Every employee on your payroll has different needs, abilities, and preferences. This extends to how they respond to changes in the weather. Just as some employees may deal with severe allergies in the spring or asthma symptoms during the summer, some will experience physical and mental health challenges when it’s cold outside.
Great HR professionals know that it’s important to support employees throughout the winter, especially when the weather affects their ability to work. Consider using mental health resources, fitness challenges, flexible work arrangements, and other accommodations to keep productivity and wellness high even when the seasons change.
Challenges Your Employees May Face During the Colder Months
In the winter, employees tend to spend more time indoors, making it easier to catch illnesses such as the common cold, flu, norovirus, and strep throat. These conditions may render them unable to work, and the threat of contagion means they should stay away from the office until they’ve recovered.
Asthma, heart issues, arthritis, and skin conditions can also worsen in the winter because cold, dry air can irritate the skin, constrict blood vessels, and cause significant joint pain.
Some employees may experience mental health challenges such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Symptoms of SAD include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, light sensitivity, and the need for social withdrawal.
Strategies to Help Maintain Employee Physical and Mental Health This Winter
Physical and mental health concerns during the winter can lead to higher levels of absenteeism and burnout, lowering overall productivity and performance. Here are a few ways to support employees as they face the unique problems that come with the winter season.
Wellness Programs
Give employees the resources, knowledge, or time they need to maintain their well-being with a robust wellness program aimed at helping them feel their best.
For example, you may start a fitness challenge to educate employees about healthy eating and exercise and motivate them to stay well using fun incentives. Provide employees with specific guidance on how to stay active and healthy, including:
- Tips for clothing to keep warm while exercising outdoors
- Natural remedies for a stuffy nose or other cold symptoms
- Ways to increase sunlight exposure when there is less daylight
- Lunch recipes to get more vitamins and minerals into their diets
Also, consider providing free or discounted access to fitness apps or meal prep services that make it easier for employees to focus on their own well-being.
Flexible Work Arrangements
When an employee has a contagious illness or is fighting severe fatigue, it’s not practical to make them work in the office for eight hours. Additionally, some employees need to experience fresh air and sunlight during the day, especially since there is less of it in the evening.
To keep productivity high, consider allowing flexible work arrangements for remote-capable employees.
Hybrid or remote work can help those who experience SAD stabilize their moods by working outside in the sunlight or getting a little extra sleep in the morning. It can also keep your workforce productive by allowing those with respiratory illnesses to work from home and avoid spreading the disease to coworkers.
Self-Care Campaigns
Encourage your employees to take care of themselves. If possible, give employees a little extra break time during which they can meditate or go for a walk outside.
Additionally, you may encourage boundary setting to promote work-life balance, such as discouraging employees from working outside of their agreed-upon schedules and instructing managers not to contact employees when they are away from work.
Finally, you can promote the use of paid time off when employees are not feeling physically or mentally up to the challenge of working. If you can, consider offering additional PTO for everyone in the form of flex days they can use for any reason or Free Fridays, where you close down the workplace an hour or two early.
Mental Health Resources
The Americans with Disabilities Act may require you to provide accommodations for employees with SAD, such as sun boxes or special desk lamps. Even for employees unaffected by SAD, you can still offer similar forms of mental health support, such as a designated meditation room or free access to mental health apps.
Remote Employee Support Initiatives
Don’t forget that your remote employees are part of your workforce, too. Support them by leveraging technology like mental and physical wellness apps. You can also consider launching a virtual wellness program that includes time for mental health or exercise breaks and even virtual activities such as cooking lessons or yoga sessions.
Promoting Employee Well-Being Has Significant Business Benefits
When you can support your employees through typical winter challenges, it’s a win for your workforce and the organization as a whole. If your employees can remain productive, so can the business.
VirgilHR’s automated compliance platform provides you with the information and resources you need to ensure wellness programs, accommodations, and PTO policies are in line with federal, state, and local laws. Schedule a demo today to see how we can help you keep morale, wellness, and compliance at all-time highs year-round.
Sources: http://askjan.org/disabilities/Seasonal-Affective-Disorder-SAD.cfm
