Summer Hours

Hope you are reading this post while you're in a hammock

I’ve posted previously about the importance of work/life balance, and one of the things that helps is the use of a “summer hours” schedule.

If summer is your busy season, then of course, this isn’t the right schedule for you. But for many firms, summer is slow. Consider a policy in which you specifically state that, during the summer, no meetings should be scheduled on Fridays, and you close the office at noon (or 12:30, or 1pm—whatever “lunchtime” is for you) on every Friday between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Don’t make this a surprise, though—let people know in advance, so they can make plans with their families.

Yes, you lose 4-5 “business hours” from the week. But if it’s your slow season, then this is not a significant loss. And the morale boost to your staff is HUGE. I’ve literally heard people brag about their awesome summer hours at professional conferences (yes, more than one person on more than one occasion). Many firms find that this improves retention and recruitment, and that productivity actually stays the same or even increases during the remaining week. People come in feeling more recharged and valued by you and the firm.

TGIF!

(Photo by Ovidiu Gruescu on Unsplash)