Summer is coming, and I, for one, am excited; if for nothing else than the weather. Summer is a busy time for a lot of companies and their employees. There are summer vacations to deal with and projects to complete, and people are just plain excited to get out of the office and enjoy the weather. This is a time that can also cause significant stress in the workplace.
Quite often, when we talk to companies about summer vacation coverage, we hear the same thing: “We are fine, everyone here is cross-trained. Cross-training is great to cover for short-term absences. But multiply that extra responsibility by several weeks and it can become incredibly stressful. Not only do these employees have their coworkers’ responsibilities to attend to, but they also have their own. In a season when people can get outdoors and enjoy the city, parks, and activities, they end up having to choose between their work and quality of life. Most of the candidates we talk to feel a sense of obligation to help out their co-workers, and not necessarily their employers. And although this can temporarily work in the employer’s favour, it will not last for long. Without some downtime during the summer months, employees can face burnout, which leads to decreased productivity and job satisfaction in the long run.
In September we traditionally see close to 20 percent more resumes than any other month. When interviewing our candidates, we ask them why they are looking to make a change in their career. We often hear about the stress they had to deal with over the summer; too much work to do; not a good balance between work and life. Many of these candidates have indicated that, after spending the summer covering their co-workers’ shifts in addition to their own, they knew it was time to make a move, to explore other options and test the waters elsewhere.
Take care of your employees this summer! University and College students are ready to work and high school students will be available soon. Hire a temporary employee or a student to assist with more of the junior tasks or projects. We all like to have our play time and the summer months are a great opportunity to do that. Your staff is the most valuable asset to the company; make sure that they feel that way!
