As the summer months progress and the weather becomes hotter, the last place your employees will want to be is at work. Being too hot can lead to decreased productivity and irritation, which is why a boss must take care of their workers and make sure they’re safe, comfortable, and able to work.
While fighting the elements may seem to be a difficult job, there are certain things you can do to keep your employees cool when the weather heats up. Read on to find out more.
Provide Water
Keeping your employees hydrated is vital when the weather is hot (and at all other times). Health experts recommend that people drink two to three litres of water each day to minimise the risk of dehydration. This should be increased if you are exposed to the sun, whether via working outdoors or through a window in direct sunlight.
To help with this, you can provide branded water bottles to encourage your workers to keep sipping water throughout the day. Perhaps you can also install a filtered water cooler so that there is no excuse for not drinking enough.
Encourage everyone to have a good lunch as well. Working on an empty stomach is dangerous enough, let alone in the blazing heat. Not eating enough can raise the risk of fainting, tiredness, and other severe symptoms, all of which are unproductive and potentially very serious.
Allow Casual Clothing
If you have a dress code in your office, and assuming it’s usually a formal one wherein you require people to wear suits or look professional in general. This however can be problematic when the sun gets hot. Those clothes aren’t made for comfort in the summer months, and you might find that people cannot concentrate on their work because they cannot settle in their thicker clothes.
The answer is to allow casual clothing. Shorts and t-shirts might not go with the aesthetic of your business, but if it means your employees can do their jobs more effectively, then it’s worth making an exception. During a heatwave, loosening the dress code a little shows understanding, and this in itself will make your workers feel happier.
Turn Out the Lights
Because the hot weather brings in a lot of natural light and heat, be sure to switch off any unneeded lights if you have a lot of windows. The heat generated by electrical equipment can significantly raise the temperature in the workplace. A room become far too hot if everything is on and the temperature has risen. Not only will this keep your workers cooler, but it will save you money on your electricity bill too.
Have Morning Meetings
Mornings are the most creative time of day for many working professionals, and when it’s hot they are also the coolest. This means that scheduling any meetings for the mornings is the best idea; your staff will be much more focused and energised. A meeting later in the day will be uncomfortable, and no one will be happy to be there, so the input you get from them will be much less. Remember to provide plenty of water and snacks during the meeting to help even more.
