guess from conventional wisdom, having fewer hours in the office at the week’s end actually leads workers to get more done, not less. A study from ADP found that 66% of employees who use Summer Fridays feel it boosts their productivity, helping to reverse the summer slump mentioned above.
How Do You Make Summer Fridays Work?
To ensure that a summer hours approach is successful, it’s important for managers and teams to consider together how workflow and customer service will be impacted when staff are out of the office on a business day. Some strategic solutions might include:
- Rotate which Fridays certain people take off. For example, some team members might take Summer Fridays on the first and third weeks of the month, while others would take them on the second and fourth weeks.
- Be sure the rules of the policy are communicated to all staff. To ensure that everyone’s on the same page about the stipulations of Summer Fridays, be sure that your company shares the specifics of its plan across all employee groups, including those who work remotely.
- Apply the policy fairly. If your workplace offers hybrid work arrangements, meaning some employees work in the office and others work from home, be sure that your company offers the same Summer Friday benefits to everyone. Just because a worker is virtual shouldn’t mean they can’t enjoy the same Summer Fridays perk as their colleagues.
What Companies Offer Summer Fridays?
Some companies that appear on published lists of employers that offer Summer Hours include:
- IBM.
- Pfizer.
- Estee Lauder.
- Condé Nast.
- Viacom.
- Leaf Group.
- Meredith.
- Vice Media Group.
- Core Digital Media.
Since there’s no comprehensive list available that captures every company that offers Summer Fridays, you’ll have to do some digging. The best way to find out if a company offers Summer Fridays is to talk to employees who work there. Not every company that offers summer hours publicizes this benefit, so reaching out to a human resources representative or current worker via LinkedIn can help you get the inside scoop. You can also check company websites to see if they list those benefits online.
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