Charlie Dickson, chief administrative officer of Kronos, climbed out of the dunk tank at the company’s employee barbecue.
(Photos By Bill Greene/Globe Staff)
Spending Smart
Keep workers happy on the cheap
Flexible summer schedules, company picnics can dull the recession’s sting
Charlie Dickson, chief administrative officer of Kronos, climbed out of the dunk tank at the company’s employee barbecue.
(Photos By Bill Greene/Globe Staff)
The days of raises, bonuses, and workplace festivities are but a memory at many businesses. You’re more likely to find pink slips and than party invites lying around the office these days.
But for businesses that can’t offer monetary perks or elaborate summer celebrations right now, there are other cost-effective ways to keep employees happy and improve productivity during the summer months.
Flexible schedules and leaving early on Fridays are the most coveted summer benefits, according to a recent survey of workers by OfficeTeam, a staffing service company. And cheap perks like company picnics and a more relaxed dress code are also among the benefits preferred by workers.
Flexible schedules are an inexpensive way to help keep employees motivated, said Sean Dowling, branch manager of OfficeTeam. He suggests using the summer to pilot these programs and evaluate the impact of workflow and productivity.
“Flexible schedules allow employees to get their work done when it’s most convenient for them, so they also can attend to personal obligations and activities,’’ Dowling said.
Even if companies aren’t able to implement flexible schedules, they can allow employees to occasionally leave early on Fridays and give them a head start on weekend trips during the summer.
Kronos Inc., the local software company, looked for new ways to boost morale this year without hurting the bottom line. Earlier this week, Kronos hosted an employee appreciation barbecue at its Chelmsford headquarters, complete with dunk tanks, a DJ, and senior executives serving up food. And Kronos is also giving all workers an “appreciation day off’’ this summer.
“The fact is these events and perks don’t cost the company an exorbitant amount of money and they are well worth it because they go a long way to making people feel appreciated and happy in their jobs,’’ said Aron Ain, Kronos chief executive.
Jean Nganjabahizi, a technical support engineer at Kronos, agrees. “As in any relationship, it does not take big acts to show appreciation, it’s the small, unexpected things that go a long way,’’ he said.
Jumpstart, the Boston early education organization, gave employees an extra paid day off to extend the July Fourth weekend, and it is open to flexible working arrangements with approval from managers. The company also began holding monthly staff meetings, rather than its usual quarterly meeting, to keep employees engaged and is following them up with fun social activities, like an outing to the Barking Crab restaurant.
“Communication and transparency are key for employees to gain a strong understanding of the organization’s future, with the aim of increasing employee engagement to keep productivity high in tough economic times,’’ said Kerry Connor, Jumpstart’s national recruitment manager.
Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com. 
© Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company.
