And the answer, this summer, at least, is, “more time off.”
A new survey from staffing service OfficeTeam showed that summer Fridays and a flexible work schedule were the most desired summer benefits. Forty-one percent of those surveyed said a flexible schedule was most important to them, while 28 percent wanted to leave early on Fridays.
The good news is that employers seem to be listening. Seventy-five percent of HR managers said that their companies offered flexible schedules during the summer, while 63 percent said that workers were able to get a jumpstart on the weekend.
Other respondents said that they wanted a company picnic or potluck (6 percent), which is sweet, but we’d like to point out that you can have a picnic every Friday if you’re allowed to leave early. Five percent wanted a more relaxed dress code during the summer months. This makes complete sense to anyone who’s had to commute on public transportation in 90-degree heat. Fifty-eight percent of the HR managers surveyed said that their companies adopted a less strict dress code in the summer.
Surprised to see so much leniency from employers during an economic time when they could probably demand that workers dress up like penguins and sing a corporate anthem in the lobby every morning? Don’t be. Low-cost benefits like these are a good investment for companies.
“Workers appreciate having more control over their schedules as they juggle personal and professional obligations,” said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. “Organizations that don’t offer summer benefits in some form may be missing out on a way to increase employee morale and retention.”
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