Friday, July 19, 2019

More Businesses Are Offering 'Summer Fridays' To Their Employees

I must say, I've never heard of "Summer Fridays" until this week. Essentially, Summer Fridays are a business offering to employees where they're given paid time off (typically on Fridays that occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day) in addition to employees' regularly allotted paid time off. Recent research shows that 42 percent of companies offered Summer Fridays last year.

No matter how the policy is defined, the goal is the same: to give employees time off separate from their allotted vacation, sick, and personal time.

According to the Harvard Gazette, 36 percent of U.S. workers suffer from workplace stress -- and it costs U.S. businesses $30 billion a year in lost workdays. This is one of the statistics that is driving the popularity of Summer Fridays. The theory is that having a head start on the weekend makes employees happy, and when employees are happy they are more productive when at the office. Supporters say that Summer Fridays improve mental health, heart health, and even relationships. Some businesses are offering Friday completely off, while others are opting for an early departure from work -- such as at 1:00 pm.

Several workplace studies have shown Tuesday to be the most productive day for employees, with Friday being the least productive. What about overall productivity? Inc. magazine recently reported that current research suggests that in an eight-hour day, the average worker is only productive for two hours and 53 minutes. The most popular unproductive activities listed were:

  • Reading news websites -- 1 hour, 5 minutes
  • Checking social media -- 44 minutes
  • Discussing non-work-related things with co-workers -- 40 minutes
  • Searching for new jobs -- 26 minutes
  • Taking smoke breaks -- 23 minutes
  • Making calls to partners or friends -- 18 minutes
  • Making hot drinks -- 17 minutes
  • Texting or instant messaging -- 14 minutes
  • Eating snacks -- 8 minutes
  • Making food in office -- 7 minutes

So, if the average worker is only productive for about 3 hours each work day, why are Summer Fridays needed? I think that businesses should focus more on getting increased productivity out of workers during the course of the week rather than just accepting the fact that today's employee will only be productive 3 hours per day so Fridays should be a day off to keep them happy. I got my first job in 1980 and I've worked professionally for over 30 years. I've never been given any part of Friday off from my job for "Summer Fridays"... and I can tell you, the employees in the law firm I work at are much more productive than only 3 hours per day!

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso
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