Employee productivity often dips a little in the Summer. Their kids are out of school, and they are trying to find extra time to spend with their families. Even employees without children are starting to plan their summer vacations. With everyone’s mind on upcoming summer activities, it can be hard for them to stay on task at work.

Managers and bosses can take some steps to keep productivity levels from suffering, and still encourage employees to make the most out of their upcoming vacation time. These tips can also be used during the hectic holiday seasons when employee productivity also tends to decline.

Alternative Scheduling

Many businesses are using alternative schedules in the summer so employees can take the time off to spend with their families on vacation. Depending on the size and needs of the business it can be one that employees can sign up for in advance or a company-wide policy. Here are a few examples of how companies can implement a flexible summer schedule,

Allow employees to leave early one day a week or month, typically on Friday.

If possible, allow employees to have a prearranged day where they can work remotely.

One way for companies to ensure that they are fully staffed during the summer is to use a rotating schedule. Employees can sign up for 10 hour shifts that will still allow them extra time off, without losing pay or affecting workplace productivity.

Keeping Schedule Gaps Filled

The number of employees putting in requests for vacation time usually increases in the summer. With everyone wanting time off in a relatively short period, it’s not uncommon for scheduling gaps to occur. While companies don’t want to discourage their employees from taking advantage of their vacation benefits, they also don’t want to be short staffed.

To prevent productivity from suffering and still ensuring that employees get the time off they deserve, many companies are implementing cross-training programs. Training employees to handle different tasks and responsibilities will help to ensure that companies always have the personnel they need.

Handling More Than One Vacation Request

Denying employee summer vacation requests can be just as devastating to productivity as trying to operate a business with a poorly trained skeleton crew. To ensure employees have the vacation time they’ve worked hard for, there are a few methods companies can employ to ensure that they continue to run smoothly.

Have set guidelines in place clearly outlining how many employees can be on vacation at the same time. This information should also be easily available.

Require a three week notice of any upcoming employee vacation time. This will give businesses plenty of time to fill the scheduling gap.

A “first come first serve” policy regarding employee vacation times is usually best. It will prevent internal conflict that can interfere with productivity.

Any blackout dates should be clearly posted to prevent scheduling conflicts.

Just by following these simple steps, employees can take their summer vacations without affecting workplace productivity.