If you own an office-based business, here are two things you should do to prepare for the summer months.
Have the air conditioner serviced
It is absolutely essential to ensure that your office's air conditioning system is fully functional before the summer season arrives. If it malfunctions midway through a summer heatwave, it could have a serious impact on your employees' productivity levels, as working in a stiflingly warm and stuffy environment can be extremely uncomfortable.
People who have to work in these conditions are likely to become lethargic and may struggle to concentrate on their assigned tasks. Individuals who are particularly sensitive to the heat and cannot physically cope with high temperatures may even become ill and need to go home.
As such, you should contact a local air conditioner service and have them check your air conditioning system. They will carry out some basic maintenance (such as changing the system's air filter and removing dust and grime from its condenser coils) and check for signs of faults.
It's important to get this servicing done at least a few weeks before the summer season begins so that if any faults are discovered, there will be plenty of time to have them fixed before you need to start using the air conditioner.
Invest in cold water dispenser machines
In warm conditions, people usually sweat more. If they do not drink more liquids to compensate for the extra water they are losing through perspiration, they can become dehydrated.
As such, if your employees cannot easily access water throughout the day (for example, if they have to walk all the way to the canteen each time they want to fill up their water bottle), it is likely that some of them will experience mild to moderate dehydration at some point during the summer.
Mild dehydration can have a negative impact on a person's ability to focus and can also cause symptoms such as dizziness, headaches and lethargy.
If you want to prevent your employees from becoming dehydrated, you should consider investing in one or two free-standing cold water dispenser machines for your office. This will make it easier for your staff members to quickly grab a drink as and when they need it throughout the course of the workday.
The dispenser machines that deliver chilled, rather than room-temperature water, tend to slightly more expensive. However, it could be worth the extra money, as drinking cold water tends to be a lot more refreshing than drinking lukewarm water, particularly during a heatwave. As such, it could help to make your employees feel more alert and invigorated.
Share27 September 2017
I never really suited working in someone else's business. I couldn't see the point of working hard to make someone else money. I have been working at building my own businesses since I started in the workforce and this blog has stories about how small business owners have enjoyed being their own bosses. A lot of people worry about work-life balance but one of the best ways to control the stresses of working and having a personal life is to work in small businesses, where you can combine these part of your life. This blog is all about managing work-life balance as a business owner and has tips on the best sorts of business to have flexible work. I hope it's useful to people looking to manage their out work-life balance while being a business owner.