Between the heat, pressure to enjoy the weather and the kids having off from school, it can be easier for workers to feel burned out in the summer – rather than the winter, when many of us turn into underground molemen (and molewomen).

Your employees may have vacation days they can take to avoid burning out in the heat, but that might not be enough to keep ahead of the dog days of summer.

If you’re worried your workers may be on the path to burnout, here are five tips you could try to keep morale high and productivity up.

1. Reduce Off-Hour Responsibilities
Thanks to smartphones and other electronic devices, some employees can feel chained to their employer 24/7. A great way to reduce the stress load during the summer months is to place a moratorium on off-hours communications. If employees must interact with clients, allow your employees to set up auto-response emails saying they’ll get back to the client in the morning.

2. Rotate Job Duties
Breaking up the usual routine can help reduce monotony and avoid summer burnout. Where possible, switch employees into different positions during certain days and hours in the summer months. Rotating staff allows employees to expand their knowledge of the company and their personal skill set. This type of rotation also increases staff flexibility, which can help save company money and countless productive hours.

3. Try Flexible Scheduling
Employees will avoid burnout if they are well rested and kept mentally sharp though periodic breaks. Try allowing employees to flex their start time by an hour or two during the summer months – if an employee chooses to come in an hour late, they must stay an hour past the time they normally leave. If this type of flexibility doesn’t work for your organization, be sure to enforce breaks so that employees can get away from their desk and enjoy a quick walk, a local food truck, or any of the benefits of summer they can fit into that time.

4. Hold Cookout or Ice Cream Social
Cookouts and ice cream socials are more than just ways for employees to take a mental break during the day – they’re also opportunities for employees from different parts of the company to rub elbows and grow both a sense of community and a sense of teamwork. Whether your company chooses to hold a social event during a half-day at work, or on a sunny Saturday, your employees will relish the chance to bond over something other than day-to-day office chit-chat.

5. Plan a Company Outing
Offer employees a chance to really take advantage of the nice weather by planning a company outing, picnic, or trip to a local summer hot spot – and be sure to encourage family members to attend. Employees with young children will not only be able to spend the day relaxing, they’ll also be engaging their kids in fun family activities.

Even at the Cornerstone offices, we can feel summer burnout creeping in from time to time, so we know just how important it is to stay mentally sharp while on the clock. If giving your employees time away during the summer will place temporary demands of your staff, consider dropping us a line to ease those seasonal burdens.