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Ahhh….Summertime is here!!! But how can you bring summertime into the office? Glad you asked! There are several inexpensive and easy ideas you can implement as summer employee rewards. Here's a quick “Summertime Fun” checklist:

• Summer Casual Dress…when applicable (no clients coming in, no Board of Directors meeting, etc.), do Business Casual summer style. Allow men to wear collared golf shirts, chino pants and boat shoes. Women’s dress ideas can include capri pants, linen blouses and polo shirts. Just remember you’re at the office, no flip flops, tank tops, mini skirts, sarongs or bathing suits please!!!
• Summer BBQs… treat your employees to a BBQ, hosted by the Company. Burgers, hot dogs, watermelon, lemonade and lunch outside of course!
• Ice Cream… have the local ice cream truck swing by your office to host an impromptu ice cream party.
• Summer work schedules… can you arrange work schedules to allow for a condensed workweek? Have employees work a “4/40” (Four (4) ten (10) hour days), or a “9/80” (Work 80 hours over nine (9) days to get one day off every other week). This gives employees the chance to get a jump start on their summer weekends!
• Casual Fridays… Employees “dress down” on Fridays. To participate, employees donate a nominal $ amount ($1 -$5) to the “charity jar”. You’d be surprised how quickly the $ will add up…and it’s a win-win, employees get to dress down and the proceeds go to charity!
• Family outing…Summer company outings are a great, why not incorporate employee’s families? It’s a team building event for the company and employees also get to enjoy some R&R with their families too!
• Meetings… take them outside! How about having your next “team meeting” at the company picnic tables? Or have that “brainstorming session” with your colleague while walking around the office park? Nothing like being outside or taking a walk to get the creative juices flowing…not to mention that sunshine is FREE!!!
• Summer Escape…create a “summer escape” at the office! A quick trip to I-Party and you can find all the fixing’s to summarize the conference room…some palm trees, a fan or two, pink flamingos, sand pails, bubbles, and Jimmy Buffett on the radio can bring Summertime to any meeting!!!
• Walking club…Give employee’s the chance to get outside to walk for 30 minutes. It will reduce their stress, lower their cholesterol and increase their afternoon productivity!

We know summer is short…so we hope the above suggestions help you find ways to bring Summer to the office for a few short months! What has worked to bring “summer” to your workplace?

Technorati Profile

Do you feel like you are being bombarded with negative news? Foreclosures, the unemployment rate, companies in trouble… the list is endless… and that’s just the economy! This negative press leaves us feeling hopeless and powerless in our jobs. Perhaps you’ve lost the “zing” that used to make you excited about coming to work each day. How do you recapture your workplace motivation? The reality is that there are things you can do to help yourself and get back on track. Here are some tips on becoming a Happy and Valuable employee.  Taking these steps you will help you gain ownership and control; you’ll be happier at your job and, at the same time, make yourself invaluable to your employer. So, what can you do? How do you gain this employee motivation?

Take initiative – Research has shown that the #1 priority on employer’s wish lists is for their employees to take initiative. Taking initiative at work is a key ingredient to making improvements, dealing with change, and providing customers with good quality service that is beyond the status quo – these are the very things every employer is looking to achieve!

Align Your Values – Before you can add value at work, you need to understand your own values and align them with your employer’s. If your value system and your company’s will never jive, you need to think twice if you are in the right job or the right company for you. Aligning your values with the organization’s will result in your own personal satisfaction and increased productivity. Employees that are truly able to express their values and their “authentic selves” feel more committed, passionate, effective in their jobs and are often the top performers.

Take Ownership of Your Career – Don’t sit on the sidelines and wait for someone else to guide your career; people are too busy to look out for themselves, let alone someone else. Step out of your comfort zone – take on new responsibilities and learn different sides of the business. Find a mentor and ask them questions about their job, their career and how they got to where they are. Remember, you’re in the drivers’ seat when it comes to guiding your career.

Be Healthy – so now you’re thinking, what does my health have to do with my happiness and value at work? Research has shown that people who take care of themselves have decreased absenteeism, increased productivity, decreased stress level, increased stamina, improved relationships both on and off the job and an increase in well-being and self esteem. So what can you do? Get educated! Once you know the facts you can decide how you can make positive changes in your life.

So, the next time you turn on the TV or open the newspaper and start to feel the weight of the world, remember you can take action to take control!