If you had to guess, you might assume that the summer is the most relaxed and easy season of the year in most professional workplaces. But as it happens, the summer often brings the highest yearly wave of turnover, low morale, frustration, and employee burnout. There are plenty of reasons why this tends to happen; overlapping vacations can mean an overburdened skeleton crew left in the office. Some companies experience peak orders during the summer. Some cater to other businesses in hospitality and tourism, which burst into activity during the warm season. And with children out of school, the demands of family life can leave employees burning their candles at both ends. But regardless of how and why they occur, managers need to stay on top of the summer blahs. Here are few tips that help your employees de-stress during this hectic time of year.

Thank them and show appreciation.

Don’t assume your employees know how much you appreciate their hard work. Remind them constantly that your company wouldn’t survive without their effort and commitment, and make it clear that you know how hard they’re working and how much they sacrifice in order to keep this place in shape.

Let them play.

If you catch your employees clowning around and enjoying each other’s company while engaged in non-work related activities, don’t immediately jump in and break up the fun. What may seem frivolous on the surface is actually anything but. The bonds that form between employees can work directly in your favor. As it happens, the most common reason employees leave their companies is simple: They didn’t feel a strong connection to others in the workplace and were alienated by a cold, hostile culture. Don’t let this happen. Five minutes of spontaneous laughter won’t have any impact on productivity…but it may provide immeasurable support to your bottom line.

Plan activities that some (if not all) can enjoy.

Don’t dismiss a group activity or suggestion because it falls short of universal appeal. If you find yourself saying “We can’t do that…Steve from accounting won’t enjoy it”, or “Employees with families won’t have time to attend”, or “Employees with Saturday obligations will feel excluded”, don’t worry about that. You can’t please everyone, and an activity designed to be fun should also be optional. Choose mini-golf one weekend, a community volunteering activity the next, and an ice cream social tomorrow.

For more on how to keep your teams productive, happy, and engaged during the stressful months of the summer, reach out to the staffing experts at Cordia.