Clarity, consistency and buy-in are all key.

After a long winter and a short spring, everyone wants to be outside enjoying the warm weather. And after a long two years, your employees could benefit from a little extra break for their mental health.

Enter the hallowed tradition of the summer Friday.

This idea can look a little different at every company, but the most classic concept is that from Memorial Day to Labor Day, workers knock off a few hours early on Friday. Some lucky souls might even get the whole day off on Fridays during the summer.

According to a survey from Gartner, 55% of companies offered some form of summer Friday in 2019, the most recent year for which data was available. Though this was pre-pandemic, many of the insights remain relevant: “Ultimately, Summer Fridays are about organizations providing the increased flexibility that employees are seeking,” Brian Kropp, group vice president of the HR practice at Gartner said of the results. “It’s a way for employers to show their staff that they are valued by giving them the gift of time.”

And to anticipate the natural employer question of whether any “lost” hours will hurt productivity, Kropp said: “We find that offering your employees work-life balance can increase productivity, loyalty and employee retention.”

Employees looking for flexibility and better work-life balance and employers seeking to retain high-value employees are nothing new — but they are growing trends amid the Great Resignation that most of us can relate to.

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