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Are Your Employees SAD and How Can You Help

Since the clocks went back and the amount of daylight hours has reduced, you may have noticed that your energy levels and happy moods have taken a slump. The winter months traditionally bring cold mornings that make getting out of bed a slog and dull grey days that are fit for pyjamas and epic Netflix hibernation.

For most of us, these feelings don’t last, and we can easily pick ourselves up and get on with our working day.

However, for others, shaking off seasonal changes is difficult. Relentless lethargy and spiralling low mood can follow some people around like a thunderous raincloud that won’t go away. It is SAD (literally), known fully as Seasonal Affective Disorder.

1 in 15 has been formally diagnosed with SAD in the UK and at its most severe it can be devastating. However, it is estimated that 29% of British adults experience symptoms over the winter months.

As the UK enters the winter months, some employees may choose to work from home more to avoid travelling in the dark mornings and early evenings. Meaning they’ll miss out on connecting with colleagues and friends. So, let’s look at the impact of winter on mental health at work and what you as an employer can do to help combat employee SADness.

SAD, seasonal affective disorder, tired, dark, mental healthWhat Is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Research believes SAD is connected to a lack of sunlight, causing serotonin (our mood regulator) levels to decrease and melatonin (our sleep regulator) levels to increase; negatively impacting the way we think and feel.

The effects of SAD are seriously underestimated. Even though it’s a recognised Mental Health condition, sufferers are regularly misunderstood. Quite often individuals exhibit symptoms that are not severe enough for diagnosis as a clinically recognised syndrome.

Meaning no treatment or support with symptoms that are negatively impacting their health, wellbeing and life in general. Here are some symptoms your employees may be experiencing this winter.

Mild Symptoms                            

  • A loss of interest in activities
  • A loss of energy and/or tiredness
  • Sleeping for unusually long periods

Severe Symptoms

  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Feeling of hopelessness
  • Suicidal thoughts

SAD and Your Business

We’ve heard how SAD can impact employees’ health and wellbeing, but what impact can this have on your business?

A 2017 Happy Office Winter Survey conducted by Peldon Rose, found that:

  • 44% of employees say that winter harms their mental wellbeing
  • 35% believe they are suffering or have suffered from SAD
  • 30% state that winter negatively impacts their productivity

Another survey conducted by Epson concluded that:

  • 9 million days are lost in the UK each year due to SAD
  • 20% of employees call in sick due to the ‘winter blues’ and on average take FOUR days off each

The results of SAD on your business can be costly through absence, lost productivity, and reduced creativity. The challenge you have is to minimise the impact of winter on employees’ mental health and wellbeing and the knock-on effect on your organisation and bottom line.

Your employees are SAD – How can you help them?

Recognising the need to address and tackle SAD is a good place to start! But we can push ourselves a bit further, so let’s look at some quick wins and hopefully help your biggest asset stay healthy and happy this winter!

help, support,

Raise Awareness

It’s natural to put feeling tired and a bit down due to ‘being busy’, but sometimes there are deeper underlying causes. Internally circulated communications, holding events and sending informative guides are good ways of raising awareness among employees. Raising awareness of Mental Health and SAD is really important and a good way of opening conversations around wellbeing at work and helping employees feel supported is the use of Wellbeing Action Plans

Here’s my Wellbeing Action Plan download (and A Manager’s Guide) you can share with your team to start embedding wellbeing into those conversations.

The Working Environment

Traditionally we can think about modifying the office during the winter months and, it doesn’t have to cost you a small fortune. Changing the seating arrangements, so that employees are closer to natural light and opening the blinds are all quick things that can make a big difference.

But we are not in traditional times and many employees will be working from home this winter. So how do we ensure that home environments are improved for optimum health and wellbeing?

  • The same as a commercial office, if employees can move their working area to a bright naturally lit room, that can help
  • Encourage employees to take regular breaks and to get outside for fresh air and exercise
  • In the afternoon when productivity can dip, why not host a walking lunch or catch-up meeting? That way you get to connect as a team, get outdoors and increase alertness for the afternoon ahead
  • Encourage the use of a lightbox. These stimulate sunshine, increase serotonin, boosting happy emotions. You might want to send employees a voucher to get a discount or one for free as a bonus for working so hard!
  • A flexible working arrangement can help those that struggle with the dark mornings adjust. Offering later starting times can help reduce an already stressful time of the day.

outdoors, mental health, walk, exercise, winterPromote a Healthy Lifestyle

Again, something quite difficult to do as an employer when individuals are working from home. Like above, encouraging breaks and regular outdoor activity can help. Think of healthy virtual get-togethers you can have like bake-off without the cake. Sorry, use your imagination, think moussaka and lasagna with a twist.

Alcohol consumption has unhealthily been on the rise since Covid darkened our doors. Unfortunately, people don’t associate themselves as having a problem with alcohol because they aren’t binge drinking. But even drinking half a bottle of wine a few days a week puts you above the recommended weekly intake, which is a catalyst for poor health, wellbeing and productivity outcomes. Reduced concentration and memory as well as increased irritability, low mood, and risk of cardiovascular disease are some of the side effects of increased alcohol consumption.

Getting involved in raising money for charity is a great way to improve lifestyle habits as a team, whilst giving a feel-good factor for doing good for others.

Sue Pavlovich of the Seasonal Affective Disorder Association (SADA), gives these additional top 10 tips that could help individuals. “Everyone’s affected differently by SAD, so what works for one person won’t for another,” she says. “But there’s usually something that will help, so don’t give up if the first remedy you try doesn’t work. Just keep trying.”

Warning Signs

Whilst the winter weather can leave the most enthusiastic go-getter craving their duvet and a cup of hot chocolate, don’t underestimate your concerns for an employee if you think there’s something more serious going on.

  • Video call avoidance
  • Irritability or other stressed behaviours
  • Unusually sloppy work or missed deadlines
  • Lateness or poor timekeeping

If you see behaviour changes such as these lasting for more than two weeks, it may be time to have a chat and see if further support and signposting are needed.

Now more than ever, employees need to know that it’s part of their job to practice self-care. It’s not selfish, they owe it to you and most importantly themselves to be healthy and happy at work. SAD amplifies feelings of overwhelm and brain fog. Sufferers don’t need to be judged; they do that to themselves. The key to success is prioritising what matters, and right now, that’s your employees’ health and wellbeing.