SURVEY SAYS – Have You Loosened Up for Summer?

June 24, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Wow - hard to believe that it's already summer (even harder here in the Northeast this year)!

However, as a recent OfficeTeam survey reminded us, the workplace can (or at least used to) be a bit more “relaxed”) in the summer months.    This week I asked readers if their workplace had loosened up.  

Well, for most of this week’s respondents – though that was a mere 51.1% – the answer seemed to be “not at all.”   Now, in some situations that was because things were already pretty loose, including the reader who noted, “It’s not that we haven’t loosened up, but these options were already available.”  Or, situations like the reader who said, “How can dress codes get any more relaxed? Half the people (both men and women) I see in office buildings now are barely presentable.”  Of course, there were also situations like the reader who said, “Ohhhh no. We can’t have flexibility. Someone might become satisfied with their job.”

Some Loosening?

However, there HAD been some “loosening” among this week’s respondents.   Roughly a quarter cited flexible schedules, while nearly as many ( 21.3% ) noted company activities, such as picnics, potluck lunches, etc.   

A full one-in-five noted a “more relaxed dress code” (though one noted, “How can dress codes get any more relaxed? Half the people (both men and women) I see in office buildings now are barely presentable” ), while 16% mentioned leaving early on Fridays and 6.4% said there was “more telecommuting.”

As I mentioned above, most of the open-ended responses were in the "other" category, though most of those could perhaps have been more properly categorized - well, as one reader opined - "Where's the "yeah right" option?"   That said, here are some of my favorite verbatim selections:

"We already allow for all of the above all year long, so the only thing we could add would be to allow for bathing suits, but that's not an image I need to have in my mind."

"We'll get nothing, and we'll like it!"

"While it's not officially the company loosening up, certain employees have taken it upon themselves to follow a more relaxed dress code."

'We get to leave early on Friday if we make up the hours throughout the week. The cafeteria is also grilling mystery meat burgers and God-knows-what-hot dogs on the patio every Friday. Perhaps they're allowing us to leave early in case we eat something that causes digestive torment."

"There's are no "official" summer policies, but the parking lot at 5pm tells a different story."

"Occasional afternoon walks outside."

"For the summer they allowed us to purchase a pass for casual days from June - August. You could either purchase a pass for the entire 3 months for a set price, or buy stickers for $1 a day. The money went to charity."

"From the week before Memorial Day to the week after Labor Day our Friday hours end at 1:00 - I believe I'm working in heaven."

"Haha. We are a bank. The frontlines can't have flexible schedules because they have to be available to the customers. The back office can't have flexible schedules because the frontlines can't."

"Mini-fridges stocked with beer until each desk (well, at least mine)!!!"

Now, I also asked readers to weigh in on the one additional area of "loosening" that they would like to have considered for implementation.   Far and away the top draw was - "leaving early on Fridays", cited by 44.9% .   That was nearly twice as much support as "more telecommuting", the number two response ( 24.7% ) got (one reader noted, "There is currently NO telecommuting, and I doubt there ever will be here. But it would be a huge benefit if they ever did consider it" ).  

Only about 14.6% backed "flexible schedules" (or, as one clarified, "extending the flexible schedule to salaried employees too (currently only hourly can enjoy the flex schedule)" , while 10.1% backed a "more relaxed dress code" (as one reader noted, "A suit and tie is NOT necessary every single day!" ), and a mere 5.6% supported (at least as a top priority) the notion of some kind of company activities.

There were some other comments in this group - a sampling:

"Nothing; we already can wear shorts, which has been a blessing these last 3 heat warning days

"We are trying to get the big bosses to let us switch to a 4/10 (working 10 hours a day Mon-Thurs). Granted, we have been trying for years, but I believe we will eventually wear them down."

One reader had a tale of "luck" that I am sure many can relate to; "We're in the Eastern Standard time zone and our corporate office is in the Central Standard time zone. So, leaving early on Fridays isn't going to happen. However, I'd sure like a more flexible schedule. I like being here when production starts at 6:00 am, but that's two hours before our Corporate Office is open. When I left yesterday right at 5:00, wouldn't you know it, our owner calls for me at 5:18."

But you have to admire the reader who, asked about a way in which the workplace could loosen up, noted simply - and for this week's Editor's Choice - "I would just like to get back to normal hours."

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!

We're already pretty loose but with business so bad, we can't afford to have people off early or to have a company outing. We're running lean.

Ohhhh no. We can't have flexibility. Someone might become satisfied with their job.

Maybe emphasize the "Life" part of work/life balance... insist you work no more than 44 hours during at least 1 week of each month of the summer... yeah... it'll never happen.

Jeans on Friday if you've purchased stickers by contributing to a specific charity.

No difference from other seasons. We have a little lightening up during the winter holidays between Christmas & New Years.

Since employees are free to wear aloha shirts and slacks or muumuus to work every day, we're probably loose enough. However, while 99.9% of men wear the de rigueur aloha shirt and slacks every day, probably <1% of women wear muumuus to work, and usually only on Fridays. P.S. These muumuus are not your grandmother's muumuus; many are form fitting and quite pretty.

Sadly, no changes for summer.

We already have flexible schedules year around, salaried employees can work from home when they choose, and we often issue "Dress Down Days". We are doing one thing new this summer which will a night at the Mahoning Valley Scrappers baseball game. They are an Indians farm team.

Departmental picnic is usually planned but haven't seen anything yet so far.

None of the above

Haha. We are a bank. The frontlines can't have flexible schedules because they have to be available to the customers. The back office can't have flexible schedules because the frontlines can't.

Mini-fridges stocked with beer until each desk (well, at least mine)!!!

Our office has always had flexible schedules and the dress code is business casual. Thursday of this week, we will hold our annual Ice Cream Day where employees will be able to make their own Sundae and later in the day, hold a drawing, giving away a number of very nice gifts to celebrate the beginning of summer.

We have done not one thing! It is business as usual!

How can dress codes get any more relaxed? Half the people (both men and women) I see in office buildings now are barely presentable.

Where's the "yeah right" option? My company is going the opposite direction and taking away or annual company picnic this year.

Nothing has changed

HA

Nothing.

More people take vacations during this period, but our fiscal year end is in June, so no let up for us.

2 weeks ago, we were given a floating holiday to use before the end of the year

NO loosening, more like tightening...like our budget and raises!

we're already pretty relaxed!

Maybe longer lunches to sit at outside tables, but for the most part it's business as usual.

We've loosened up quite a bit over the past few years, thanks to a new CEO who's less of a control freak. We now have a more relaxed dress code and flexible schedules, but they're available year-round, not just in the summer.

Already have telecommuting, flex schedules in place and business casual dress code

Due to budget contraints activities this summer have been all but eliminated. To compensate, management has suggested that supervisors should try team pot lucks. I would much rather have a tooth pulled without pain medicine then participate in a team potluck. Not only is my lunch time, mine to use as I wish, It is called Pot"luck" for a reason. No Thanks!

It's not that we haven't loosened up, but these options were already available.

You've got to be kidding! We're working harder than ever! In tough times like this, the staff is leaner so everyone must work more hours, even weekends at times.

We already allow for all of the above all year long, so the only thing we could add would be to allow for bathing suits, but that's not an image I need to have in my mind.

We'll get nothing, and we'll like it!

We're being more flexible with employees who want to take unpaid leave or temporarily reduce their hours over the summer.

We get to leave early on Friday if we make up the hours throughout the week. The cafeteria is also grilling mystery meat burgers and God-knows-what-hot dogs on the patio every Friday. Perhaps they're allowing us to leave early in case we eat something that causes digestive torment.

We're "relaxed" all year - it's Florida!

For the summer they allowed us to purchase a pass for casual days from June - August. You could either purchase a pass for the entire 3 months for a set price, or buy stickers for $1 a day. The money went to charity.

I work in a factory (offices are part of factory), so everyone has same dress, hours, etc. as the floor workers. This means NO flexibility!

Occasional afternoon walks outside

from the week before Memorial Day to the week after Labor Day our Friday hours end at 1:00 - I believe I'm working in heaven.

We actually had a lot more last year (or so I've heard, I've only been here a year). The recession has forced the company to back off. We are lucky to have a semi-flexible schedule though.

While it's not officially the company loosening up, certain employees have taken it upon themselves to follow a more relaxed dress code.

We really haven't loosened up much this year. We already have a fairly relaxed dress code, but otherwise, we have too much work to do to leave early or have other activities.

There's are no "official" summer policies, but the parking lot at 5pm tells a different story.

You're kidding, right? Loosened up means you can telelcommute provided you add your former commute time to work time, and relaxed dress code is because you don't have time to change.

how about no.

Actually our office has gone the other way. Being a manufacturing facility we used to dress in jeans everyday. Under new ownership however, we are now required to dress business casual - no jeans.

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