How to deal with workers' summer slumps
UC business professor says seasons can affect employees' productivity
A summer slump featuring a loss in the quantity and quality of work is common, and instead of fretting about it, organizations should just roll with it, a University of Cincinnati business professor told Orlando, Florida-based WKMG's Breakfast With Bridgett.
Scott Dust, an associate management professor at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business.
Scott Dust, PhD, the Fealy Family Chair in Entrepreneurship and an associate professor in the Department of Management at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, said summertime changes people's psyches. It's seen as a time to rest and reenergize, he said.
Instead of fighting it, organizations can ride the wave of seasonality and align work with the right time, Dust said. Summer can be a good time for training, development and growth.
“Recognize we’re not robots,” Dust said. “You can’t program human beings to have the exact same productivity every day and throughout every season. When you’re equipped with that mindset, start to make some changes strategically that allow you to maximize on the aggregate how everybody’s doing throughout the year. Perhaps in summer focus on development and growth initiatives. Maybe start investing in your culture initiatives perhaps by doing offsites or team development, more training that can get people a little bit more enthusiastic.”
Featured image at top: Man working on his laptop on the beach. Photo/Kemal Esensoy via Unsplash
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Ohio nurses weigh in on proposed federal loan rule
December 12, 2025
Spectrum News journalist Javari Burnett spoke with UC Dean Alicia Ribar and UC nursing students Megan Romero and Nevaeh Haskins about proposed new federal student loan rules. Romero and Haskins, both seniors, were filmed in the College of Nursing’s Simulation Lab.
Bearcat Mascot, Cheer Team and scholarships help celebrate Decision Day
December 12, 2025
Cincinnati media organization provided news coverage of Decision Day activities at the University of Cincinnati on Dec. 10, 2025. Surprise announcements of the 2026 Marian Spencer Scholarship recipient occurred during the day.
UC awarded nearly $1 million to help fight infant obesity spike
December 12, 2025
University of Cincinnati researcher Cathy Stough spoke with Spectrum News1 about a nearly $1 million National Institutes of Health grant awarded to UC to help prevent infant obesity through early nutrition support and family-based interventions.