Portsmouth agency treats staff to ice cream money as mercury soars on hottest day of the year

With temperatures in the Portsmouth area forecast to reach around 33°C today, making it the hottest day of the year so far, staff at a local digital marketing agency have been given a little extra incentive to cool down.

Koozai, based near Portsmouth, gave every member of its team £5 today, with one simple instruction: go and treat yourself to an ice cream.

The gesture is a small one, but it's typical of the way the agency operates. Koozai's team already works flexibly, with staff able to shift their hours to work during the cooler parts of the day, take a longer lunch break to cool off with a swim, or even fit in a nap during particularly hot spells. The agency also gives staff a paid day off for their birthday, and sends handwritten cards and gifts to mark milestone birthdays and work anniversaries.

Sophie Roberts, Managing Director of The Koozai Group, said: “It's going to be an absolute scorcher today, so we thought the least we could do was send the team off for an ice cream to cool down. It's a small gesture, but it's part of how we try to look after our people all year round, whether that's flexible hours on a hot day, time off to enjoy a birthday, or just making sure they know they're appreciated. We're a small business, but I think looking after people doesn't have to cost a fortune or be complicated, it just has to be genuine.”

The agency says the gesture isn't a one-off, and that looking after staff wellbeing during extreme weather, whether hot or cold, has long been part of its approach to flexible working.