By Chelsea Babin

As the weather warms up, your company may be looking for new ways to inspire loyalty and improve morale. With these 10 summer specific perks, you can create a positive company culture year-round and inspire your existing employees to stay for the long haul while enticing the best and brightest to join your organization.

1. Meetings Outside: Let’s face it, it’s hard to stay inside all day when you look out the window and see such gorgeous weather. Enjoy the great weather and take your meetings outside in the summer! Walking meetings or meetings at a nearby park will help reinvigorate your employees and you can pass on essential information while enjoying summer to its fullest.

2. Summer Hours: Whether it’s half-days on Friday, the chance to work four longer days and have Fridays off, or generally shorter hours throughout the week, a lot of companies offer special summer hours so their employees can soak up a little extra summer fun and improve their work-life balance.

3. Reusable Water Bottles with Company Logo: Hydration is important all year round but, as the weather gets warmer, it’s even more essential. This is the perfect time to get some reusable water bottles with your company logo and gift them to your employees!

4. Casual Dress Code that Allows Shorts and Flip-Flops: Let’s face it, dressing up for work can be more challenging on a scorching summer day, even if you spend most of it inside in the AC. Consider implementing a more casual dress code for the summer that allows for shorts, flip-flops, sandals, summer dresses, and other more casual clothes that help keep your employees cool and comfortable while they work hard.

5. Blockbuster Incentives: For a job well done, offer your employees gift cards or tickets to the movies this summer. This blockbuster incentive comes at a perfect time because a ton of exciting new movies come out in theaters over the summer. Your employees will work hard to earn these tickets and gift cards!

6. Team BBQ’s and Potlucks: Spending the summer near the BBQ or at a potluck is a tradition! Why not host one in your office so your employees can participate in a great summer pastime and get to know each other a little better along the way?

7. Summer School Training Programs: While summer school is a bummer for kids, it’s a great opportunity for your employees. Host a few training programs or offer free course subscriptions so your employees can use the summer to sharpen their skills and learn new things that will be valuable on the job.

8. More Telecommuting Opportunities: Everyone enjoys the chance to work from home, especially parents who have kids at home all summer. If you want to increase telecommuting opportunities for your employees but can’t instate the policy all year, the summer is the perfect season to test it out.

9. Company Cool Down: As the summer heats up, there’s nothing better than a company cool down. You could bring in ice cream, popsicles, a frozen margarita machine or other frozen treats for your employees to enjoy and help them beat the summer heat.

10. Fun Company Outings: The summer is the perfect time to get out and enjoy the activities and entertainment your city has to offer, so why not make it a company outing? Whether you get tickets to a baseball game, make a company trip to a water park, or set up a happy hour at a nearby restaurant with a great patio, you can encourage your employees to soak up some summer fun and strengthen their team bonds at the same time.

Make this summer a little more fun at your company by offering one or more of these 10 summer specific perks. They’re sure to improve morale, help with employee retention, and give your company a culture that is enticing to new hires.