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The sun is shining, the air is warm... are you finding it harder to focus on work?

It's a familiar story for many of us when temperatures start to rise, and one that can take its toll on workplace efficiency.

Studies have found that productivity drops during warm weather by around 20%, with projects taking 13% longer to complete and employees becoming 45% more distracted.

We've put together 6 smarter working practices to help you work better throughout summer. 

1. Keep in touch with colleagues 

Even if you feel fine, someone you work with might not.

Asthma sufferers can struggle more in spring and summer months due to changes in the environment, which may exasperate their symptoms. People with allergies can also experience problems due to increased levels of summer air pollution, pollen, a greater risk of insect bites and more dust mites.

Keeping doors and windows closed and making sure the environment is as dust free as possible will help to limit the effects. On exceptionally hot days, keeping windows closed and curtains drawn will also help keep the heat out. When the sun goes down and the evening gets cooler, that's the time to open your windows and let the cool, fresh air in.

2. Stay cool with personal air flow management

Changes in temperature can be uncomfortable and cause distraction from tasks. Individual, desk-side or desk-top fans give each person control of their own thermal comfort - no more arguing over the thermostat!

Air purifiers can significantly improve indoor quality by removing virtually all air pollution, including dust mite allergens, mould spores, pollen grains and ultra-fine particle pollution from traffic.

3. Structure your time

Time management is important all year round, but has particular benefit during warm weather, where losing focus becomes more likely. 

Effectively managing your workload, structuring your time, and focusing on the right activities will allow for increased concentration where it matters, and avoid overload and burnout.
Prioritise your tasks and projects, and allow time for breaks where you can step away from your desk for a few minutes. 

You know how you work best. If you're the kind of person who is most productive in the morning, perhaps when the temperature is a little cooler, then tackle the most important tasks when your energy levels are high. 

4. Safe outdoor working

The risk of overheating, dehydration or sunburn become more real for anyone working outdoors when summer comes around.

Outdoor workers should be given supplies of sun protection cream with a high SPF, plenty of cool water and be encouraged to take regular breaks out of the sun.

5. Water

It's never more important to stock up on water and make sure water coolers don't run low in the summer.

Experts recommend that we drink a little more than the recommended two litres of water if it's hot. Feeling thirsty is a sign we're already a little dehydrated, so it's best to start sipping before this happens. Drinking small amounts of liquid regularly will help to hydrate your body better than drinking large amounts a couple of times a day, so be mindful of how you're consuming your liquids. 

If you're feeling a little parched, you may have lost around 1% of water in your body, and dehydration happens when 2% of water has been lost. Signs of dehydration include feeling tired or faint, muscle cramps, infrequent urinating and very dark urine.

6. Flexible working hours

One of the issues some employees report in hot weather is lost working time when employees unofficially leave early or take longer lunch breaks.

Making it easier for employees to work flexibly, even if it's just during summer, could help improve morale, employee well-being, and loyalty, and help ensure employees are working when you need them to. Flexible working solutions include 'summer months only' compressed hours, flexible hours or an early leave on Fridays by adding extra hours on to days earlier in the week. 

Companies such as Vodafone have found that, for employees, work-life balance is as important as basic salary, with flexible working having a bigger impact on job satisfaction that more traditional benefits such as shares, bonus schemes and pensions.

Banner's Summer Essentials brochure

What helps you to get through the warm summer months? Our Summer Essentials brochure is packed with products to keep you productive and happy throughout the warmer months. From fans, to drinks and snacks, to hygiene products to keep the hayfever and COVID germs at bay, click here for our full range of summer essentials.

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