Long weekends and your small business
By Adam
August 01, 2011
Uncategorized
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By Rachel Swiednicki
Everyone looks forward to long summer weekends; however, having to catch up on backlogged work afterward can quickly wash away the last remnants of the groove you thought you’d gotten back. It’s also tough on the employees who must fill in for those on vacation. The joys of summer can also be a catalyst for stress. As workloads increase in order to cover for missing bodies, and temperatures rise, so can tempers.
Encourage your employees to take outdoor walks at lunchtime—this is a great stress reliever, boosts productivity and builds overall good health. Summer is the perfect time for planning a little fun around a small office, like lunchtime picnics or team-building activities, such as mini-putt, baseball or frisbee competitions.
Depending on whether or not your business is seasonal, you may love long weekends, but this could be your busiest time of year. Whether you run a store in a park or campground, or a day camp for kids, it’s important that you take time to build at least one activity that you enjoy into your day.
Statutory holidays can raise another set of concerns for small business owners operating in more than one province. Not every province in Canada celebrates the same holidays at the same time. For instance, your head office in Ontario could be closed, but employees in other provinces may still be required to work. Some small business owners will give their employees in other provinces the day off, as a perk, especially if a large majority of employees are based in the province that is celebrating the holiday, with only one or two located in other provinces.
For more information about statutory holidays by province, visit: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/hldys/menu-eng.html
If you are planning a trip to your nearest Staples store this weekend, please call ahead, as some stores may be closed for the Civic long weekend, depending on the province.
Rachel Swiednicki is a professional communicator, with eleven years of experience in the communications industry. Eight of those years were spent as a journalist before moving into a career in public relations/corporate communications.
Everyone looks forward to long summer weekends; however, having to catch up on backlogged work afterward can quickly wash away the last remnants of the groove you thought you’d gotten back. It’s also tough on the employees who must fill in for those on vacation. The joys of summer can also be a catalyst for stress. As workloads increase in order to cover for missing bodies, and temperatures rise, so can tempers.
Encourage your employees to take outdoor walks at lunchtime—this is a great stress reliever, boosts productivity and builds overall good health. Summer is the perfect time for planning a little fun around a small office, like lunchtime picnics or team-building activities, such as mini-putt, baseball or frisbee competitions.
Depending on whether or not your business is seasonal, you may love long weekends, but this could be your busiest time of year. Whether you run a store in a park or campground, or a day camp for kids, it’s important that you take time to build at least one activity that you enjoy into your day.
Statutory holidays can raise another set of concerns for small business owners operating in more than one province. Not every province in Canada celebrates the same holidays at the same time. For instance, your head office in Ontario could be closed, but employees in other provinces may still be required to work. Some small business owners will give their employees in other provinces the day off, as a perk, especially if a large majority of employees are based in the province that is celebrating the holiday, with only one or two located in other provinces.
For more information about statutory holidays by province, visit: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/hldys/menu-eng.html
If you are planning a trip to your nearest Staples store this weekend, please call ahead, as some stores may be closed for the Civic long weekend, depending on the province.
Rachel Swiednicki is a professional communicator, with eleven years of experience in the communications industry. Eight of those years were spent as a journalist before moving into a career in public relations/corporate communications.