The end of October marks the end of British summertime as the clocks go back and we revert to Greenwich Mean Time, which means dark nights and a feeling of the winter blues, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), in many workplaces.
However according to workplace equipment provider Slingsby, many employers are waking up to the fact that they can take action to help their people beat the blues and also prevent productivity falling during the winter months.
The UK is more susceptible to SAD than many other parts of Europe because its position in the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere means it experiences large changes in light levels between summer and winter. As a result it's estimated that as many as one in eight people suffer from some form of depression during winter.
Lee Wright, Marketing Director at Slingsby, which supplies more than 35,000 products across all industries, explains: "Greenwich Mean Time used to be credited with reducing both road deaths and seasonal depression but nowadays most people tend to go to work in the dark and return home in the dark. Plus less than 10% of the population work in natural outdoor light so the winter blues have become much more of a problem in recent years.
"This can have a profound impact on workplaces but many employers are now looking at ways to tackle the problem. Whilst installing special phototherapy light boxes that replicate sunlight may seem extreme, natural light is thought to be the best cure so encouraging people to go outside at lunchtime is a great idea. Even on an overcast winter's day there are still major benefits to going outside, perhaps to eat lunch or have a walk."
Finally Lee adds: "One of the best cures for depression is exercise and according to the Mental Health Foundation any physical activity lasting more than 20 minutes helps to improve psychological well-being so offering changing rooms and introducing sports activities, such as jogging at lunchtime, cycling or five a side football, can also have major benefits."