In the words of Will Smith, “Summer, summer, summertime. Time to sit back and unwind.” Easier said than done when you are a small business owner, right? This summer, we encourage you to take advantage of the “summer, summer, summertime” and implement some of these office policies that are not only good for your employees and your company, but good for our planet:
Organize a Work CSA
Workplace CSAs are beginning to pop up throughout New York City thanks to CSAs like Local Roots NYC, an organization that already has numerous workplace distribution points included on their list. See what CSAs may already be in your workplace neighborhood (here’s a great NYC map) and contact them to see if they would be willing to work with you and your company. Can’t find one that fits? Consider creating your own with these great tips from Just Food. You can find a list of potential farms by visiting Local Harvest.
Encourage Green Transportation
Have employees spend at least one day a week participating in more eco-friendly transportation options such as biking or walking to work. Studies show that avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week can eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year. In addition, employees that spend time in the great outdoors prior to the workday will be more productive. Click here for tips on how to bike to work in NYC.
Make Telecommuting an Option
Offer employees the opportunity to work from home. With cloud services, email, texting and Skype a big chunk of what we do each day in our offices can be done while at home. Allowing your employees to telecommute even a portion of their week lowers overall CO2 emissions, increases worker productivity and saves you money.
Go Casual on Fridays
During the summer months, end the work week with a “lighter and cooler” attitude by opening up the windows and turning down the thermostat to save on cooling costs and electricity. If possible, consider closing your office early on Friday afternoons (or implementing a 4-day work week) so you can turn off the lights and computers.
Organize a Volunteer Program
Studies show that employees who are encouraged to volunteer for a cause are happier and more productive so use the downtime of summer to organize a volunteer program for your employees. Plan a company-sponsored service day where employees are given the day off to volunteer or allow employees to participate in individual volunteer programs during work hours.
Whatever your summer policy, make sure you reward employees who participate in an effort to encourage others to get involved as well.
Talk to us: What is your office summer policy?