Ten employee benefits to engage the team this summer

Often as the temperature rises and the summer months approach, productivity dips. Employees’ minds are wandering to the likes of barbeques with the family and friends, fun holidays and days out of the office. It’s with reason that many frustrated managers may feel the need to keep closer tabs on the hours and performance of their teams, yet this may cause more tension and hindrance. Looking for a better solution? Why not implement some fun engagement ideas to make the summer months more enjoyable for all your teams.

1. Offer flexibility and flexi-timeThe summer period can be very busy especially for those employees who have young children who have an extended break… so this is where flexibility will make the biggest difference. There are so many ways to offer this type of flexibility, be it coming in an hour earlier and leaving earlier, working from home one day a week or doing shorter hours. Whichever arrangement works best for the business as a whole will be meaningful and valuable for each and every member of the workforce. 75% of employees rated flexibility as their most important workplace benefit according to a workplace flexibility study by Workplace Trends. This flexi-working will also prevent employees from calling in sick or using other such excuses to avoid coming in, especially on the hottest days of the year.

2. Health and wellbeing challengesEncourage healthy competition and encourage your employees to take part in some wellbeing challenges. Have a salad day and let each team member bring their favourite dish to work and give a prize for the most liked and nutritious plate. Set a steps challenge and send your staff out for a long lunch walk together. This can boost employee motivation and engagement and at the same time, boost wellness and mindfulness in the office.

3. Casual FridaysTake advantage of the longer days and introduce casual Fridays for the summer months – this always goes down a treat! There’s no need to be suited and booted all week. Let your team come in casual attire, bring the drinks trolley round at 4pm or take the team to the local pub for a round of drinks. You could encourage different departments to do different team building activities weekly / monthly such as make cocktails for the team. Let the summer spirit encourage a good culture in and around the office, this will make your staff work harder during working hours, as they know downtime is coming.

4. Have a company picnicMake it the event of the season – there’s nothing like a good, old fashioned picnic, the perfect team building activity out of the office. Whether you go all out with full-blown catering and cocktails, or potluck and everyone brings a dish, this is sure to encourage a good team spirit where everyone can let down their hair together. Have games, sporting equipment and music and let everyone enjoy the afternoon out of the office, with no deadlines or work pressure. You can even make it light-hearted and do fun awards… there’s nothing like a bit of reward and recognition.

5. Offer discounted e-vouchersPlanning on doing some DIY over the summer? Or BBQs with family and friends? The list is endless…. so are the many opportunities with discounted e-vouchers and shopping cards. Give your employees the gift of choice with an employee benefits platform which offers savings at all major retailers so they can enjoy the summer, and some extra bucks! From Tesco, B&Q, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, cinemas and more… let your team save - just another means to show you care.

6. Create a garden in the officeLet the green fingers get to work and set up a mini garden in your office. Whether you have the space outside, or create a mini indoor green space, encourage your team to plant vegetables, herbs and flowers and watch them bloom. Emulating an outdoor activity can often bring in the tranquility and good vibes of being out in the open and will enhance productivity and engagement.

7. Plan an office excursionWhether it’s The Escape Rooms, a cocktail masterclass or an outdoor assault course – whichever activity matches the demographics of your employees, plan a day out and let the team enjoy the time out. By anticipating time out of the office, this may boost performance and build good team relationships. You could even do it team by team, so there are employees on hand to cover if needs be, and nobody will miss out.

8. Travel savingsWith summer here, give your team access to a host of travel savings and discounts both locally and abroad. Savings can include local getaways to luxury breaks for the whole family, there's something for everyone. Give the team a helping hand by providing packages, access to a travel concierge service and savings on an employee discount platform.

9. Ice creams, ice coffees and more....In the heat of the summer bring some ice creams, ice coffees or smoothies in for the team and let them cool off whilst working at their desks. You could go one step further and book an ice-cream van and let it park up at the office so your team can enjoy their favourite scoop or 99p soft serve. Something cooling, cheap and effective.

10. Beach daysWhy not take the team to your closest beach for the day? Check the upcoming weather and plan a fun day out together. You could even let your employees invite their families to join and make it a family day too. Treat the team to a nice lunch, and enjoy spending time together with beach balls and bats, tokens for the arcades and a round of drinks. Everyone will be relaxed and you can even come back in office hours. The sea air will refresh and rejuvenate your team and performance and engagement levels will soar thereafter.

If you'd like to find out how Xexec can help boost engagement amongst your team with bespoke and seasonal employee benefits, speak to one of Xexec’s Engagement Consultants.