Many employers (and employees) would like to know the importance of a happy workforce to the success of any business. With research showing that high staff morale can lead to a 12% increase in productivity, the answer to this question may appear to be clear. However, just how much can these happy employees contribute to a business? Looking beyond productivity, the benefits of a happy workforce are seemingly endless. For the 4.8 million businesses in the UK, the average employee will be absent from work for 7.7 days per annum due to sickness. At first glance, this isn't a significant figure. However, when you consider this will cost £673 per employee on average, this can place a strain on the 99.2% of British businesses that have less than 50 employees. This can not only cause financial issues, but also work fulfillment issues. The pressure sick employees place on other employees in their absence can be significant. The happy employee, while not immune from the annual flu bugs, coughs, and colds, is far less likely to fall foul of the 66% of absence. This is short term, and avoids the top reason for long term absence from the workplace – stress. The chances are also good that they will be with you a long time. This means you will not only keep their skills and knowledge, and reap the benefits of staff continuity within your business, but you will also be negating the potential recruitment and training costs associated with high staff turnover. The recruitment costs of sourcing a new manager, inducting them into the business, and waiting for him or her to become completely conversant with the role can soar above £8,000. Even in today’s employment marketplace, 72% of businesses are citing a lack of specialist skills as their main recruitment difficulty. Therefore, it's essential for businesses take care of the people that they have. So, moving forward, how do you create this positive environment where your employees can be happy? Stephens Scown Employment Solicitors LLP highlight the importance of having solid HR policies and employment law advice so businesses can get the most from their workforce. In the UK, there is only one HR professional to every 102 employees. This suggests this area is often an area overlooked by businesses. There's no stronger message to businesses than the cost of not being proactive and potentially getting it wrong. In the last year, 186,300 claims brought at employment tribunals were accepted - costing £31.1m. A staggering 540,800 claims are still outstanding. As your business looks to move forward and with the costs of getting it wrong so high, are your employees as happy as you think and have you got all of the support in place you need? Infographic via Stephens Scown SolicitorsPhoto Credit: Shutterstock
There you are: sitting on the beach, covered in sunscreen, reading your favorite book, drinking your favorite drink under the cool shade of an umbrella. Life doesn't get any better than this. Suddenly, a door slams, a phone rings, a printer turns on. You jolt back into consciousness. You're at work, sitting in your cubicle, without even a hint of sunshine streaming in from outside.
When you're working a full-time job, finding time to enjoy the warm, bright summer weather can be a challenge. This is especially true for young professionals, as many of them are used to having summers off (or, at the very least, having a flexible summer schedule). But there's no need to feel trapped behind your cubicle walls. Go out and enjoy summer!
Here are a few tips for making the most of your summer while working full time.
1. Grab Some Foldable Chairs
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Keep a couple of foldable camping chairs at the office so you and a co-worker can catch some rays during lunch—whether it's in the park or the parking lot.
2. Keep A Beach Bag In Your Car
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Keep a bag full of summer supplies for your favorite summer activities. Having a bag (or, in my case, a backseat) full of towels, sunscreen, and swimwear keeps you prepared for anything. Friends hitting up the pool after work? You're covered. Once the clock strikes five, you can head to your destination of choice immediately.
3. Plan An Office Outing
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Plan an office field trip to the beach, the park, or the pool. Just do something fun so your brain can recharge and refresh!
4. Organize Group Walks
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Get a bunch of co-workers together and go on regular walks around town during lunch. (Or you could suggest a quick jaunt over to the ice cream shop.) This is a great way to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.
5. Eat Lunch At The Park
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When you find yourself eating out, hit up places with a deck, porch, or patio of some sort. Obviously, eating out every day isn't really a feasible option for most of us, so look into alternative ideas as well. Pack a lunch and hit the park for your own little picnic.
6. Organize Office Sports
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Whether it's setting up an official office sports team or just hanging out with your colleagues a few times a week, playing sports is a great way to get out and enjoy the weather. Have a field nearby? Try setting up some slow-pitch softball games. Or see if you can get a basketball hoop for the office so you and a few co-workers can shoot some hoops at lunch.
7. Join A Professional Group
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During the summer, professional networking groups often have fun events like harbor cruises, pub crawls, and outdoor mixers. Find a professional group in your area and make networking fun this summer.
8. Have An Office BBQ
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Get your grill on! Talk to your boss about setting up an office BBQ. Ask everyone to contribute their favorite dish, side, or drink. Fire up the grill and relax! Hey, it's summer after all.
9. Wake Up Early
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Yes, yes, I know...waking up early is an incredibly painful and unbearable experience for some of us, but waking up even an hour earlier has its benefits—especially in the summer. Go for a morning run, putter around in the garden, or watch the sunrise with a loved one. Talk about starting the day off right!
10. Strategically Use Your Time Off
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Strategically use your vacation days around holidays. This way, you can make a potentially long weekend longer without having to use too much of your precious vacation time. Half days are also pretty awesome. It's amazing how much you can do with four extra hours! If you want an early weekend but don't want to burn up your vacation days too quickly, try taking a half day on a Friday instead of using a full day off.
11. Bike To Work
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If you're one of the lucky few who live within walking or biking distance of work, take advantage of it! Not only will you get plenty of fresh air, but you'll also save money on gas, which is always a plus!
There are plenty of easy ways to enjoy summer when you work a full-time job. So this summer, try out a few of these ideas and make the most of the sunshine and warm weather—while they're still around!
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