As the heat starts to increase, it is important to make sure your employees are as productive as possible. There are many reasons why productivity tends to decrease throughout the summer; the heat, the lack of other people in the workplace due to holidays and the general feelings of being inside whilst the weather is nice outside. There are however a few things both employers and employees can do to keep productive this summer.

Working at Optimal Temperature

Any drastic temperature alteration in either direction can have a negative impact on employee productivity, so it is important that the workplace is kept at an optimum temperature of around 22°C. It has been shown that any increase in temperature above this can have a dramatic effect on employee productivity whereas a sharp decline in temperature can actually cause illness and has correlations with staff sick rates. If you struggle to keep your workplace cool throughout the summer, you may need to consider hiring a cooling system. Office fans can be a great help when it comes to keeping the office at optimal temperature for productivity this summer.

Clothing Choice

If your workplace doesn’t have a set uniform, dressing for the weather is much easier, however if you have a uniform policy to adhere to such as business wear; you can take steps to choose material which is more summer appropriate. Cotton is a good choice for summer as it has moisture wicking properties which keep you cooler in the heat. Similarly, Linen is a good solution for soaking up moisture and it is light and airy, which should keep you cooler for longer.

When shopping for your summer work wardrobe try and stick to these 4 fabrics.

Cotton – Soft, lightweight, breathable, and soaks up sweat, allowing heat to escape the body and for you to stay cool.

– Soft, lightweight, breathable, and soaks up sweat, allowing heat to escape the body and for you to stay cool. Linen – Light and is loosely woven it allows heat to escape from the body. It absorbs a lot of moisture and dries quickly, keeping you cool and dry

– Light and is loosely woven it allows heat to escape from the body. It absorbs a lot of moisture and dries quickly, keeping you cool and dry Rayon – Rayon has very thin fibers, which allows it to breathe more than other fabrics and gives it a lightness that prevents it from sticking to a body in hot weather.

– Rayon has very thin fibers, which allows it to breathe more than other fabrics and gives it a lightness that prevents it from sticking to a body in hot weather. Chambray – Chambray is breathable and sweat absorbent just like cotton, but like an imitation denim so it has all of the same benefits as denim, but is a lot lighter in weight.

Hydration

In summer it becomes a lot easier for employees to become dehydrated. Dehydration can have such a negative effect on employee productivity as it can make people feel lethargic, cause headaches and migraines, and can even make people feel sick. Therefore, it is super important to encourage employees to drink plenty of water. 3 litres of water are generally a good figure to aim for to stay hydrated.

Activities

Sometimes the general lack of productivity in the workplace could be put down to low morale. When summer is here and the weather is nice outside, people are on holiday and enjoying the sun; for those who are in work morale can be low. A good way to combat this is to introduce some fun summer activities; take a little time each week to do some team building activities in the sun to keep everyone happy and in the mood to work.

Use our cooling calculator to find the perfect cooling product for you. We have a wide range of air conditioning units, evaporative coolers and fans for you to choose from.

For more information on keeping your business cool this summer, contact us today.