Staff Depression increases 22% on #BlueMonday

The fun of the festive season is over, everyone is back at work and the nights are dark and cold.

Worsened by failed New Year’s resolutions and having to pay off bills for the Christmas overspend, it’s no wonder so many people feel blue by January 21.

The day has become known as Blue Monday and is allegedly the ‘most depressing day of the year.’

Whilst many argue that ‘Blue Monday’ is more of a PR stunt than actual scientific research, health and wellbeing provider, Health Assured received 822 calls on Blue Monday 2018, which is 150 calls higher than what they usually receive in a day.

For 2019, Health Assured expect to receive even more calls as the uncertainty over Brexit continues.

So what can employers do to help their staff’s morale on the most depressing day of the year?

There are a number of ways in which employers can help their staff get through Blue Monday.

Encouraging your employees to be healthy throughout January can be a great way to forget about the January blues. Offering free fruit to staff or starting a running club are great ways to promote being healthy in the workplace.

 Another way to get through Blue Monday is to organise a workplace social event. It’s easy for employees to shut themselves away during January due to cold weather and over-spending throughout the Christmas period but being cut off can worsen someone’s mood.

So it’s important to remember to make the event something everyone wants to be a part of so they will have something to look forward to.

If employers want to keep happiness all year round, offering company perks or benefits can create something to look forward to as soon as they enter the office.

Also, offering employees an EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) allows them to talk openly about any issues, whether physical, mental or financial they have.

Finally, it is important to note that mental health is a year-round issue that many struggle to deal with and employers should consider if they’re doing enough to help those employees who might be struggling and perhaps don’t know where to turn.

David Price, Wellbeing Expert and CEO of Health Assured

About Health Assured: Health Assured is the UK and Ireland’s most trusted health and wellbeing provider, making a positive difference in 9.5 million lives. They offer the most comprehensive employee assistance programme (EAP) on the market today, giving 24/7 caring and compassionate support services to:

• Employers from organisations of all sizes in the private, public and non-profit sectors
• Individual users, employees and their family members.
• Business partners, intermediaries and affiliates.