This marks the ninth year we’ve implemented summer hours at Lemonly. Summer hours simply means we shorten our work day on Friday to six hours instead of eight. It’s a simple little perk we started back in 2013 to let folks get out of the office and start their weekends. We have long, bitter, cold winters in South Dakota, so we have to take advantage of our summers.
Summer hours last from Memorial Day to Labor Day. When you take 16 employees and subtract two hours from a Friday workday, you could argue there’s a significant opportunity cost to over 30 hours of lost work. Guess the loss of productivity due to summer hours at Lemonly?
Zero.
We’ve even tracked the data. Each summer, we’ve looked at our output, and production hasn’t dropped despite the shorter weeks during summer months. We’re still accomplishing the same amount of work and at the quality we expect of ourselves.
So, what makes summer hours so special?
- Anticipation – When the snow melts and we have our traditionally short South Dakota springs, the anticipation of summer and longer weekends kicks in. Summer hours is a simple, easy perk, yet it gives everyone at Lemonly something to look forward to.
- Parkinson’s Law – Have you ever noticed that tasks will take as long as you allow yourself to complete them? It’s called Parkinson’s law. That 60-minute meeting in your Outlook calendar could have taken 25 minutes. Do we all need to work 40 hours? Who decided that was the right number anyway? Parkinson’s law will kick in and work will expand to fit the time available for completion. Whether you work 38 hours or 40 hours a week, you’ll get the same amount of work done.
- Change Routine – When you talk about work, many people will feel their stomach being to twist into knots. For some, just the thought of the word creates feelings of monotony and boredom. I don’t think our team at Lemonly feels that way, but summer hours creates an opportunity to break the routine. Some of our folks will change up their schedule and come in early and leave early on Friday. As the seasons change, it’s nice to change your routine, too.
Spirits are high this week as summer hours begin. As CEO, I’m always looking for opportunities to tweak the way we work and improve the company culture. When the temps heat up and we all start dreaming of BBQ, golf, and time at the lake, consider implementing summer hours at your office.
