Are Summer Fridays Obsolete?

Just when it looked like employees might get the fully flexible existence they always wanted, “Summer Fridays,” the original perk, appears in danger of vanishing altogether.

A recent study found that only 20% of employers offer special Friday hours, down from 63% from five years ago.

Even Casual Fridays are on shaky ground. In the same report, less than a third of firms reported allowing relaxed dress codes during summer. Five years ago, that number was above 50%.

What’s going on?

Summer Fridays Lose Their Cool?

Summer Fridays were arguably the first domino in workplace concessions to employees wanting more time away from the office.

Dating back to the 60s, employers took note of their staff mentally checking out near the end of hot summer weeks anyway. Why not play hero and let people get a few hours’ jump on a weekend out of town?

Fast forward to present, and the idea of Summer Fridays almost seems quaint.

Maybe its decline really is a sign that Americans are overworked. Or, as some experts point out, maybe greater flexibility throughout the rest of the year has simply made it obsolete.

“With the general increase in flex days and telecommuting options, Summer Fridays may not have the same ‘wow’ factor they did years ago,” says Amy Cooper Hakim, an organizational psychologist and workplace expert.

Even so, the risk of not offering Summer Fridays is the appearance of callousness.  After all, Summer Fridays differ from newer flex work policies in at least one critical area: they apply to whole teams, if not the whole company.

Flex work schedules, on the other hand, tend to be more reliant on a negotiation between employees and their managers. They tend to be more personalized.  Summer Fridays usually come less custom to the individual.

Whatever the arrangement, there’s something to be said for treating summer weeks differently, regardless of flexible work policies that apply to the rest of the year.

“It’s an easy win for organizations,” says Eileen Timmins, an HR consultant, citing productivity during the rest of the week as an added benefit. “[Employees] are more focused to deliver their commitments during the week so they can enjoy the Friday afternoon off without distractions.”

The next question would be: Is that a good thing?

An Exercise in Reverse Psychology?

Summer Fridays and year-round flexibility may not be mutually exclusively, but the companies with more progressive flex policies often dismiss Summer Fridays the most.

“I am glad to see them slowly fade out,” says Trent Silver, CEO of Nerdster and millennial career coach. “Summer Fridays establish an attitude similar to that of students. It causes them to hate the rest of the year, ultimately leading to productive, cheerful summers and relatively unsuccessful other seasons.”

Offering year-round flexibility, in Silver’s estimation, prevents this seasonal slumps. “[Perks] perks year round will give employees a better experience and managers better numbers.”

That is, if you don’t rely on Summer Fridays for emotional or psychological relief, you’re better-prepared to compete the rest of the year. Especially if flexibility is already part of your weekly work life.

Fair enough. What about the opposite? What if having Summer Fridays creates a different source of pressure for employees? What if, rather than representing the freedom of weekend come early, they simply result in a more intense, stressful four-day work week? Is that self-defeating?

Cooper Akim thinks so.

“Now that many employees are expected to be available outside of office hours,” says Cooper Akim, “this set-up may cause those with looming deadlines to be even more stressed than they might be if they just finished their tasks and then went home at the regular time.”

Should You Offer Summer Fridays?

Gauging whether Summer Fridays are right for your organization isn’t so simple after all. Your company’s industry, clients, work ethic and management style can all inform your decision.

The good news is, you have options. Craft solutions that reinforces your company culture and leaves employees no worse off—including not offering them at all.

Whatever the choice, proactively communicating the policy is key. And providing a little context for the policy’s rational can go a long way in helping employees appreciate the company’s stance.

The Many Shades of Summer Fridays

• No special work hours at all
• Letting employees work from home
• Early dismissal on Fridays
• Every Friday off
• Every other Friday off
• Asking employees to make up Summer Friday hours during the rest of the week
• Letting managers decide what’s best for their teams
• Planning company outings or in-office social activities for employees
• Year-round flex work days