With Q4 in full swing and the holidays on the horizon, the pressure to finish strong is everywhere. But for some employees, this season doesn’t just bring deadlines and decorations; it brings a noticeable dip in focus and mood. If members of your team seem more sluggish or distracted than usual, it could be seasonal fatigue, which is a milder, yet still impactful, form of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) that affects a significant portion of the workforce during the darker months.
What Is Seasonal Fatigue?
While only about 5% of U.S. adults experience clinical SAD, a much larger group—10 to 15%—deal with milder symptoms, but they still feel the effects: low energy, trouble concentrating, and a general sense of feeling off that can last for weeks.
In northern U.S. states like Alaska, Minnesota, and Maine, where winter daylight hours are especially short, seasonal fatigue is more common. In fact, nearly 25% of Alaskans report experiencing seasonal mood shifts.
How It Shows Up at Work
Seasonal fatigue doesn’t come with a warning label. It shows up as:
- Slower starts to the day
- Foggy thinking and reduced productivity
- More sick days or late arrivals
- Irritability or disengagement
- A general dip in team morale
These symptoms can quietly chip away at performance, especially during a busy time of year like Q4.
For employees who work outdoors or perform physically demanding tasks, the impact of seasonal fatigue can be even greater. Shorter days and reduced daylight can lead to tiredness and slower reaction times, increasing the risk of accidents or injuries. Employers in these environments face unique challenges, and should take extra care to keep teams alert, safe, and supported during the darker months.
Whether your team works in the field or in an office, small, thoughtful changes can help counteract the effects of reduced daylight and low energy.
What Managers Can Do to Help
You don’t need a degree in psychology to support your team, just a little awareness, and a few simple adjustments can go a long way. The following are some practical, research-backed strategies:
Maximize Natural Light
If your space allows, try rearranging desks or shared areas near windows to give If your workspace allows, try rearranging desks or shared areas near windows to give employees more access to daylight. Even a little extra natural light can help boost energy and focus.
For employees who spend much of their day outdoors or on job sites, daylight exposure isn’t the issue—timing often is. Whenever possible, schedule the most demanding or safety-sensitive tasks during daylight hours, and ensure job sites are well-lit when work extends into darker parts of the day. A few thoughtful adjustments like these can help reduce fatigue and keep teams more alert, whether they’re indoors or out.
Some employers who can afford to spend more have taken that idea a step further and found creative ways to help their teams beat the “winter slump.” For example, as highlighted in a recent Wall Street Journal article, Hargis Engineers in Seattle installed tunable, circadian lighting, which is a system that shifts color and brightness to mimic natural daylight. The goal is to help employees stay alert and positive even on the grayest days, reducing the fatigue and low mood that often come with limited sunlight.
Offer Flexible Hours
Give employees the flexibility to start earlier or wrap up later so they can enjoy a bit of daylight at either end of the workday. For remote or hybrid teams, this is even easier to encourage. When employees have the flexibility to manage their own time and workspace, they can step outside for a quick walk, take a call outside, or simply enjoy a few minutes of sunshine between tasks, all without interrupting productivity. These small breaks of natural light can go a long way toward maintaining focus and lifting mood during the darker months.
Encourage Outdoor Movement
Create walking groups or schedule short “step outside” breaks to help employees recharge. Here at Commonwealth Payroll & HR, headquartered just outside Boston, we know a thing or two about winter weather—but that doesn’t stop our team from going out for a midday walk when the sun’s shining brightest.
Lead With Empathy
The most powerful thing you can do as an employer is to simply acknowledge seasonal fatigue. Don’t dismiss the slump as “just holiday burnout.” Recognize that for many, these darker months bring real physiological challenges. This simple act of empathy builds trust, connection, and resilience.
Mass General Brigham in Boston and L.L.Bean in Maine are two examples of employers whose Employee Assistance Programs emphasize wellness resources that help their people maintain their well-being and productivity—especially during the darker, more challenging seasonal months.
Supporting your team through seasonal fatigue isn’t just kind; it’s smart. When people feel better, they work better. And that’s a win for everyone.
Commonwealth Payroll & HR: Guidance Supporting Your People Year-Round
Commonwealth Payroll & HR offers practical HR tools and personalized support to help you care for your team throughout every season. Our HR service plans are designed to strengthen your company policies, improve employee engagement, and foster a workplace where people feel valued and perform at their best. Ultimately, it’s about making it easier to support the people who keep your business thriving. Let’s start the conversation. Contact us to start the conversation.
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