Should you reward staff with summer hours?

Various rewards and benefits can work to attract and retain staff, whether its paid-for gym memberships, healthcare coverage or flexible working, perks like these have long been considered crucial in the war for talent.

With the warmer days now here and more hours of sunlight in the day, is it worthwhile for businesses to consider introducing summer hours to continue to help attract and retain top talent?

This work perk isn’t just beneficial when it comes to retention, as a study by Opinion Research Corporation revealed that productivity also increased as a result of summer hours, as 66% of employees who enjoy the reward felt more productive – not less.

Whether employers are still on the fence on providing such a reward for their staff, Reward Strategy has compiled a list of some of the positive reasons why summer hours should be considered.

Combats burnout

Knowing that when Friday comes round once again a shorter day is on the cards instantly helps to raise the spirits of staff, which will also help tackle feelings of burnout as staff can enjoy the extra time off to spend time with friends or family for example. In addition, Ian Wright, founder of Small Business Prices, pointed out that this shorter week will motivate people to get their work done. He said: “Employees feel more motivated to complete their workload in the given time, to keep the benefit you have given them.”

Greater flexibility

Over the last 18 months in particular, flexible working has grown more in popularity among employees, and offering summer hours allows employers to tap into that demand. Not only does this perk allow staff to enjoy a better work/life balance, but it also allows staff to head out in the sunshine earlier which can help to boost morale and employee happiness. Wright supports this as he added: “Granting workers more freedom when it comes to their schedule allows them to maintain a better work-life balance, which in turn makes people happier.”

Demonstrates trust

Lastly, and potentially one of the more important reasons to offer such a benefit like summer hours, is that it shows employers trust their employees. Research has previously indicated that employees who feel they are trusted are happier and less likely to look for new opportunities. For example, a study by PayScale revealed that 76% of employees whose bosses don’t have any confidence in them to act on their own said they would pursue new jobs. Therefore, “the shorter week displays to staff that you have confidence in them to handle their workload while also enjoying time in the sun,” Wright concluded.