Reasons We’re Less Productive During The Summer

We’ve heard time and time again how American workers aren’t using all of their vacation days each year. In fact, a recent report by Project: Time Off revealed that Americans lost out on a record 658-million vacation days in 2015.

There are always a ton of excuses why people don’t take time off, but it seems they really should think about getting away in the summer, because the truth is, most workers are probably getting less done, since for the most part people are less productive during summer months.

So, why are workers less productive in the summer? Well, here are just a few reasons: 

• The Weather – When it’s beautiful and sunny out, it’s hard to stay motivated inside an office. A Census Bureau study once found that when it rained, men spent an average of 30 minutes more at work then they did on sunny days.

• FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)– Seeing other people enjoying the sunshine, whether it’s by looking out a window, or checking out a friend’s Facebook page can be distracting, and make workers less focused on the job.

• It’s Hot – The heat and humidity can slow down brain function, and humidity of course makes people sleepy, which can result in a lack of concentration, and less work getting done.

• It’s Cold – While it’s hot outside, anyone who’s worked in an office knows the A/C is probably making it freezing in the office, and when it’s too cold, folks lose concentration, with one study noting that workers make more errors, with a 10% drop in productivity when workers are freezing.

• Everybody Else is On Vacation – While you may be working, there’s bound to be plenty of other folks on vacation, which makes it hard to get things done if no one else is around.

• Summer Hours – Some companies shut down early on Fridays, which means less things get done. While some folks love these summer hours, since they can beat traffic if they’re getting away for the weekend, some studies have shown it can cause a lot of stress if people are worried about getting things done before heading out.

Maybe employers should give us all off during the summer since we’re not getting anything done anyway…

Do you think you are less productive during the summer? Which of these reasons are to blame?