TRANSFORMING Teams By Paige McAllister
Summer in the workplace W
arm weather! Vacation! Baseball! Cookouts! Pools and beaches! Camping! While summer evokes different thoughts for everyone, it stands out as a unique and anticipated time of year. Summer also means different things from workplace to workplace. Some companies allow a relaxed pace during the summer months while others are full-steam-ahead since it’s their peak season. Whatever the summer looks like to you and your employees, there are ways to celebrate the season while keeping employees focused and productive.
Weather: Summer brings warmer—sometimes extremely hot—temperatures which create opportunities, some requirements, and may require some planning: • Implement a relaxed dress code – Consider allowing employees to wear more casual and lighter-weight attire as their job duties permit. While T-shirts, athletic shorts, and flip-flops may never be appropriate, allowing Polo-style shirts, capris, dress shorts, and dress sneakers or sandals may make employees more comfortable throughout the day. For employees who work outside, lightening their attire may be required to accommodate the heat while maintaining safety standards. • Plan for extreme weather – Unfortunately, summer also brings extreme weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires. Companies need to plan for all situations, continually update the plan, and, equally important, communicate this plan to their employees. While federal and state regulations may impact some actions, most should be determined by the company before they are needed. Consider: Under what circumstances will the worksite be closed? Who decides? Will employees be paid and, if so, for how long? How will employees be notified? How will operations continue? What network and other backup plans are in place? How can employees notify the company if they need help?
20
n Building Products Digest n July 2022
• Comply with heat standards – The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has issued a recommended standard for certain occupations with a high risk of heat stress and illness. While OSHA has several recommendations and is in the process of implementing a federal standard for certain work conditions, several states have their own laws protecting employee safety in indoor and outdoor work environments. Vacations: School breaks and family vacations may mean employees will be absent and/or distracted more than other times of year. Strategies such as planning ahead and offering flexibility may help to keep employees more engaged while meeting performance expectations. • Allow a temporary reduced schedule – If possible, allow employees to reduce their work schedule, perhaps shortening their workday or workweek so they can spend more time with their families or start a weekend trip a little early. Require employees to give advanced notice of their time off or perhaps make it a set schedule until Labor Day. Communicate that employees must continue to meet operational and client demands, even if schedules may periodically need to be adjusted to do so. • Offer temporary flexible work arrangements – Similarly, allow employees to work from home if their duties and performance permits. This could include the occasional day or be a regularly-scheduled arrangement. Employees can be closer to their homes and families and, by eliminating commute times, can work the same amount of time. • Encourage employees to use available paid time off/ vacation – Some employees may have been holding on to paid time off until they could travel freely or in case they need it to quarantine for COVID-19. Others may (unsuccessfully) try to balance family time with work time. Remind employees that you offer paid time off so they can get away from work and recharge. If you have Building-Products.com
