Get your FREE 30-day trial.
Please complete all fields.
Whether you’re working at a startup or a major corporation, no summer ever passes without employees requesting time off to get out of the office and enjoy a quick getaway. In an annual survey conducted by Project: Time Off, full-time employees are getting more paid vacation days (22.6 as of 2016) now than ever before and they’re using an average of 16.8 of those days too.
However, not everyone is taking a summer vacay. Some employees might want to save their PTO for the holiday season while others might be part-time team members with fewer benefits. And of course, there’s always the issue of ensuring that not everyone takes off all at once leaving your business looking like a ghost town either. For the few, the proud, the ones who stick around full-time during the summer, here are a few ways you can get your team out of the office and participating in fun activities to celebrate the season.
Remember when you went to summer camp as a kid? Bring the adventures to the office! In July, “Camp MyCorp” is in session at my company and all of our team members are campers. We toast s’mores, get creative with arts and crafts, play games, and decorate desks. It’s an inexpensive way to have fun and get the whole team engaged, with everyone looking forward to the next activity. Organize a scavenger hunt around the office, hit the trails on a “nature” hike (which for many might just mean exploring your neighborhood park), and host a summer camp-themed snack potluck loaded with popsicles, fruit, and bug juice.
If you can’t think up fun activities to do every single workday, consider heading on a weekly or biweekly field trip with your team. Close down for a few hours or opt to do the trip after work and have everyone join you for a wine and painting session, escape room, baseball game, or a trip to a museum.
If you’re experiencing a slower month in the office, use the extra time to give back to the community. Not sure what to do or what opportunities are available in your area? Check out VolunteerMatch.org to discover causes and nonprofits near you that could use your passion and a few helping hands. Some ideas to get you started include joining up with Habitat for Humanity to build homes, heading to soup kitchens, reading and offering tutoring services at local libraries, and working alongside animals.
Ah, the great outdoors! Get a little sunnin’ and funnin’ going by hosting company picnics at local parks. Encourage your team members to invite family along, call in some food trucks, and participate in fun activities like Frisbee, softball, and hula hooping. Make it a point to return back to the park throughout the summer too. Encourage everyone to join you there for morning yoga classes. Go on afternoon Starbucks runs and head to the park afterward to enjoy your drinks and stretch out. Savor the dog days of summer outdoors, rather than use them to sit in front of the computer and aimlessly Google the day away — everybody will thank you for it!
--
Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation.com. MyCorporation is a leader in online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses, providing start-up bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered agent, DBA, and trademark & copyright filing services. MyCorporation does all the work, making the business formation and maintenance quick and painless, so business owners can focus on what they do best. Follow her on Google+ and on Twitter @mycorporation.
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
