Vote yes on Summer Fridays

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of time off

May 01, 2023

Happy Monday, friends! It’s the first day of May, which means 1) I made it through April without referring to the Justin Timberlake meme and 2) my countdown to Memorial Day weekend starts now (26 days).

Speaking of the start of summer, we here at WorkDaze have decided to take a stand on one of the biggest issues of our time: Summer Fridays. So periodically between now and Memorial Day, we’ll be covering why we need ‘em, how to ask for ‘em, and what to do with ‘em—consider this the official announcement of the WorkDaze 2023 Campaign for Summer Fridays.

Today’s vibe: Not me and my roommate blaring this every Friday morning to get through 2011. The hold that Rebecca Black had on the world was so real.

—Rod

Friday, Friday, Gotta Get Summer Fridays

My fellow work besties. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that no one should have to work on a Friday afternoon in the summertime; that we are endowed by our bosses with certain unalienable rights, and that among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of a Friday that ends at 2pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Welcome to WorkDaze's Campaign for Summer Fridays.

No shade to free ‘za in the office, but there’s no better work perk than a Summer Friday. Because we all know we’re not getting anything done after lunch on a Friday when it’s 85 degrees and sunny anyway—so we might as well stop pretending.

What are Summer Fridays?

Summer Fridays are perks that give employees a break at the end of the work week. That can mean a full Friday off, a half-day off, an “I think we’ve gotten plenty done this week” email from your manager at 2:03pm, or a free pass to “work” from home.

  • FYI: 59% of workers receive Summer Fridays, according to a recent poll.

  • As the legend goes, Summer Fridays were born in New York in the 1960s when employers noticed that workers were less productive during the summer (if Mad Men is accurate, this is the only thing employers in New York in the 1960s got right).

Why are they a good idea?

For employees:

Boost productivity. A study found that 66% of employees find themselves more productive during the week when they have Summer Fridays. They can also increase company morale.

A perk most enjoy. A recent survey of the top 10 work perks included leaving work early on Fridays at number three. Plus? Being given time to do what makes you happy can prevent stress and burnout.

For employers:

Give themselves a break. Managers are people too, and we’ve heard rumors they also enjoy cutting out of work early to play pickleball.

Improve recruitment and retention. Summer Fridays = happy workers, and happy workers = likely to stay at a place that cares more about them than KPIs in today’s tight labor market.

What’s our point?

Summer Fridays should be a no-brainer when they boost morale, increase productivity, provide a healthy work/life balance, and help retain employees. Did Andie Anderson think twice about the iconic yellow dress? No. So we shouldn’t be thinking twice here. Summer Fridays for all.

Things to Slack your work besties

…when you take a much-needed mental health day.

Still thinking about the time I typed “fart” instead of “art” in an email to my company’s full exec team. 🫠 Best-selling author Roxane Gay gives pretty solid advice for cringey scenarios just like that in her New York Times column, Work Friend.

Lifestyles of the rich and the famous? Imagine getting married in the South of France, with Good Charlotte as your wedding band and Cameron Diaz jumping around in the crowd?! Quite the millennial fever dream for Gen Z bride Sofia Richie.

From the executive producer of Girls, the TV series Single Drunk Female tells the story of a millennial navigating life after rehab. Mixing comedy with real-life situations, it opens our eyes to the struggle of addiction in an authentic, raw, and hilarious way.

Thanks for reading! See you back here Friday.

IDK WHAT DO I KNOW?! LMAO!

—Rod

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