‘Winter blues’ or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), causes one in five people in the UK to call in sick in the winter months, with Blue Monday, the third Monday in January, deemed the most depressing day of the year. In distribution and logistics, this time of year is also often one of the busiest, coinciding with sales season and a flurry of post-Christmas returns.
Leaders can take steps to combat employee burnout and prevent mental health crises before they happen. However, some winter absences are inevitable, especially with flu and cold season also in full swing. In this blog, learn how to minimise disruption with both a preventative plan and a strong infrastructure for managing last-minute gaps in your team.
Prioritise mental health all year
Distribution and logistics managers must acknowledge the impact of a fast-paced and often physically intense industry, subject to last-minute change and uncertainty. With a proven strong link between work-related stress and sick leave, those most likely to take ‘winter blues’ leave are often those under pressure professionally.
Leaders can help their team manage work and life challenges with an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), an organised work-funded scheme to deal with a variety of issues, offering confidential assessments, talk therapy, follow-up services and referrals. By investing in a dedicated mental health team and framework, employers avoid making mistakes when responding to complex issues. At-risk employees are also more likely to reach out before crisis point when there is a well-advertised service already in place. Follow the example of shipping company Maersk, whose EAP can be used for financial advice, legal counsel and mental wellbeing, with one team member describing it as a ‘crucial step in my journey towards mental health”.
Build in flexibility
As well as providing a mental health support structure more generally, employers can support team members with SAD by providing light boxes or rearranging warehouses to maximise access to natural light. Allowing choice over working hours can also help, preventing dark morning commutes and giving staff time to fit in exercise or enjoy nature, both proven to combat SAD. A robust workforce management tool gives leaders peace of mind when offering flexible hours, with strong access control ensuring real-time visibility of staff at high-security distribution sites.
The right software solution will also keep track of shift swapping, keeping rules and constraints in place so changes can be made without risk of a skills shortage. This way, managers can allow employees to swap shifts freely, giving them the ability to make room for mental health activities yet ensuring operations will not suffer in the process.
Prepare for absences
Even when preventative measures are in place, it is inevitable that more days off will be taken for mental health reasons and sickness over winter. However, a software solution with time and attendance tracking allows leaders to look at past data and predict seasonal shifts. Intuitive visualisation and automated report creation make it easier to put contingency plans in place for times typically affected by high absenteeism. It will also allow for faster management action when shifts are unexpectedly made empty, offering the oversight leaders need to make strong replacement plans.
The winter period poses challenges in terms of employee absence, but with forward planning and the right technology, distributors and logistics leaders can both ensure their team feels supported and minimise any drop in productivity. With proactivity in HR strategy and smart investments in tech, leaders can react compassionately to winter blues whilst staying confident that the business will keep running smoothly.