Keeping Summer Professional

Summertime means beaches, barbecues, vacations and fireworks, but it also brings challenges for employers and HR professionals. To keep the fireworks from flying at work, consider taking these proactive measures to minimize summertime issues.

Company Outings


Many companies have summer outings and parties, but while your employees let off a little steam, be sure to take a few simple steps to keep your organization out of hot water. If you permit alcohol at summer functions, review what your company's liability may be as the server. The manner in which alcohol is served may have important legal implications for your company if someone is injured or gets in a car accident on their way home. 

Consider reminding employees of your organization's expectations for appropriate conduct, providing alternative beverages and food, arranging for designated drivers, and having someone on hand to step in before things get out of control. 
 


Time Off


Summertime is when almost everyone (except those crazy skiers) wants to take time off from work. It is also a time when employers begin to see the holes in their time off policies: Does your policy address how vacations may be requested and the criteria for approval? Does it place limits on time off? Does it address the sticky issue of employees who try to stretch out vacations by improperly using sick time? Also, consider whether your policies are fair-Are certain people taking more time off, leaving others to do the work and miss out on summer? Or, is summer your busy time, and therefore not conducive to having people taking time off at all?  If so, consider whether a flextime or summer hours policy will work for your company. Such policies allow people to work adjusted hours, and can help keep employees happy as the weather gets warmer without taking blocks of time off.  
     


Wellness


Summer is the time more people are looking for ways to keep healthy and look good in their swimsuits. Employers are taking advantage of this renewed interest in a healthy lifestyle by initiating wellness programs. These programs help facilitate employees' ability to improve work-life balance and create a healthier workforce. While many employees enthusiastically embrace these programs, employers must craft wellness programs to ensure that they comply with applicable laws, including the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and in some cases, the Health Insurance Portability and Protection Act.  

Wellness programs must be offered to all individuals who are similarly situated so as to avoid discrimination, and financial incentives must be carefully analyzed. Moreover, employers must be cautious to make sure employees who choose not to participate do not suffer adverse workplace consequences. 

What to Wear 


Whether your organization requires formal dress or is business casual, summertime brings wardrobe worries. From flip-flops to tank tops and too-short shorts, human resource professionals are called upon to be judge of what is appropriate to wear at work. Inappropriate summertime dress can lead to discomfort between colleagues and can send the wrong impression to clients or customers.

Revealing outfits also sometimes reveal too much. Provide employees with clear and sensible guidelines of acceptable summertime dress and establish the expectation that they appear neat and professional while at work. For instance, if employees want to dress light to take advantage of lunchtime runs or sitting in the sun, encourage them to bring a change of clothes and grooming supplies for their return to work. n

 

Attorney Karen Aframe is an associate and Attorney Matthew Tarasevich is a shareholder with the law firm Bernstein Shur in Manchester, NH and Portland, Maine respectively. Aframe can be reached at kaframe@bernsteinshur.com or 603-623-8700 and Tarasevich at  mtarasevich@bernsteinshur.com or 207-228-7158. For more information, visit www. www.bernsteinshur.com.