Make the most of summer with these 4 employee benefits

July 3, 2025 10:00 AM

Woman sitting by the pool with a computer

Employees are slogging through the summer months, trying to beat the heat, keep their kids occupied and even take some time off for themselves. Can employee benefits bring back some fun in the sun?

Whether it's easing the PTO process, or offering engaging workplace perks, benefit managers can optimize their seasonal offerings and help employees get the most out of their benefits year-round. Check out a few suggestions to help employees relax and refresh outside of work, so they can bring their best selves to the office, too.

Check out our top summer benefit stories:

Offer extra child care options

For working parents, summer means even more stress than usual, but benefits like summer camp stipends, emergency backup care and schedule flexibility can help them navigate additional childcare needs.

"When employers offer meaningful support that helps working parents — whether by providing access to child care, back-up care, camp resources, or other benefits — they're not only relieving pressure on parents, but are fostering a more engaged, loyal and productive workforce," said Stephen Kramer, CEO of Bright Horizons.

Here are a few ways to deliver the right benefits to employees with kids:

Benefits to help working parents survive the summer

Embrace Summer Fridays

Envoy found that just 10% of employees go into the office on Friday. Traditionally starting after Memorial Day and ending with Labor Day weekend, summer Fridays allowed employees to clock out at least a few hours early. However, the rise of remote work meant that employees could not only work from home but plan their week with shorter Fridays in mind — and not just for the summer.

"Summer Fridays were once seen as a perk that allowed employees some flexibility during the summer months," says Jonathan Weindel, head of data analytics at Envoy. "This has just lost a lot of relevance today. And there's a lot more intentionality around what employees are doing when they're actually in the workplace, primarily Tuesdays through Thursdays."

Read more about the importance of Summer Fridays in today's RTO world:

Summer Fridays might be a thing of the past

Plan a picnic

Employee benefits and morale go hand-in-hand. At a company event, employees leave their usual work environment and feel more comfortable engaging in conversations, sparking friendships, and forming supportive relationships.

However, these workplace connections aren't just feel-good perks. Studies show friendships at work drive innovation and decrease turnover. Informal settings like picnics also allow team members to relax, leading to open dialogue and organic problem-solving. The more connected and supported your employees feel, the sooner fresh ideas start flowing across teams.

Read more about the benefits of a company picnic:

Are work picnics a must-have summer benefit?

Prioritize PTO

This year, businesses are expected to see a surge of 40% more time-off requests during the summer season, according to recent data from HR and business payroll platform Paycom. Specifically, time off around Independence Day — less than a month away — is expected to be the most in-demand vacation request of the summer. This means that organizations should already have some kind of leave management plan in place.

"The number of PTO requests goes up every summer," says Tiffany McGowen, senior executive vice president of HR and talent acquisition at Paycom. "Employers need to be communicating early and often about their expectations if they want employees to keep doing a great job."

Read more about the elements of a strong PTO management plan:

How benefit managers can get ahead of the summer PTO surge