Summer Fridays can be an amazing bonus for hard-working employees — or a waste of time and money for everyone involved. Here’s what to consider before you ask your boss for a half day.
Pros:
1. You might be happier.
Summer Fridays is a perk. Perks make employees happy. Happy employees who like their work situation tend to stay in their jobs longer than dissatisfied or ambivalent employees. Employee retention saves time and money. It is expensive and time-consuming to search for new employees and then to train them.
2. You might be more productive.
Employees tend to be most productive after a long, refreshing weekend. Time off, long weekends, and vacation time rejuvenate workers who then return to work energetic and ready to think creatively. Therefore, employers may actually make more money by scheduling summer Fridays, because their employees accomplish more in four-and-a-half days than workers at other companies accomplish in five days.
Cons:
1. You might get unwelcome phone calls and emails.
Many employers mistakenly think that it’s OK to contact their employees after letting them leave work early. If your boss didn’t get the memo, you might wind up getting calls and texts while you’re trying to barbecue your family’s dinner. It’s not time off if you’re still working via the telephone. You won’t return to work refreshed if you’re working all weekend.
2. You might feel like you have more work.
According to “Summer Fridays: 9 Pros and Cons,” some employees don’t like summer Fridays. If the half-day off is optional, then those who choose to stay at work may feel overburdened. These employees feel they have too much to do and not enough support.
If you do decide to argue for summer Fridays, suggest to your boss that the plan be a company-wide policy. This maximizes the benefits of a flexible schedule, without overburdening staff who opt to work the full day.
Finally, if your boss does offer summer Fridays, make sure you are productive on Friday morning. This may be difficult due to your excitement at the prospect of a long weekend, and a shorter amount of work time. If you waste Friday mornings, your boss might revoke the perk.
Tell Us What You Think
If you had the option of summer Friday afternoons off, or a five percent raise, which would you take and why? Comment below and join the conversation on Twitter.
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