Employers urged to beat the winter blues or suffer plummeting productivity

With this summer marked as the UKís wettest since 1914, employers are being advised to implement ëwinter warmingí initiatives now to counter the early onslaught of employee blues stemming from this yearís lack of sunshine.

Research shows that five per cent of the UK population already suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) ñ a disorder that makes people de-motivated and lethargic during the dark, gloomy winter months.

And with little or no summer to speak of this year, SAD sufferers and employees in general are expected to find it difficult to maintain their momentum and productivity levels at work over the next five months ñ a situation that will have a detrimental impact on business performance.

Gillian Dowling, employment technical consultant with Croner, says: ìEmployers will always see a slight fall in productivity during the winter because people are affected by the dark mornings, even darker nights and cold weather.

ìHowever, this year businesses are experiencing these symptoms earlier than usual because we didnít have the uplifting sunny summer that normally helps employees get through the frosty September to February period. And we therefore expect to see an even larger drop in productivity.

ìAlthough itís important to note that employers have no responsibility to raise the ëmoodí of the office, we would advise that they make sure they are aware of any significant drops in staff morale as this will impact their businessís performance.

ìThere are a number of initiatives employers can implement to help motivate their staff, and we typically encourage competitive businesses to employ these all year round to help improve their retention and recruitment rates, as well as productivity. Employee initiatives are just one way to stay ahead of competitors in regards to building a strong corporate reputation.

ìBut in dealing with this yearís ëwinter bluesí, weíre advising businesses to take specific steps to make sure staff arenít left out in the cold, from creating more comfortable work environments to holding regular, informal chats with employees to ensure staff feel appreciated and motivated.î

While dealing with the more serious issue of SAD is not an employerís responsibility, making documentation with advice available to staff or being able to point sufferers in the right direction will make employers aware of any related attendance issues as well as showing that staff welfare is taken into consideration by the company.

Cronerís top tips to beating workplace winter blues:

ï Ensure employees are working within a comfortable environment by turning the heating up to maintain an optimum working temperature of 20 to 24 degrees and making sure lighting is sufficient in all work areas

ï Consider implementing ëwinter flexible workingí by allowing staff to work additional hours on their lunch break, in the morning or late afternoon so they can leave early on a Friday

ï Encourage employees to incorporate exercise into their daily routine by providing subsidised membership at a local gym

ï Arrange onsite health screenings so staff feel their well-being is being considered, while serious cases of SAD could also be identified during these health checks.

People can receive information and help with UK registered charity Seasonal Affective Disorder, also supported by NHS Direct, at: