“In the summer… life is easy.” That’s a famous song, but for the vast majority of workers, that’s not reality.
Although warmer weather is often associated with relaxation and vacations, summer has become a source of stress for many people.
From filling in for colleagues on leave to juggling childcare responsibilities, the past few months can bring a variety of challenges that can overburden employees.
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according to Westfield Health Wellbeing Index57% of HR professionals have observed colleagues experiencing burnout over the summer, and 41% say it’s impacting productivity.
These are four common reasons why workers are stressed.
Vacation compensation
Summer is traditionally a time when employees take some well-deserved time off, but those who remain are feeling the pressure.
When colleagues are unavailable, the remaining workforce is stretched thin, taking on additional responsibilities and often struggling to complete the requirements of their role.
Increased workload can lead to higher stress levels and a feeling of overwhelm.
As projects pile up and deadlines loom, many workers find themselves craving some time off of their own—but that time off may still be weeks or months away, or it may never come at all.
For certain roles, freelancers are brought on to lighten the workload, but managing new contributors can sometimes be just as much work as doing it yourself.
Childcare confusion
For working parents, the end of the school year marks the start of a desperate race to secure child care arrangements.
With schools closed for the summer, parents have had to turn to a variety of outlets, including day camps, babysitters and family favors, to ensure their children are cared for while they continue working.
This constant tightrope walking can be taxing both emotionally and financially: Many parents feel guilty about leaving their children for long periods of time, while others struggle with the cost of summer child care options.
Fighting the heat
As summer temperatures continue to reach new extremes due to the climate crisis, many workers are finding the heat increasingly difficult to cope with.
Whether it’s commuting in sweltering heat, working in an office with poor air conditioning, or getting a poor night’s sleep, the physical discomfort caused by extreme heat can have a significant impact on productivity, morale, and overall health. And of course, those who work outdoors face even greater risks.
Entertaining guests
During the summer months, there are often many visitors and overnight guests, especially around major holidays such as the Fourth of July and Labor Day.
While entertaining friends and family can be fun, it adds another layer of strain to the tightrope many workers already struggle with, especially when relationships with certain guests aren’t always easy.
Balancing work responsibilities with the need to entertain guests and manage a packed house can leave employees feeling overwhelmed and unable to fully focus on both their personal and professional lives.
Summer Support
Recognizing the impact summer stress can have on employees, progressive organizations are implementing creative solutions to support their employees.
Some employers are addressing the child care issue head-on by offering a variety of family-friendly benefits, including on-site child care facilities, subsidized child care costs, discounts on summer camps, and transportation to and from daycare and camps.
Companies that offer on-site childcare services often also organize summer programs for employees’ children. Arts and crafts, day trips, and sports activities provide new and engaging experiences for kids and help ease parental guilt.
Flexible scheduling is another solution companies offer during the summer months.
This could include allowing employees to adjust their start and end times to accommodate dropping off and picking up children, implementing a no-meeting policy during common camp or daycare pick-up times, or offering compressed work weeks or summer Fridays.
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Strategic workload management can also address the stress that comes with filling in for a colleague who is on holiday.
There are plenty of practical steps employers can take, such as temporarily reassigning tasks to ensure a more equitable distribution of work, hiring previous collaborators to fill in for peak holiday periods, and encouraging teams to plan their holidays in phases to minimise disruption.
And finally, to help employees struggling with rising temperatures, companies can upgrade their office HVAC systems, allow more casual dress codes, and offer flexible work-from-home options on particularly hot days. While an occasional ice cream is nice, it doesn’t count as protection against the heat.
Summer doesn’t have to be a season of stress. With the right support and strategies, it can be a balanced, productive, and even enjoyable season for the American worker. But if your organization hasn’t gotten the memo and isn’t willing to consider some of the considerations above, it might be time to look for a new place.
Are you looking for a career that offers more flexibility and better employee benefits? Visit The Hill Job Board today
