Seasonal Affective Disorder at Work: How Employers Can Support Staff Through Winter

Seasonal Affective Disorder can make the winter months significantly harder for some employees, affecting mood, energy, concentration, sleep and motivation. For employers, this makes seasonal mental health an important part of workplace wellbeing.

Seasonal Affective Disorder, commonly known as SAD, is a form of depression linked to particular seasons or times of year. It is most commonly associated with winter, although some people experience a seasonal pattern during warmer months. (Source: nhs.uk)

The condition should not be confused with occasionally feeling low when the weather becomes colder or darker. SAD can interfere with everyday life, including work, relationships and the ability to complete normal routines.

What are Seasonal Affective Disorder Symptoms?

Common symptoms can include low mood, loss of interest in activities, irritability, difficulty concentrating, increased tiredness, sleeping more than usual and changes in appetite. Some people may also experience feelings of hopelessness or thoughts of self-harm or suicide. (Source: nhs.uk)

Mind explains that seasonal changes in daylight may affect circadian rhythms, melatonin and serotonin, although the precise causes of SAD are still not fully understood. (Source: mind.org.uk)

For employees, symptoms may become visible through declining energy, reduced concentration, increased absence, lower motivation or withdrawal from colleagues.

Why Should Employers Take Seasonal Mental Health Seriously?

Health and Safety Executive data for 2024 to 2025 found that 964,000 employees experienced work-related stress, depression or anxiety, resulting in 22.1 million lost working days. Mental health conditions accounted for 52% of all work-related ill health. (Source: gov.uk)

Employers should avoid assuming that all winter mental health difficulties are caused by SAD. Similar symptoms may result from depression, burnout, bereavement or other personal circumstances.

The most effective approach is to create an environment where employees can discuss difficulties early and access appropriate support.

How Can Employers Support Staff With Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Improve Access to Natural Light

Natural daylight can be particularly important during the winter months. Mind recommends making the most of natural light where possible, including spending time outside during the day or sitting closer to a window while working. (Source: mind.org.uk)

Employers can review office layouts and ensure employees are not unnecessarily placed in dark or windowless areas. Teams may also benefit from outdoor meetings, walking meetings or encouraged lunchtime breaks during daylight hours. Remote employees should receive the same encouragement. Managers can avoid scheduling every part of the working day around back-to-back calls, giving employees realistic opportunities to step away from their screens.

Michael Acton Smith brings valuable insight to conversations about sleep, mindfulness and modern wellbeing. As the Co-Founder of Calm and author of ‘The Magic of Sleep’, he helps organisations understand how daily habits, recovery and mental fitness can support employees through demanding periods.

Introduce Greater Flexibility During Winter

Some employees may find early mornings, commuting in darkness or reduced energy particularly difficult during winter.

Flexible start and finish times can allow people to travel during daylight, attend appointments or adjust their working pattern during periods when symptoms are more severe. Mind recommends flexibility when supporting someone with SAD because symptoms can fluctuate and certain times of day may be more difficult. (Source: mind.org.uk)

Options might include hybrid working, adjusted hours, temporary changes to meetings or a greater ability to work from home. Flexibility should be individual. One employee may benefit from starting later, while another may prefer to finish earlier and use the remaining daylight for exercise or social contact.

Petra Velzeboer helps organisations develop sustainable approaches to mental health leadership and workplace culture. As a psychotherapist, CEO of PVL and author of ‘Begin with You’ and ‘Digital Wellbeing’, she speaks on leadership, remote teams and building strategic approaches to mental health awareness.

Train Managers to Recognise Changes in Wellbeing

Managers are often the first people to notice changes in attendance, behaviour or performance. Warning signs might include increasing lateness, difficulty concentrating, withdrawal from colleagues, missed deadlines or an unusual decline in energy.

These signs should prompt a supportive conversation rather than an immediate assumption about poor performance.

CIPD guidance recommends early intervention, encouraging employees to discuss mental health and giving managers practical support for sensitive conversations. (Source: cipd.org)

Daniel Fryer is a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist, clinical hypnotherapist and former CBT Therapist at The Priory. His expertise includes anxiety, depression and work-related stress, allowing him to give organisations practical insight into how thoughts, behaviour and workplace pressure affect mental health.

Protect Social Connection Without Forcing Participation

Winter can increase feelings of isolation, particularly among remote employees or colleagues who already struggle with depression. Employers can create regular opportunities for connection through team lunches, informal check-ins, mentoring, employee networks and optional wellbeing activities.

Participation should remain voluntary. Employees experiencing low mood or exhaustion may find compulsory social events uncomfortable or draining. Managers should instead focus on preventing employees from becoming unintentionally isolated. A short conversation, coffee meeting or one-to-one check-in may be more valuable than a large company event.

Ruby Wax OBE combines lived experience of depression with formal study in cognitive therapy and psychotherapy. Through humour, mindfulness and mental health education, she helps employees understand stress and emotional wellbeing without making serious conversations feel inaccessible.

Provide Access to Professional Mental Health Support

SAD is a recognised mental health condition and some employees will need professional support.

Treatment options can include talking therapies, medication and, for some people, light therapy. Mind advises individuals experiencing seasonal depression to speak to their GP, while NHS guidance also recommends seeking professional help when symptoms affect everyday life (Sources: mind.org.uk, nhs.uk)

Employers should make routes to support easy to understand.

This may include:

• Employee Assistance Programmes
• Occupational health referrals
• Counselling services
• Mental health insurance benefits
• GP support
• NHS Talking Therapies
• Mental health first aiders or trained wellbeing contacts
• Emergency mental health information

Managers should understand the limits of their role. Supporting someone does not mean providing therapy or deciding which treatment they need.

Owen O’Kane is a psychotherapist, bestselling author and former NHS Mental Health Clinical Lead. Through his ‘Ten to Zen’ approach, he gives audiences practical techniques for reducing stress, calming anxious thoughts and developing healthier mental habits.

Encourage Sustainable Winter Routines

Good workplace wellbeing should support recovery as well as productivity. Employees may find it harder to maintain routines during darker months, particularly when tiredness and low motivation increase. Regular breaks, realistic workloads and clear boundaries around working hours can help prevent existing difficulties becoming worse.

Employers can support these habits by avoiding a culture where people routinely skip lunch, work late or remain permanently available online.

Wellbeing campaigns should also avoid implying that individuals can simply exercise or sleep their way out of depression. Healthy routines can support mental wellbeing, but they do not replace appropriate clinical care.

Anna Mathur is a BACP-accredited psychotherapist and bestselling author whose work focuses on anxiety, self-worth, burnout and the importance of rest. Her sessions help employees understand the mental load created by work and wider life responsibilities while providing practical tools for protecting emotional wellbeing.

Why Hire a Mental Health Speaker?

A mental health speaker can help employees understand why winter affects people differently and give managers practical tools for responding.

Speakers can explore SAD alongside sleep, stress, depression, anxiety, mindfulness and workplace culture. They can also challenge misconceptions and encourage employees to seek help earlier.

For organisations, this can make winter wellbeing initiatives more engaging than an email campaign or policy reminder alone.

Final Thoughts

Seasonal Affective Disorder can significantly affect mental health, energy and everyday performance during winter.

Employers can support employees by improving access to daylight, offering appropriate flexibility, training managers, maintaining social connection and ensuring professional mental health support is easy to access. Effective support should recognise individual experiences and avoid reducing SAD to ordinary winter tiredness.

An experienced mental health speaker can help organisations improve awareness while providing practical strategies employees and managers can use throughout the colder months.

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