As the days get shorter, keeping employees motivated can be a challenge, especially in the cleaning industry, where the work can be solitary, often taking place in empty workspaces. In addition, studies show that 70 per cent of night-shift cleaners are not getting enough sleep, many feeling fatigued and burnt out from working long hours and labour shortages.

Seasonal affective disorder is defined as a type of depression, usually occurring in the fall and winter. Studies suggest that seasonal depression affects women much more frequently than men, and is caused by reduced levels of sunlight, often occurring during the colder months. Symptoms can include:

• changes in appetite and weight
• sleep problems
• loss of interest in work, hobbies, people or sex
• withdrawal from family members and friends
• feeling useless, hopeless, excessively guilty, pessimistic or having low self-esteem
• agitation or feeling slowed down
• irritability
• fatigue
• trouble concentrating, remembering and making decisions
• crying easily or feeling like crying but not being able to
• thoughts of suicide
• a loss of touch with reality, hearing voices (hallucinations) or having strange ideas (delusions)

Help your cleaning staff stay healthy and mitigate the effects of seasonal depression by taking steps to improve your workplace culture and their work experience:

• Create a company culture where communication is a priority, making it easy for your staff to come to you when an issue arises, including one where their health is being affected.
• Look for the above-mentioned signs. Check in with employees for feedback, provide support, and offer resources when needed.
• Provide flexible scheduling wherever possible to allow team members to achieve better work-life balance and be better able to manage their health.
• Make use of any health resources available to you and your team and take advantage of tools to help.

RELATED: Commercial cleaners and their mental health

Over 15 per cent of workers have reportedly experienced extreme anxiety at work during the winter. With the seasons changing, make the mental health of your commercial cleaners a priority to benefit your team, improve morale, and keep productivity moving forward as the seasons change.