Productivity over the summer months
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Summer is upon us although with the recent downpours, it might not seem like it! The summer months can really impact on small businesses, from dealing with staff absenteeism to irate employees who don’t want to be in the office. Allan Barrows, Business Link East, provides some tips for businesses wanting to cope with summer demands and maximise business opportunities. Summer holidays Summer is the most popular time of the year for families wanting to take annual leave. However, when it’s also busy in the office, staff taking leave is not always practical. While you don’t want to forbid staff from taking holiday, you also need to plan ahead to ensure that that business can continue with minimum disruption and customer service is not affected. Try and encourage staff to book holiday throughout the year. If you know there are a couple of weeks in the year which are the busiest, make it policy that staff must not take holiday in that time. If you do decide to implement something like this, be as open as possible and explain to your staff why you need to implement such a policy – you don’t want them to feel resentful. Do try and have flexibility wherever possible. Hiring temporary staff, of course, is another option. This will also help to ensure you are able to meet customer demand. Provided leave is properly planned and managed, it shouldn’t disrupt the business. Absenteeism As the weather gets hotter, so does the temptation to pull a ‘sickie’. This can cause problems as the business is unprepared and can also cause resentment in other employees. Consider introducing ‘duvet days’ allowing employees to take a day’s holiday at the last minute. This perk, of course, can only be taken when there are adequate resources in the office. Flexible working rotas and a pool of “reserves” will help manage this and other initiatives. Office temperatures The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 state that: ‘During working hours, the temperature in all workplaces inside buildings shall be reasonable.’ The regulation goes on to say that: ‘The temperature in workrooms should normally be at least 16 degrees Celsius unless much of the work involves severe physical effort in which case the temperature should be at least 13 degrees Celsius.’ Whilst there is no legal maximum workplace temperature, high temperatures can make offices unbearable and planning is once again essential here. If your office gets too hot during the summer months, consider installing air conditioning. If this is an expensive option, portable air conditioning may be an alternative. You can rent or buy the equipment so it needn’t be too costly. Dress code Uniforms are standard practice in many businesses but when the office is too hot, making staff wear restrictive uniforms or suits will make them uncomfortable. Consider relaxing the dress code during summer but only to the extent that customer-facing staff still look smart. Be reasonable but also strict when implementing a dress code policy and make sure it is equal Finally, summer should be a good time for everyone – even those at work! Follow some of the simple tips outlined above and not only should your staff be happier but so will you and your customers. Business Link provides quality impartial information, advice and support to help small and medium sized businesses and those looking to start a business. Contact Business Link to see if they can help on 0845 600 9006 or via the website www.businesslink.gov.uk
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