8 Ways to Make Your Staff Happy in the Summer

Maintaining high morale among office staff is important year-round, but summer can pose special challenges and opportunities.On the negative side, employees may be prone to a touch of the blahs on sunny days while they're confined indoors, attending to the business of the practice.  Vacations help, but for most staff that's a relatively small slice of what can otherwise seem like a long summer.At the same time, this can be a great time to take advantage of warm weather activities or simply enjoy a change of pace.  In the process, staff benefits from the chance to interact with co-workers and managers outside the confines of the office."Some medical practices tend to have more down time due to fewer appointments in summer," says Thomas Hofstetter, CEO, Points Group, a Florham Park, NJ marketing consulting agency for medical practices. "This is an opportunity to offer staff some work flexibility or professional development - good for both staff and the practice as a whole." Even if summer remains busy, setting aside some time for fun can be a smart move, Hofstetter adds.  "Every practice knows the stress of how things heat up when it's busy," he says. "Without some down time, staff can easily burn out."Here's a look at what expert physicians and practice managers say about this strategy, along with summer activities they endorse.