With the summer season comes the opportunity for outdoor activities and a lighter summer wardrobe. As employers, this could pose both opportunities and challenges. Here are some topics to keep in mind and prepare you for this upcoming season.
Heat and Employee Safety
As temperatures rise, employers that have employees who regularly work outside or in uncooled areas for extended periods of time, especially manual labor positions, should be aware of the risk of heat stress. Some tips to keep your employees safe while working in the heat include:
- Train employees to recognize the signs of heat stress and when to take a break away from the heat when needed.
- Make sure water is available to employees at all times and encourage employees to drink plenty of water. This could mean keeping a water cooler or chilled water bottles near working areas so employees can easily access them.
- Encourage workers to wear lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothing.
- Use fans or other types of ventilation in work areas when possible.
- Schedule heavier work for cooler times of the day when possible.
Some states and localities may also have specific regulations regarding employees who work outdoors during hotter times of the year so make sure you are aware of these requirements.
Company Gatherings
As your employees put in hard work to help your company run, summer may be the perfect time to celebrate your employees with a summer gathering. These events don't need to break the bank, and something as simple as grilling hamburgers and hot dogs in a park could be greatly appreciated. Here are some reasons you should consider planning a company outing this summer:
-
Boosts employee morale: a company gathering presents a great opportunity to encourage coworkers to socialize and form bonds that lead to happier employees that feel more connected to their team. Departments that never interact are given a chance to get to know each other as well, which can lead to better efficiency across the company.
-
Opportunity to offer praise: these events are the perfect setting to recognize employees that have gone above and beyond throughout the first half of the year, which can seem to stretch on forever compared to the holiday season. Offering kudos to these employees, along with something as simple as a gift card or paid time off, can go a long way.
-
Company recognition in the community: in the age of technology and social media, throwing a great summer get-together can lead to opportunities to encourage organic PR for your company through social media posts. Taking photos or even gathering photos from your employees to post on the company's social media accounts can boost the company's image. Just make sure you have employees give their written approval of posting images of them first.
-
Tax write-off: if you provide meals or entertainment for the benefit of your employees, you can write off the costs as a business expense. With this tax write-off available, this brings the financial burden of throwing a summer bash down even further for employers.
Summer Dress Codes
As the mercury rises, people trade in heavier clothing for lighter, sometimes more revealing attire. This may be a good time to review your company's dress code policy with your employees. If needed, it may also be time to update your policy as well. Some employers opt to include a list of prohibited clothing items such as flip flops, short-shorts, crop tops, beachwear, and other clothing inappropriate for the workplace. Alternatively, you can state in your policy what is considered acceptable and let employees determine what would fall into the unacceptable category. If you have a company with safety-sensitive positions where items such as dangling jewelry or loose-fitting clothing may pose a safety hazard, you should state this in your policy.
Having to address clothing concerns can be uncomfortable for all parties, so stating your policy in advance can help avoid situations where these conversations are necessary. When an employee's attire needs to be discussed, avoid embarrassing the employee by addressing the issue in private and be ready to point to your dress code policy. Focus on the professionalism required as it relates to the workplace and, if their clothing poses a safety risk, address that as well.