Summer is a time of the year when we all think about great weather, holiday adventures and outdoor activities. When employees are physically in the office, but constantly dream about being elsewhere, their morale can drop and they can become less productive. Is it possible to motivate employees despite intrusive thoughts about an upcoming holiday? Of course, but this requires flexibility and a bit of creativity. Read on to discover our tips for employers and managers.
Provide air conditioning
The best thing you can do to make your employees less focused on their summer plans is to install powerful air conditioning. It is no secret that omnipresent heat makes us tired and less productive. Keeping the air cool in the office promotes employee well-being and increases their comfort at work.
Serve cold beverages or ice cream
When the weather is scorching hot and even air conditioning can’t beat the heat, you may consider giving your employees some products that can make them feel better, at least for some time. Examples? Provide your employees with cool drinks or ice cream to boost their morale. Remember that proper hydration is very important and make sure that all your staff members have access to cool water.
Give more independence
Some people are not comfortable with heat and it is really difficult for them to focus on work when the temperature is high. Don’t push them too hard and try to understand their condition. Instead of controlling every move they make, do your best to increase their comfort at work.
To do so, you may consider introducing Deski – a desk booking system which will help your team members choose workstations that suit their needs. This is particularly important in air-conditioned offices, where some workstations are much cooler than others. A desk reservation app is a low-cost solution to support your employees this summer.
Move outside
Until now, we have focused on tips which aim at cooling down the office area. However, you should keep in mind that there are also many people who simply love summer and prefer spending time outside in the heat rather than in a cool office. For some employees, working long hours inside while others spend time in the sun can be difficult to handle mentally. Encourage your staff to spend breaks outside or even take their laptops to the office garden or balcony (if it is possible) so that they can soak up some vitamin D.
Allow heatwave office wear
Who said that the dress code at the office needs to be the same all year round? Casual shoes, city shorts, semi-formal dresses and colourful T-shirts – thanks to them your employees will not only feel better, but also will be able to comfortably get to work and go back home.
Consider introducing workation
Workation is the latest trend in office work organisation, which, in the past few months, has become extremely popular among employees from all around the world. Workation is a kind of remote work combining work and leisure. In short, it’s when your employees work during holidays. They may, for instance, go for monthly holidays and perform their duties remotely from anywhere in the world.
Keeping your staff motivated during summertime is a challenge, but, with a bit of goodwill, you can achieve it. Provide your staff with accessible working conditions, introduce a desk booking app and give them more freedom so that they can benefit from long days and sunny weather for as long as possible.
Choose a desk-booking app with a simple, yet powerful interface. We can help you find an optimal configuration for your office. Booking a desk should be nothing but a single click! Get familiar with Deski – a desktop and mobile web app with real-time reservations. Set your own reservation rules and separate office space – it’s all up to you! If you have any questions about our hot-desking solution, let us know!