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For Estelle Morrison, summertime means walking instead of driving, eating fresh fruit and vegetables and, of course, summer hours at her job.

"I enjoy many of the things that summer brings, and summer hours is one of them," says Ms. Morrison, the director of strategic solutions for Ceridian Canada, a human-resources services company.

During the summer months, she works an extra half-hour Monday through Thursday and leaves work at 12:30 p.m. on Fridays.

"Generally speaking, people are in a better mood because of the sunshine," she says of the joys of summer work. "I tend to get more work done because there are fewer distractions [with people on vacation]."

Yes, the summer office: It's the more relaxed, less crowded version of your usual workspace.

Then Labour Day approaches and, just like kids heading back to school, everybody realizes summer playtime is over.

Back to work.

But has the summer really been all that relaxing for workers? The latest Expedia.ca Vacation Deprivation survey, released in May of this year, found that less than half (43 per cent) of Canadian workers feel "more productive and better about their job" after a summer vacation.

That could spell disaster when September hits and workloads increase.

"One thing I've noticed is organizations tend to accept that people aren't around over the summer, but the day after Labour Day everybody's schedule tends to be overwhelming," says Ms. Morrison, who consults with companies about health and wellness issues.

Beverly Beuermann-King, a stress specialist, says planning for the increased workload is key to surviving the impending September shock.

Giving the office environment a little makeover to help signal the upcoming transition is also not a bad idea.

"Some of the workplaces I go into are cubicle jungles, so even changing the pictures or plants or layout can give a bit of a boost," she says, adding that workers should prepare for September by making sure they are sleeping and eating properly.

Ms. Morrison begins preparing for the shock weeks in advance.

She manages her workload to ensure she doesn't overload herself in the early days of the month, and she sits her family down to set schedules for work, school and after-school activities.

So is she ready to go this year?

"I'm not scared of September," she says. "I'm as ready for it as one can be."

PLAY ALONG: WORKPLACE BINGO

Jobacle.com has come up with the latest group-oriented way to pass the time at work: Office BINGO! Players can download game cards, print them off for colleagues and spend the day watching the office for events marked on the cards. To win, you'll need to experience things such as a printer jam, a mention of the weather or someone's stinky lunch. A "random HR memo" or "yawning epidemic" ("find at least two people yawning consecutively") can also help you secure a bingo. There's even a spot for the "office whistler." Though the site warns that "the psychological profile of this person is probably frightening ... this person thinks an empty hallway is an amphitheatre for their mouth."

BY THE NUMBERS: OFFICE SUGAR HIGH

42

Percentage of Canadian workers who reach for a cup of coffee or a sugary snack when their energy ebbs during the workday, according to an August survey by Workopolis.com. Fifty-six per cent of respondents say their workplace does not offer healthy drinks and snacks.

62

Percentage of respondents who say they bring a healthy lunch from home. One-tenth of workers grab their lunch on the go, and only 9 per cent take the time to sit, relax and eat their lunch.

BRITTISH WURKERS: NEED A DICTIONARY

The crop of young, eager beavers heading into British offices are great with technology but lacki basic numeracy and literacy skills, according to a poll released last week by the Confederation of British Industry. Just over half of British employers are dissatisfied with the literacy of recent graduates, while nearly 60 per cent are unhappy with their numeracy skills. "Their fluency with iPods, mobiles and MySpace has translated well into the workplace, and often gives them an edge over their bosses," said CBI's director-general Richard Lambert. "The challenge ahead is for schools to channel that same enthusiasm into numeracy and literacy skills." When handed a copy of the findings, a young British worker turned the page upside down, frowned, and said he had to leave because it was "50 o'clock" and he had a meeting.