Implement casual Fridays

Depending on your business, you may be able to implement a more casual dress code during the summer months. Keep in mind though, that relaxing your dress code – if you have one in place – could lead to employees bending the rules a little too much. Flip-flops and tank tops are a staple on warm sunny days, but may not fit the image your company wants to project. If you are considering a more relaxed dress code, write down the policy, send this out to all your employees and ensure they understand the limitations.

For example, at my company we don’t allow shorts during the summer, but jeans are okay as long as they aren’t tattered or ripped. T-shirts are acceptable in our office, but we don’t permit tank tops or ball caps.

Try flexible work hours

The summer brings additional demands on our personal time, due to kids being out of school and various family activities. In addition, many businesses experience slowdowns during July and August, so it can be a good time to loosen up work schedules.

If possible, consider giving employees the opportunity to work remotely from home, even if it’s just one day out of the week. Another option could be to shift the work schedule so that work starts a little earlier, but also ends earlier, giving employees more time with their families at the end of the day. Half-day Fridays are also popular for many companies during the summer. If you can’t afford the productivity loss of shorter hours every week, even once a month will make a huge difference in motivating your team.

Let employees know that it’s okay to take time off

Not only do vacations give employees time away from the office, but it gives them a chance to recharge and refresh themselves. By the time they return, they’ll be focused and ready to work. You’ll see a change in productivity for the better, and it helps to improve the work-life balance that many employees and employers struggle with.

A new study has found that vacation is not just a tool for avoiding burnout — promoting time off makes it easier to ask employees to log extra hours at critical moments. A majority (72%) of managers agree that encouraging time off makes their employees more willing to put in the long hours when really needed. The vast majority (84%) of managers also agree that when employees take time off, they return to work with improved focus and creativity.

Ultimately, the measures that make employees happier in the workplace are also likely to benefit the organization in the long-run. Summer perks may be short-term actions but the positive effects they have on employee morale and productivity can last much longer.

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Piyush Patel, author of Lead Your Tribe, Love Your Work, is an innovator in corporate culture and an entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience. He grew his company, Digital-Tutors, into a leader throughout the world of online training, educating over 1.5 million students in digital animation, with clients including Pixar, Apple and NASA. A former Northern Oklahoma College professor, Patel grew frustrated with outdated training material, and launched the company from his living room with only $54 and built it without any debt or investors, eventually creating multi-million-dollar revenue. In 2014, Pluralsight acquired Digital-Tutors for $45 million.