FILE - Beachgoers sit on chairs and under umbrellas at Ocean Grove, N.J., beach on Sunday, May 26, 2024. As the temperature heats up and summer approaches, small business owners may be considering offering summer hours, such as an early release on Fridays, for employees to help combat burnout. As the temperature heats up and summer approaches, small business owners may be considering offering summer hours, such as an early release on Fridays, for employees to help combat burnout.
And since it’s harder for small businesses to offer better pay and benefits to boost morale than big businesses due to their tighter margins, summer hours can be a way to offer employees a perk at low cost. Consider employee workload and deadline schedules. If it’s not feasible to offer all employees the same hours off, consider staggering time off. Or offer the same summer hours — but every other week instead of every week.