Summer Hours – Our Team Deserve Them, Does Yours?
Although it doesn't quite feel like it weather wise, July has snuck in the door and regardless of the raindrops we are officially naming it Summer at Don't Panic.
For July and August, Don’t Panic will be adopting Summer Hours for all its staff members! What seems like an extravagance to the bottom line, is to us an investment in the team’s work life balance, mental health and wellbeing and commitment to our cause.
What Are Summer Hours?
In a nutshell, Summer Hours are additional flexibility in working hours for employees during the Summer. For some businesses it may not be possible to adopt such flexibility if Summer proves to be the busiest time of year, but for us at Don’t Panic the Summer is our quieter time in terms of running live events, although we will be heading to London for the UK Content Awards on the 11th July. This means that all our teams can concentrate on the mechanics, creativity and innovation of the business behind the scenes and the preparation of the coming traditional Award Season in September!
If you are lucky enough to be able to add this employee perk to your business, your flexibility needs to work for you and them! Before you launch, consult your team. It may be great for some to have a 4-day working week with Summer Friday’s, or an additional 2 days off a month to enable a long weekend, or reduced hours across the working week might be the answer especially when school is out and children need additional childcare which results in additional costs.
After chatting with our team, we established that Summer Afternoons were the best option for us. This means that providing work has been completed, any member of the team can logout at 12pm and take Friday afternoon off without booking or prior notification to management.
The Benefits
Showing trust in your employees allows them to be empowered when it comes to defining their working day and their life balance needs. Each and every one will have different requirements.
Are We Worried About the Impact on the Business?
We are extremely fortunate to have a team that is committed to the Don’t Panic vision and hand on heart, we don’t believe anyone of them would take advantage of the offer!
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We envisage team members will take a variety of approaches, some will rise early get stuck in and get their work done as soon as the can to logout anytime from 12pm for an early finish on Friday. Others will work late into the evening on one day to make sure they take full advantage of the 12pm finish.
How they make the most of the Summer Hours is their decision, we just want them to have the opportunity for afternoons at the beach, in the garden, decorating (we have a new house owner in our midst) spending time with children at the park (we have a lot of Mums and a Dad with little ones that won’t be little forever!) or doing the chores so the weekend is free (we have a lot of party animals!) We anticipate teams will relay days and times together, so that someone is always available for clients and any imperative work, and they are together for making planning and project decisions.
Whatever our teams and individuals choose all we ask is that their work is done, and if it is we foresee there will be little or no impact on the business.
Award Season Begins in September
From September to December is Don’t Panic’s busy, busy, busy season. We kick off with the Virtual Global Content Awards, followed swiftly by the Global Search Awards which are live in Krakow and 2 more in September. These are followed by 4 live events and 1 virtual event in October, 4 events in November and finally the jewel in our event crown, The UK Search Awards in December.
And that is just the Event Team! Sales and Marketing have campaigns and calls to coincide with all the above events and the 2025 events that have launched, all of which have entry deadlines that fall before the 29th November!
Award Season for us is a time where we can’t be very flexible and every day, like our events, is run with precision planning, so Summer Hours are our pay it forward commitment.
On paper it may seem like Summer Hours is paying your team for hours they haven’t worked, but we know that they will work those hours in the coming months. They will be made up when all hands are needed at the helm.
If you know the Don't Panic team or have ever been to one of our events you know they run seamlessly, and that the onsite team don’t leave the building or after party until the event is closed. That can be anywhere between 11.30pm and 4am! Of course, we give them time off in-lieu but sometimes they are putting in a really long shift that needs more than time recognition. If you see them at an event, remember they got there at 11am, they have probably been on their feet all day and only grabbed a sandwich or salad in the crew room!
Conclusion
If you can’t do Summer hours due to busy season, can you do Winter hours or some other flexible working to recognise the commitment your staff show.
If you can do Summer hours and are joining the hundreds of companies like us that are, enjoy your time and use it wisely!
Marketing Manager at Don't Panic Events
6moBring on summer hours! So excited to have the opportunity to clock off early on a Friday, just need the weather to start playing ball or I might as well be in front of my laptop 😂