Burnout: a buzzword that has gained traction in the post-COVID work environment, that has likely been impacting full-time, year-round camp professionals for years.

I recently spoke to a friend who works outside the camping industry. They told their boss they were burnt out and had too much on their plate. Everything felt daunting, and the to-do list kept increasing. What did the boss have to offer? Coping skills — otherwise known as more work for the employee. A few weeks later, my friend was asked to take on more work because another employee had too much on their plate. This “that’s a bummer . . . keep going” cycle has become too common. 

Being proactive versus reactive has stuck with me since my first lifeguard training course when I was 15 years old. I think it is time that we take a proactive approach to our full-time, year-round staff burnout. 

An Instagram Reel by an HR Professional (@hackyourhr) recently found me in my doom scroll. She encouraged employers to think critically about low-cost benefits that have a high impact on employees. I believe this is a systematic starting point to combat burnout.

Below are some benefits to consider. Unsurprisingly, they do have a cost to them, and it won’t be reasonable to implement everything at once or in every situation. These benefits may only work seasonally due to the nature of the camping industry. They should also have a process and procedure that is recognized by the employer to ensure they are consistently and equitably implemented.

When implemented correctly and with intention, benefits can help full-time, year-round staff feel more valued and experience less burnout. They can also help employers increase retention and decrease costs associated with hiring, training, and onboarding new staff.

Detailed Session About Accessing Benefits

Many camp professionals are starting their full-time careers with camp, and opting in to benefits may be new to them. For benefits like medical, vision, and dental insurance, it can be helpful to schedule a follow-up meeting after employees have time to digest and consider the information. 

Flexible, Hybrid, and/or Remote Off-season Work Schedule

Consider a system where employees can opt in to different work structures that work best for them. 

Maybe there is an option for employees to condense their work week, even if it is for limited months during the year. Implement options gradually to see how employees respond and how off-season tasks are completed.

Housing and . . .

Housing is commonly considered a benefit in the camping industry. However, there are ways to improve provided housing through an established Housing Agreement. This Best Practices in Housing Guide, created by a group of camp professionals, is a great starting point. 

Time Off

There could be a whole article worth of information here. Regardless of the format your organization uses, ensure that staff are able to use whatever time off they are given. Team members often feel frustration if time off benefits are given but cannot be used. When supervisors check-in about time off being used regularly instead of accrued endlessly, staff are far more likely to use their allotted time. Some other ways to consider supporting staff with time off are:

• In addition to paid time off accrual, specifically at overnight camps, provide a designated amount of time off in exchange for the long days and weekends worked during the peak camp season.
• Create a designated system for time off in exchange for time spent on-call.
• Develop and implement a system that increases paid time off accrual per pay period, based on years spent working at camp.
• On top of paid time off, offer a designated number of mental health days per year.
• On top of paid time off, offer a designated amount of appointment hour per month that can be used for scheduled appointments.
• On top of paid time off, offer a pre-summer and post-summer ‘Close the office day’ for staff to tackle appointments and to-do list items before and after peak season.
• Create a system where unused paid time off can be pulled out as an additional paycheck or paid out when an employee leaves the organization (consult your state’s employment laws).
• Expand your bereavement policy beyond immediate family members. Consider including clear guidelines about extended family and even personal pets. @HackYourHR on Instagram has a great video about how impactful it can be to have a generous bereavement policy when an employee experiences a personal loss.

Just Formulize the Process

Many camps already provide these awesome benefits, but there often isn’t a policy or formal process that can be advertised to employees and applicants.

• Discount for children, family members, and/or extended family to attend camp programs. Be sure to include a definition of children, family members, and/or extended family members and number of discounts allotted per employee. Depending on the age range of camp programming, organizations can also consider adding a nanny role during the summer season for pre-camp age employee children. Consider what equitable access looks like for employees with and without children. 
• Employee and family access to camp meals. Formalizing this process also helps support your dining staff in having accurate numbers.
• Professional development plans for each position. Initiating and creating professional development plans will go a long way with employees. If the organization does the legwork in finding conferences, trainings, and certifications applicable to their position the impact may be even stronger. Many conferences also provide discounts when individuals volunteer or when your organization registers as a group. 
• Annual free camp swag or discount. Camp employees love their swag and are often expected to represent camp at fairs, conferences, and community events. Camps can consider letting employees pick from the annual order or ordering more professional items and getting them embroidered with the company logo. For year-round staff, also consider upgrading the swag with high-quality options. 

Pay Increase Schedule

An employee’s salary can be boiled down to their value to an organization. When an organization can provide clarity to employees about how, when, and why pay increases it can help eliminate the unknown. Some factors that organizations might consider are cost-of-living increases, merit increases, and national or state minimum salary increases. Some camps may consider implementing bonuses when certain metrics are hit. Organizations should do their own state and area specific research in order to understand the pros and cons of implementing different pay increase structures. 

Oh, and if you’re worried about my friend from the beginning of the article — they got a new job that they love! The company has organized systems and benefits in place that make employees feel valued and prevent burnout.

This blog was written on behalf of ACA's Project Real Job, whose goal is to support camps in their efforts to recruit, hire, and retain staff.

Angie Gornik (she/her) has been a summer camper, counselor-in-training, summer camp counselor, waterfront director, outdoor educator, naturalist, and camp director at a variety of overnight, day, and parks and recreation programs across the United States. 

She now works in students affairs in Higher Education, which provides her and her family the work life balance she dreams of for the summer camp industry. Angie stays involved in the industry through leading New Director Orientation Course, being a Lead Accreditation Visitor, and a member of the Staff Recruitment and Retention Committee. Angie lives in Anchorage, Alaska with her partner, who she met at Summer Camp, and her two dogs, former camp dogs. She can be reached at [email protected].