Do summer working hours actually work? The ultimate guide for 2024

As summer holidays begin, employers must scramble to accommodate annual leave and holiday requests from staff, particularly parents with children.

This can be a challenge for employers, but there are options to modify working arrangements and annual leave rules to give employees more opportunities to enjoy the summer.

As long as they comply with employment law, employers can introduce different summer working hours that meet employees’ expectations of flexibility as well as the needs of the business.

Find out what’s meant by summer working hours, how employers should operate them to fit with legal requirements, how they work practically, what the data shows, the pros and cons for employers, and the alternatives.

What are summer working hours?

Summer working hours can be offered to staff to reduce the time they spend at work during the summer months, usually June to August.

This perk enables employees to enjoy more leisure and family time during longer daylight hours and school holidays. Summer working hours help meet the need for more time off at a time of year when workers are likely to want it.

Employers have a range of options and flexibility to create their own summer working hours (more on that later in this article), but there are challenges involved with introducing a fair, clear policy that complies with employment law and rules on annual leave.

How do summer working hours fit with legal requirements?

Summer working hours must adhere to the wider rules governing how businesses operate, namely employment law and statutory holiday rules.

“UK law says summer hours must follow the Working Time Regulations 1998,” said Peter Shankman, entrepreneur and founder of Source Of Sources.

“So, workers can’t do more than 48 hours a week on average, unless they choose to and they need 11 hours rest each day and at least one day off a week. If companies stick to these rules, they can set up summer hours how they like.”

All full-time equivalent employees must receive a minimum of 20 days annual leave, plus bank holidays. Other rules around working hours, age-related working hours, and other types of statutory leave also apply.

For instance, one summer working hours option is to have staff work extra hours between Monday and Thursday to allow for a full office shutdown on Friday. In theory, businesses that do this need to make sure they comply with rules on rest breaks at work, where the law says all employees have the right to one uninterrupted 20 minute rest break each working day if they work more than six hours a day.

Why implement summer working hours?

Though some summer working hours policies cut back the number of hours staff work, the key benefit still tends to be an increase in team productivity, as well as morale.

Accountancy firm PwC, for example, introduced summer working hours as part of its hybrid working policy, allowing employees to finish at lunchtime on Fridays between June and the end of August in 2022.

The decision was made after a successful trial of more than 6,000 staff during July and August 2021. More than 90% of staff thought the policy was a good idea and 93% said it positively impacted their day-to-day working experience during the trial period.

US-based employer Kellogg’s introduced flexed summer working hours in 2003, from May to September. Last year, Kellogg’s UKI HR Director Melanie Bowles told HR Magazine that the policy led to increased productivity and “that being productive doesn’t necessarily mean sitting at a desk in an office.”

In 2022, trials of a four-day week – which could be a way to deliver summer working hours – expanded and, as of February 2023, almost all companies involved in the trial decided to continue with it. The majority of companies said they were satisfied that business performance and productivity was maintained, while reporting that, over the six-month trial period, stress and burnout levels significantly declined for employees.

However, a summer working hours policy doesn’t always work.

Despite the positive response from PwC employees, the company’s summer working hours policy was reduced in scope in 2023, down from 12 weeks to just eight weeks, and this year it was cut again to six weeks.

In July 2024, a news report from Personnel Today cited the Financial Times, which saw a memo from PwC Chief People Officer that said: “Given market conditions, it’s especially important that we carefully balance [summer working hours] with the needs of our clients, teams and work commitments, which should continue to take priority.”

So, although most feedback regarding summer working hours has been positive, some businesses do struggle to reconcile these policies with increased pressure on the business, and the needs of the business will always be a priority for most employers.

What are the pros and cons for employers and employees?

Many companies offer sabbatical leave and employees who want to take time off to travel, spend with family, or work towards a personal goal may approach their employer about taking a sabbatical. Take a look at our guide to sabbatical leave to find out whether it’s something your business should offer.

How do summer working hours work practically?

The implementation of summer working hours is vital, and must balance workers’ preferences with the needs of the business and its customers.

“Most companies have some rules, like core hours when everyone must work,” said Shankman. “They make sure customers are still taken care of. The trick is to find a way that works for both the staff and the business.”

Employers can use common sense and good practice, based on their business’s individual circumstances, to successfully implement a summer working hours policy that makes sense for them. Firstly, you should:

1. Decide what you want to achieve with summer working hours
2. Devise a policy that aims to meet those goals.
3. Ensure the policy is clearly defined and simple to understand and administer
4. Communicate it clearly and ensure workers can access a written copy of the policy
5. Inform workers if there are periods when summer working hours may not apply, for instance, close to a vital deadline

You could use an HR software programme to track employees’ time spent working to collate data about hours spent at work and the results. This helps workers be accountable, and helps record team productivity. It also keeps a record of annual leave, and can be integrated with other HR systems.

Ask staff for feedback initially, and after the first trial, flex the policy accordingly. Ensure the policy is enforced uniformly to allow flexibility for staff, both those who want to take advantage of summer working hours and those who don’t.

For example, some workers – usually those without children, or parents whose kids are independent – may prefer to take time off outside of peak summer times because it’s cheaper and quieter.

This helps employers plug hours gaps during summer working hours, as these employees can cover when team members with school-age children are off. This can be incorporated as part of a banked hours summer policy.

What are the different summer hours options, and how can employers execute them?

The policies employers can implement for summer working hours include:

• A four-day week, usually with Friday off, built around employees working an extra number of hours on other days.
• A 4.5-day week – more common, as one hour extra for four days easily equates to a 1pm Friday finish.
• Staggered working hours – allows employees who want to, to work shorter hours while others work regular hours. This ensures business functions are covered while still offering some workers flexibility.
• Flexible working or hybrid work policies – this can include flexible starting and ending times for the working day. Employees can select starting and ending times within a specified window.
• Banked hours – employees can work more hours during other times off the year to then take time off or work shorter hours during the summer.
• Remote work – this could just be for a Friday or potentially for more days each week, depending on the nature of the business and each employee’s job and family/caring responsibilities.

The exact nature of summer working hours will depend on the business, namely its size, resources and company culture. Friday may be a busy day for some businesses, so rather than a four-day week, staggered schedules or banked hours may be a more suitable option for them.

Equally, seasonal businesses with busy summer periods will likely choose not to implement summer working hours, though, in theory, they could apply a similar scheme to allow workers to have more flexibility at other times of the year.

If you’d like other ways to give your team members more time off, you could also allow them to buy extra annual leave from the business, or carry over unused holiday into the next year.

Conclusion

Introducing summer working hours can help businesses offer a popular benefit to staff. If applied carefully and fairly, it can improve staff morale at no cost to the business in terms of sales, customer service, productivity and, ultimately, profit.

The policy won’t suit all businesses, particularly those for which summer is the busiest time. Employers need to plan a summer working hours policy carefully, considering the needs of the business, and communicate the policy clearly to staff, including any restrictions, and apply it fairly and consistently.

“To make these work, companies need clear rules and good communication,” said Shankman. “It’s important to talk to workers and make sure it still works for customers.”

Find out more about the rules on holiday policies and employment law.