Practice Management Alert

Question: When we return after the holiday season, the winter blues start to set in. As practice manager, I’ve seen it happen every January. Can you offer any tips on keeping employee morale up during the dark winter days?

Minnesota Subscriber

Answer: If you don’t address the winter blues right away, your office might feel bleak and unwelcoming to some employees. Not only is this a job satisfaction issue, it can also affect productivity, according to www.hrvoice.org.

In fact, “presenteeism,” or reporting to work while feeling mentally or physically sick, is costing practices more than employee absenteeism, according to www.businessknowhow.com.

Fight back against the winter blues by employing these strategies from www.hrvoice.com:

Take it outside: When a nice day brightens the winter, take advantage. Give employees extra time during lunch and breaks, and encourage them to go outside. “Even a few minutes of sunlight help improve mood and energy levels,” reports hrvoice.

Bring it inside: Provide exposure to natural daylight in the workplace whenever possible. Open up the blinds and let the sun shine in, as long as the glare doesn’t affect worker productivity. If you cannot provide natural light. “ensure adequate provision of bright, fluorescent lighting (cool white, warm white) with ultraviolet screens,” reports hrvoice. This type of fluorescent lighting is best because it emulates the color composition of outdoor daylight.

Let your people go: Let’s face it: Going to work when it’s dark and clocking out when it’s dark can affect some employees’ moods. Allow flexible scheduling, where possible. That way, the employee can take advantage of daylight in the months when a traditional schedule makes it impossible.