Summer is a season full of exciting things: beach weather, swimming pools, and family vacations, to name just a few. But for facility managers, the summer season can mean a slowdown in productivity. Factors like higher temperatures, longer days, and employees who are distracted by other things can all contribute to a drop in summer productivity. Here are five ways that you can improve workplace productivity during the dog days of summer.
In the summer months, dehydration tends to be more common because of the high temperatures that cause people to lose more moisture through sweat. One of the best and easiest ways to fix this problem is to keep your employees well hydrated and provide easy access to water and cold drinks. Provide a working water fountain and remind employees to hydrate throughout the day.
When employees are working in hot conditions, you'll need to keep an eye on how long they're working without a break. It's smart to let your employees take frequent breaks so that they don't overexert themselves while handling workplace responsibilities.
The Department of Labor says that more frequent but shorter periods of working in heat are better than fewer but longer periods. Ideally, your team will have the chance to rest in a place with air conditioning. If not AC, then at least a place that is in the shade and provides exposure to a breeze.
One of the biggest distractions that leads to a drop in productivity during the summertime is family activities. Employees have their children at home during the summer, and many will be eager to get home to spend time enjoying the warmer weather with their loved ones.
To minimize this distraction, provide appropriate time off for your workforce. Everyone needs some time away from work to recharge. Employees who take a vacation during the summer will often come back rested and recharged. Planning ahead so that your company’s productivity remains high in their absence allows for standard productivity even with employee time off requests for the summer months.
Long days and intense heat can make monotonous tasks even more difficult in the summer. To combat this, the best facility supervisors will do everything they can to change things up. Whether this means switching up work schedules among your employees, incorporating new techniques into your work processes, or simply holding a team-bonding event after work, it's a good idea to help keep your staff engaged and productive.
Having a strong HVAC system in place is great, but pumping out cool air won't do enough by itself to keep all facilities at an acceptable temperature. In some cases, air conditioning in certain workspaces isn’t feasible.
Regardless of the cooling solution, facility managers have to ensure that there is adequate ventilation to keep the fresh air reaching everyone. Otherwise, you will end up with different temperature zones throughout your facility. Employees who are in the hotter zones can become uncomfortable and suffer from decreased productivity.
Facility managers, prepare yourselves for the summertime. You have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of your employees. By ensuring employees are not adversely affected by summertime temperatures, you are complying with necessary regulations and maintaining the productivity of your team.