Dealing with Darkness - Boosting Employee Wellbeing

Following the clocks ‘falling’ an hour at the weekend, there's a good chance you and your colleagues will found themselves waking and commuting from work in the darkness this morning. Whilst this might be a simple mark of the seasons, it can lead to an impact on mood and wellbeing for your staff.

Couple this with the ongoing economic strains of the cost of living, as well as the usual daily pressures of our home and work lives, and it’s easy to see how workplace wellbeing can take a hit during this colder season. But what can you do about it as an employer??

Let’s delve into the importance of being aware of how daylight savings can affect employees and the activities your HR team can put in place to boost wellbeing in the workplace this winter.?

Daylight Savings & its Impact?

So, what’s the big problem? After all, as the clocks fall back, everyone gets an extra hour in bed - what’s not to like? Well, recent research has found that not only can time shifts cause an abruption to sleep patterns, but it can also have further detrimental impacts on health such as heart attacks, whilst 11% of those surveyed reported depressive episodes.

While it may only be a simply change, and it means that we have more daylight in the evening for a short time, it can make a huge impact on your colleagues’ mood and wellbeing, as they find themselves unable to go for longer walks, play outdoor sports in the evening or soak up daylight after work.?

As it impacts mood, the winter darkness can also impact on your business performance, as colleagues struggle to feel motivated for the working day and may suffer from poorer mental wellbeing. With that in mind, it’s important that you take some positive steps as an employer to combat winter fatigue.?

Dealing with Darkness: Top Employer Tips?

1. Extended Lunch Breaks?

During the winter months it will be hard for your colleagues to soak up daylight during working hours. Between the morning and afternoon commutes, there isn’t a lot of time to enjoy outdoor activities unless wrapped up warm at night. So, why not offer colleagues the chance of an extended lunch break, even once a week??

Whether this is used to sit outside, go for a walk or catch up with a friend outside of work, offering an extended lunch break will ensure your staff have the chance to get outside during peak daylight hours and boost their mood. Rather than lose valuable working time, your staff will feel refreshed and motivated, increasing productivity as a result.

2.? Flexible Working?

Flexible working is now an expectation in most Irish workplaces. But it’s important not to drop the ball in the winter months. After all, with little activities to look forward to in the evening, your colleagues risk the danger of falling into a poor pattern of working later, with less time to enjoy away from the screen.?

It’s important that you continue to encourage flexible working when possible, especially as the nights get darker. By providing your colleagues time to get outside in exchange for catching up on their hours later in the day, this will ensure they can continue to do their favourite outdoor activities to boost their mental wellbeing, and they do not become fatigued, leading to an impact on business performance.?

3.? Keep it Social??

Yes, Covid is still lurking, cropping up every now and again. But - events are well and truly back! It can be easy to fall into a pattern of daily work routines but it’s important that your business keeps it social for all colleagues, regardless of the season.?

Utilise your people teams to boost employee experience despite any winter darkness - whether that’s a day away for a department, party evenings or encouraging meetings outside of the office, remember to keep it social. It will only boost your colleagues’ moods and motivation for work during the darker months.?

David Bell is CEO at The HR Department