Over time, employees can easily become subject to work stress. It can happen to anyone, especially when the seasons change. Seasonal stress is nothing new and it can affect people of all ages. It is called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and occurs, for the most part, at the same time each year. As the seasons change from fall to winter, those who suffer from SAD see themselves become moodier. We will discuss the signs of seasonal stress here so you can spot it in your employees before it becomes a real problem.
Common Symptoms of SAD
Some of the most common symptoms of SAD that you need to keep an eye out for in your employees include the following:
- Lack of energy
- Feeling of tiredness
- Irritable
- Sensitivity to rejection
- Oversleeping
- Weight gain
- Changes in appetite
What Not to Do
If you suspect that some of your employees are suffering from seasonal stress while on the job, there are a couple of things that you should avoid doing. Your company should avoid all of the following:
- Do not introduce new career-related expenses such as required parking passes, updates to the dress code or paying for beverages in the breakroom.
- Do not make any major procedural changes.
- Do not evaluate the performance of your employees only on how they finished the year. Always look back at what the employee has done for the entire year.
- Do not make any major changes or decisions regarding the company’s management.
What to Do
Should any of your employees exhibit signs of seasonal stress at work, you need to do the following tasks to help the situation:
- Provide employees with an isolated space where employees can be alone with their thoughts and reflect.
- Think about scheduling some minor team-building activities if this is a slow time of the year for the company.
- Always let your team know how much their hard work is appreciated.
- Let employees pace in the hallways if they need to do so, just let people know that they should be mindful of where they are walking.
Ignorance Affects Success
Should your company decide to ignore the signs of seasonal stress in employees, do not expect much productivity or success during this season. Your employees will become lackadaisical, miss deadlines and not have enough drive to complete their work to the best of their abilities. This can cause major issues within your corporate culture and even cause some resentment amongst employees who are picking up the slack.
The bottom line here is that you can help employees suffering from seasonal stress at work. All you need to do is recognize the signs and then implement some steps that will improve their outlook during the season. Contact Advance Staffing Solutions if you want to know more about handling employee seasonal stress.
