Tips to Keep the Office and Your Staff Cool in the Summer

Although English summers can be quite a let down when it comes to sunshine; hot, muggy days are still very common in an office environment and can hinder productivity in the workplace. It’s so important that the office is kept cool to keep your staff productive, as 1 in 4 employees admit they become less productive as the temperature on the thermostat rises. Here’s how you can still get the best out of your workforce when the office is hotting up:

Image credit (flickr)

Encourage Your Staff to Stay Hydrated

You probably already know that the human body is 70% water, and if you didn’t, now you do. Basically, you and your staff are more liquid than solid. That’s why it’s so important to drink lots of water during the hot weather! Although tea and coffee can help to keep staff alert, they can also dehydrate the body (you could need to drink another litre of water for every cup of coffee consumed!). 1.5-3 litres of water per day is ideal, and should keep your staff feeling fresh and alert. Make sure there’s a good water cooler in the office so everybody can enjoy a nice cold glass of H2O whenever they feel like it!

Offer Your Staff Remote/Flexible Working

Getting on buses and trains in boiling hot weather can be absolute torture. Make sure your office is up-to-date and as modern as possible by allowing the staff to access servers, emails, and phone calls wherever they may be…even if that’s in a bath or pool full of ice!

Providing you hired trustworthy staff to start with, they’ll still get their work done and be extremely grateful that they have your trust.

Give Everybody Their Own Fan

Ensure that every single person in your office has their own fan, whether they’re large models or handheld. Most of the time, a couple of fans to go around the whole room just isn’t enough, and could result in arguments…maybe even tears if it’s very hot! Ensuring that everybody has their own fan, and purchasing air conditioning accessories if you don’t already have them will keep your staff happy and cool.

Enjoy a Change of Scenery With Alfresco Meetings

A change of scenery might just help to clear your staff’s minds, not to mention cool them down in an alfresco setting. You could hold your meetings in the park, on a bench, or even just a nice looking patch of grass (just make sure staff aren’t wearing any designer suits, first).

Treat Your Staff to a Delicious Ice Cream

An ice cream treat for everyone is sure to keep spirits high and productivity raging on while the suns heat is blazing down. You could even take your staff on a lunchtime trip to a local ice cream parlour for ice creams, milkshakes, frozen yogurt, or another form of ice cold deliciousness! Your staff will appreciate the thank you, and continue to work hard even if the sun is near enough melting their keyboards.

The key to productive staff is happy staff; so do everything you can to keep them happy in the warmer weather!