15/11/2024
As the days get shorter and as sunlight begins to fade and temperatures fall, workplace productivity can also feel like it's gradually winding down. With less daylight and lower temperatures, it's natural for your workforce to experience a shift in mood, mental health, and energy levels.
Fortunately, there are several strategies and adjustments employers can make to maintain productivity levels, encourage employee wellbeing, and support business growth throughout winter – and beyond.
We've written extensively about how workplace design can improve productivity in the past. Here, we'll cover everything you need to know about workplace productivity in winter, how changing seasons and cold weather affect employee wellbeing, and actionable steps to boost productivity levels as well as the benefits this can offer.
Workplace productivity is a measure of the efficiency of a workplace. More simply, it reveals how good your business is at converting inputs (hours worked, materials) into outputs (goods and/or services).
To calculate workplace productivity, you can typically divide your total revenue by labour hours worked. A productive workforce will get more done in less time. So when productivity is high, so are profits...
But is it really that simple? For one, productivity isn't just about increasing outputs. Focusing too much on this can lead to burnout, low morale, and (counterintuitively) low productivity.
It's about driving innovation, efficiency, and employee engagement. It's about promoting a positive work-life balance, offering career development opportunities, and instilling a culture of wellbeing.
Productivity is a useful metric for both employers and employees. For employers, increased productivity levels signal business growth because a productive business is, typically, a profitable one, which means more opportunities for expansion, both in terms of size and product and/or service offering.
It can also help measure what impact changes in the workplace have on productivity. Has the new CRM system made a quantifiable improvement? Was the sales team's new internet calling technology a good investment? Does a longer lunch break impact how productive people are in the afternoon?
While, for employees, productivity can act as a shortcut to career progression. More than ticking off a to-do list, productivity means managing work and life, efficiency and effectiveness, effort and impact – a delicate act focused not on results, but how they're achieved.
Colder temperatures during the winter months can impact both mental and physical health, influencing productivity levels in several ways. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), colloquially known as the winter blues, can lower mood, energy, and focus as sunlight exposure and natural light decreases.
Reduced sunlight also lowers vitamin D levels, affecting mental wellbeing and contributing to feelings of fatigue and low motivation, which can hinder performance, motivation, and quality of work. Employees may also be less inclined to socialise and collaborate in the colder months, which can impact teamwork and projects where tasks are shared between teams.
Cold temperatures in the workplace affect physical comfort as well, making it challenging for employees to stay warm and leaving them feeling unproductive. Cold weather can also impact immunity and lead to increased illness, disrupting team productivity further.
Despite the challenges of winter – from colder temperatures to reduced daylight – businesses can boost productivity by addressing mental and physical health deficits caused by changing seasons and creating workspaces that prioritise employee wellbeing and flexibility.
We do our best work in spaces where we feel comfortable, safe, and nurtured. Creating a positive work environment is, therefore, essential for enhancing employee wellbeing and productivity.
Embrace natural light to boost productivity
Natural light is important all year round – but it's more important than ever in the winter months, when our vitamin D levels dip and evenings draw in.
And the research agrees. One study found that employees sat nearest to windows had higher levels of productivity than those sat under artificial lighting. Another found an 84% reduction in factors affecting productivity (eye fatigue, headaches, blurred vision) in workplaces with plenty of natural light.
Position desks nearer natural light sources, raise blinds during the day, and open windows to let in lots of fresh air. If your workspace lacks natural light, add mirrors or reflective materials to rebound the light you do have.
Offer hybrid or remote working opportunities
Some of us work more efficiently with the hustle and bustle of a busy office; others find they're less productive, and that it's easier to stay focused on tasks, express their creativity, and lock into deep work from home.
Data from the Office of National Statistics shows the split is fairly even: 52% of workers say they're more productive when working from home. While just under half reported that since changing to hybrid work, their wellbeing had improved.
The wellbeing of your teams can have a tangible impact on productivity. In fact, happier workers are about 13% more productive – which is even more important during winter, as the days darken and our natural cadence slows.
Another way to help beat the winter blues and enhance productivity throughout winter is encouraging intermittent breaks that take employees away from their screens.
Promoting mindful breaks and moments of quiet, perhaps with a hot cup of tea, can help bring about a sense of peace and calm – a natural remedy for our busy work lives.
Encouraging employees to take a few minutes to step away, stretch, or even enjoy a change of scenery can work wonders, especially during winter months when energy levels can drop. A screen-free break allows for mental refreshment, helping employees return to tasks with renewed focus and motivation.
Consuming more water can improve cognitive performance, productivity, and mood. When we drink more, we achieve more – and feel better when we do. However, though the NHS recommends we drink at least least 6-8 glasses of water each day, 70% of us go 7 or more hours without drinking any.
At Zip Water, we've partnered with over 2.5 million offices across the world, helping them stay hydrated and happy at work. Our recent taste test found that 89% of people would drink more throughout the day if they had access to filtered drinking water.
And that's where we can help. HydroTap, our flagship product for nearly 30 years, delivers pure-tasting filtered boiling, sparkling, and chilled water in an instant – giving your team everything they need to be happier, healthier, and more productive.
If you want to boost productivity, especially during winter, then you can also expect multiple benefits – for your bottom line, for your employees, and for your customers.
Investing in training resources, improving your workplace environment, and streamlining previously cumbersome processes can all have a positive impact on employee engagement (how invested your staff are in your company's mission).
When employees are more engaged, their wellbeing improves, enhancing their focus, effectiveness, and performance at work. Engaged employees complete tasks more efficiently, manage stress more effectively, are better multi-taskers, and meet deadlines more often, which will not only improve your customer's experience, but also your bottom line.
A positive work environment and inclusive culture is essential for increasing productivity; it can help motivate employees, ensuring they feel valued, respected, and heard. For teams, a caring culture can help foster close, creative, and dynamic relationships, enhancing collaboration and communication among workers.
A culture of respect, recognition, and reward will also improve employee retention and help attract new talent – because people, now more than ever, want to work for companies that prioritise wellbeing.
When you increase productivity, you create more effective and efficient teams – teams where innovation thrives. But this doesn't just help your business deliver a quality product and/or service, it also improves your brand, reputation, scalability, and the potential for investment.
Increased productivity in the workplace during winter is more than just achievable – it should be seen as essential.
By investing in good workplace design and employing our top tips to improve wellbeing and productivity in winter, both businesses and their employees can thrive. Even during long, challenging winter months.
To learn more about how Zip Water can assist your workplace, don't hesitate to get in touch.
zipwater.co.uk
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