Tackling the January Blues

18 January 2016, or “Blue Monday”, is supposedly the most depressing and demotivating day of the entire year, when productivity in the office is at an all-time low.

A recent study by the University of Exeter has found that Blue Monday could cost the UK economy a staggering £93 billion.

Here is where CEOs and line managers can make a real difference, creating a sense of team spirit and improving morale to eliminate any feelings that might adversely affect levels of engagement and productivity.

Changing the way people feel about work can have a dramatic impact on what gets done. One way to do this is to improve communication and collaboration, to gather opinions and to provide feedback on ideas.

Team events such as a charity campaign can help to boost morale, as can information and support about health and wellbeing at this time of year. The worker experience can also be improved through empathic leaders, manageable workloads, flexible working and a supportive work environment.

Time spent on addressing employee motivation and wellbeing will reap benefits in terms of productivity not just in January but set the foundations for a productive year.

If you would like to discuss this article in further detail, please contact People and Change Consultant, Sheena Pickersgill, on 0113 227 0394 or at sheena.pickersgill@gordonsllp.com.