By David Crary 
With the recent heat rolling through much of the US, your lawn care employees are probably struggling with the heat. Not only is it uncomfortable, it can really take a toll on the body. By the time blow outs begin, your team may be ready to crash.
I experienced this with my own irrigation business. We would push hard all summer long in days that could reach some pretty extreme heat and by the end of the season my guys were worn down. After a year in the business I figured out that I needed to do something to get them ready for a full day in the sun. Below are five ways I helped my guys stay cool and focused during the long summer days.
Help your guys beat the heat with these 5 tips:
- Change it up.
This may not be a possibility for all field service businesses, but I liked to give my guys variety during the summer months. They wouldn’t do the same task all week long, but rather switch up roles throughout the week. That way, one guy wouldn’t feel like he had the crappiest job in the hot weather conditions. Everyone shared the work making it a team effort.
The variety also splits up the monotony that can come along with long summer days. Being hot, exhausted, and bored with the work is a recipe for disaster. Keep your guys focused and interested in what they are doing by switching up the tasks they have each day. - Provide refreshments.
A simple way to help your guys beat the heat is to provide them with sports drinks and water. Sometime it is just the little things like the boss buying the drinks for the day that can help the guys get a second wind.
Put coolers in the trucks or stock the fridge at work with drinks that the guys can grab when they need. Having coolers in the trucks also helps to eliminate trips to the gas station during working hours, making your guys more efficient. - Offer longer breaks.
This can be a tricky thing to monitor because you do not want your guys taking advantage of the business, but offering a longer break to sit in an air conditioned building can help your guys cool off and feel ready to get back out there.
If you are worried about employees taking advantage, you can limit this to only the days that reach a certain temperature. This way, safety and health concerns are still covered, and the guys aren’t taking unnecessary breaks. - Keep vehicles maintained.
This should be done no matter what the weather is, but keeping up on vehicle maintenance is another way to help your guys with the heat. Forget dogs, air conditioning is a man’s best friend when humidity reaches 50% or higher.
Ensure the vehicles are receiving regular maintenance checks so that a vehicle does not break down on the side of the road or the coolant doesn’t start leaking on a 95 degree day. - Take a day off. It can be hard getting up every morning and working out in the hot sun without really getting to enjoy it. One way you can help your employees to beat the heat is to give them a day off. Let them have a long weekend to get to their cabin, or offer to do a BBQ by a lake. You would be surprised what a day off can do for your team. It refreshes them and gets their minds focused back on work.
Plus, they will feel more appreciated knowing you understand they would rather be out on the water than sweating their behinds off. An appreciated employee is a happy employee, meaning a better work environment for all.
It isn’t always easy to get employees motivated, especially when standing outside for 10 minutes causes their shirts to stick to their backs. Find creative ways to keep your guys focused and provide as many resources as possible to keep them cool. Spending a little bit extra to keep your team on its game is worth it in the long run.
Once your guys are cooled off and focused, it’s time to find ways to grow your business. Check out the 6 Simple Things Your Field Techs Can Do to Grow Your Business.