Seasonal Affective Disorder —a sadness that can stem from a body’s response to the shorter, colder, darker days of winter—is a phenomenon that reportedly affects the mood of 51% of workers, according to HR services company Sodexo. Here are four ways a company can help staff keep the winter blues at bay.
Here comes the sun: Establish more natural light inside offices. Natural light has been shown to have a positive effect on mood—but with many folks working in an office throughout the shortened daylight hours of winter, many arrive and leave work without ever seeing the sun. Position workstations near windows and encourage break-time walks and outdoor lunches.
Balance privacy with collaboration: Create both private space and communal space. For projects requiring deep concentration, having a quiet space where employees can work uninterrupted is productive. Or, sometimes an employee just needs a little time out from the bustle of the office. Diversely, space for collaboration and working together is needed for building relationships. For employees working from home, it’s important to supply the tools and training that will help them to communicate with other team members and prevent employees from falling into “lonely silos.”
Here’s to your health: Encourage necessary sick days. Winter is cold and flu season—and hardly anyone escapes without a touch of something at some point in the season. Employees trying to work through these will only make matters worse in the long run. Make sure employees don’t worry about a negative reception to calling in sick days, or requesting to work from home while recovering.
Workplace culture: Promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging isn’t just a moral imperative, it’s good business. An environment that demonstrates commitment to DEIB and backs it up with a true sense of valuing employees leads to a happier workplace, increased productivity and lower turnover.
