Autumn brings with is a lot of expected changes: pumpkin-flavored coffee, leaves that change colors and the beginning of a new school year, to name a few. It also plays a role in workplace performance, a change that most people are unaware of. Here are the surprising ways that the switch from summer to fall can affect your job.
Increased Productivity in Fall
Most people become more productive during the fall, according to Harvard Business School. Why? Bad weather makes people work harder. People aren’t tempted to head outside, take a day off or extend their lunch break when it’s rainy or cold. There isn’t as much mental distraction as there is on a nice, warm day, so workers are more efficient when it comes to their business-related tasks.
Decrease in Productivity Due to Sick Days
On the other hand, some people actually become less productive during the fall. Ugly weather may help people focus, but there are other interruptions to be wary of. Sick days become more common during the fall and winter, increasing the number of days off people take to tend to their health. Bad weather will also cause people to show up late for work, if they come in at all. While snow may not be a consideration during the fall, wet roads and slippery leaves certainly are. Even if you’re not the worker who’s missing work, you’ll have to pick up the slack because so many other people are out. Ultimately, it’s not uncommon for productivity to dip during the fall.
Seasonal Mood Changes
If you’re prone to negative moods, they may get worse during autumn. Weather has a greater affect on negative moods than on positive moods. When the air gets chillier and windier, and the days get shorter, negative moods are heightened in some people. If you’re generally a positive person, this won’t affect you so much. If you’re prone to mood swings or bad moods, though, expect them to get worse once the summer’s over.
Increased Empathy and Teamwork
Some people become more empathetic during the fall, which could result in more cooperation at work. Even if moods stay relatively low, empathy will band people together. This is a great time for management to encourage teamwork. For offices that have most workers isolated, it may be a good idea to change the structure of the office to encourage co-working space.
The Effect of Temperature on Creativity
The autumn season affects creativity in interesting ways. Physical warmth affects how the brain handles information. When people are warm, they’re creative when it comes to relationships, including those between humans and objects. When it’s chilly, people are more abstractly creative.
Seasonal Impact on Workplace Performance
People mistakenly believe that their performance is the same day in and day out, regardless of the time of year. People aren’t robots, though, and their performance at work changes along with the seasons.