Is the winter darkness taking a toll on your workforce?

Dr Shelley James

The Light Lady | Insight’s Expert on Light

TEDx Speaker & Educator

As daylight hours shorten, employers have a vital role to play in ensuring workplace lighting supports employees’ mood, sleep and productivity, says Dr Shelley James.

As we head into winter, opportunities to get outdoors in daylight around the working day can become limited. In the UK, an estimated one in five people experience the ‘winter blues’, while around 3% experience significant winter depression, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

The impact of light extends beyond seasonal changes in mood. Research suggests that light exposure can influence sleep, mental health and cognitive performance, with potential implications for workplace productivity.

A UK study of more than 85,000 people found that greater daytime light exposure was associated with a lower likelihood of depression and other mental health conditions. Another study involving over 8,000 participants linked greater daytime light exposure with better sleep and mood.

So, as daylight becomes scarcer, what can employers do to ensure their workplace lighting and working routines support employee health and performance?

Recognise seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and how it can affect your workforce

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression related to seasonal changes that may affect some employees during the winter months.

Most people living with SAD experience a deterioration in their mental health during autumn and winter, with symptoms improving by spring or summer. Reduced daylight is thought to play a role, although the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.

Symptoms of SAD are similar to those of other types of depression, including low mood and lack of motivation. These symptoms can have an adverse impact on productivity.

Treatments for SAD can include light therapy, using a ‘SAD lamp’ that produces bright light to mimic daylight.

As an employer, you can ensure employees are aware of SAD and that winter can trigger a deterioration in mental health. Managers should also know where to access appropriate support for team members experiencing this.

Employers could consider providing information about light therapy and supporting employees who need time or flexibility to use a SAD lamp as part of their treatment plan.

Encourage employees to make the most of daylight during the working day

For many employees, travelling to and from work provides an important opportunity to get daylight during the working day. This window of opportunity gets squeezed as the days shorten.

A study of 30 office workers found that optimised daylight and views were associated with 42% higher cognitive performance scores and longer sleep duration. Daylight offers benefits that artificial light cannot fully replicate. To start with, getting outdoors in daylight means spending time outside, which has several health benefits beyond daylight exposure itself. We tend to blink less when using screens, which can contribute to dry eyes.

Getting outside and taking a break from screens can therefore help reduce eye dryness and discomfort. Another benefit of getting outdoors is the opportunity to look at objects at different distances, allowing our eyes to change focus rather than concentrating on a screen for prolonged periods.

Employers can remind employees to take regular breaks away from screens and encourage them to get outdoors during these breaks where possible. Consider protecting a lunch break from meetings, so everyone has the opportunity to get outdoors if they want to.

Be strategic about artificial lighting at work

The brightness, timing and positioning of artificial light can all influence how effectively it supports alertness. A systematic review of 29 studies found that blue-enriched light can improve attention, alertness and reaction times.

One advantage of artificial lighting is that it can be relatively easy to control. Daylight can have downsides, such as glare, that can be difficult to manage in office settings.

Humans have evolved to follow circadian rhythms. Ideally, light exposure should reinforce rather than conflict with these rhythms, supporting alertness and performance during the working day.

Morning light helps with setting our body clocks, while light in the evening can disrupt the day-night cycle. What is important is the contrast between day and night, so plenty of light during the day means a bit of light in the evening is less disruptive.

The key principle for artificial lighting is to aim for brightly lit days, warmer and dimmer evenings, and dark nights.

For employees working shifts, bright light can help promote alertness, but appropriate timing is important as poorly timed bright light can disrupt subsequent sleep. Lighting strategies should therefore always take account of employees’ shift patterns and intended sleep periods.

Dr Shelley James, The Light Lady, is Insight Workplace Health’s Expert on Light. A TEDx speaker and educator, she specialises in the science of light and its impact on health, wellbeing and performance.

How can we help?

Employers should consider reviewing their workplace lighting to ensure it supports employees’ wellbeing, comfort and productivity throughout the working day.

Dr Shelley James, The Light Lady and Insight’s Expert on Light, can undertake workplace lighting audits, assessing individual rooms and working environments to identify opportunities for improvement. She can provide tailored practical recommendations to help employers create healthier, more effective spaces for their teams.

For more information or to arrange a workplace lighting audit, contact Insight Workplace Health at info@insightergonomics.co.uk