Kellogg's improves employee motivation by encouraging staff to come to work late

Date: 02/11/2010

Kellogg's is improving employee motivation by encouraging staff to start work late now that the clocks have been turned back.

The scheme, which gives employees access to more daylight by either starting work an hour late or finishing an hour early, was introduced after research showed that employee motivation was affected by the amount of daylight they see.

The study, for Kellogg's, said that when the clocks change back in winter, two in five employees see less than half an hour of daylight and one in ten see none at all.

Half of workers said they thought their productivity dropped by 30 per cent as a result of this.

Kirsty Leyland, HR director for European reward at Kellogg's, said the results of the study had been "a real eye opener".

During winter months many people may feel depressed, lethargic or anxious, which can affect concentration. The Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Association estimates that around seven per cent of people suffer from SAD in the UK each year.

Psychology lecturer and SAD specialist Dr Lance Workman said: "I would welcome any increase in flexibility in working hours for employees during the winter months that might then increase their chances of taking advantage of daylight." 

Written by Peter Chad

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