Maintain Communication and Productivity in the Summer

During the hot summer months, with the rising temperatures productivity in the workplace can fall to all-time lows. Often employees will favor their plans for summer activities over work and choose to check their emails and take conference calls from their home or the poolside.

Many small businesses cannot afford to have their operations put on hold for the summer months while employees are distracted by leisure activities. Employers are right to encourage their staff to enjoy the summer months while setting ground rules to ensure customer needs and deadlines continue to be provided and met.

A business does not want to find itself in a situation where fifty percent of its employees are on vacation at exactly the same time, leaving the management to pick up the slack. With the correct digital collaboration tools and communication guidelines, a small business can maintain its business without affecting employee's summer plans.

Many employers, to maintain staff morale, offer half-days on Fridays during the summer and allow employees to work from home as incentives to complete their work. Allowing remote work opportunities and shorter working hours is only possible when a business has the correct tools and protocols in place.

Communication in the workplace is vital from June to August to maintain productivity. Encouraging an open dialogue between the different teams and departments can help to avoid unauthorized absences. For a working environment that's truly flexible, businesses need to invest in a unified communication solution to aid employee connectivity from wherever they are.

Three Methods to Keep Productivity and Communication High During the Summer

1. Communicate Clearly with Everyone

   To avoid disruption to the workflow and any confusion, set ground rules such as giving notice in advance of any work trips to allow the managers to manage the changing employee availability.

   As soon as schedules have been finalized, employees need to provide managers with the best method to contact them while they are out of the office. Employees also need to arrange for coworkers to cover inbound requests and specific tasks while they are away.

2. Provide Flexible Working Options

   While it is not practical for small businesses to allow employees to take a two-month summer vacation, offering flexible work options can make employees more productive and happier.

   Allowing work from home days and summer hours helps to contribute towards a better work-life balance and acts as an incentive for employees to finish tasks on time and meet deadlines.

3. Utilize High-Quality Conferencing Tools

   To balance the needs of the business and the employees work preferences, employers need to make it very easy for employees to access documents and connect with co-workers from wherever they are located.

   A suitable mobile-enabled communication tool will allow employees to host meetings, view files and presentations, and collaborate on projects directly from their tablet or smartphone.

   It can be challenging for small businesses, as the summer temperatures rise, to maintain productivity. Yet with suitable digital connectivity and flexible workdays businesses can continue to get the most from their employees during the busy summer vacation season.

Try our free conference calls for one month to help maintain communication and productivity during the summer for your small business.