Blue Monday 2026 falls on 19th January, a point in the year when many organisations notice a natural dip in energy, motivation and office morale. While the concept of Blue Monday is often debated, the experience it reflects is very real for many employees.
Short daylight hours, colder weather, post-holiday fatigue and ongoing financial pressures can all take their toll. For people juggling work alongside caring responsibilities, health concerns or personal challenges, January can feel particularly heavy. These factors do not exist in isolation, and they often show up in how people feel, behave and perform at work.
For employers and HR teams, Blue Monday provides a useful moment to pause and reflect. More than a single date in the calendar, it offers an opportunity to think more deeply about employee wellbeing, office morale and how organisations support their people not just in January, but throughout the year.
At Roots HR, we work with organisations across the social sector and beyond to embed sustainable wellbeing practices that support both people and performance. We believe that thoughtful, proactive approaches to wellbeing create stronger teams, healthier cultures and more resilient organisations.
Why acknowledging Blue Monday is important for employee wellbeing in 2026
Acknowledging Blue Monday is not about reinforcing negative narratives or focusing on one day of the year. Instead, it is about recognising that periods of low morale and reduced wellbeing are part of working life and deserve attention.
In 2026, many organisations continue to operate in environments shaped by change, uncertainty and growing pressure on teams. Being willing to acknowledge how people may be feeling sends a powerful message that wellbeing matters and that conversations about mental health and morale are welcome.
Used well, Blue Monday can act as a prompt for employers to reflect on how supported their employees feel and whether existing wellbeing approaches are working in practice.
What is Blue Monday and when is Blue Monday 2026?
Blue Monday is commonly referred to as the “most depressing day of the year” and typically falls on the third Monday in January. In 2026, Blue Monday takes place on Monday 19 January.
Although the scientific basis behind Blue Monday has been widely questioned, the concept has endured because it resonates with many people’s lived experiences. January can be a challenging month, both personally and professionally, and the label offers a shorthand for how people may be feeling.
For employers, the value of Blue Monday lies not in the formula behind it, but in what it represents. Awareness matters because it highlights wider challenges around employee wellbeing, mental health and motivation, particularly during the winter months.
Recognising Blue Monday can help organisations open conversations about wellbeing and signal that employee mental health is taken seriously.
Why Blue Monday impacts office morale and productivity
January often brings a combination of pressures that affect both individuals and teams.
Employees may be returning to work feeling tired rather than refreshed, adjusting back into routines, coping with illness or managing financial strain after Christmas. Darker mornings and evenings can also have a noticeable impact on mood and energy levels.
In the workplace, these pressures can show up in different ways. Employers may notice reduced engagement, dips in productivity, increased absence or presenteeism, and more strained working relationships. If left unaddressed, short-term drops in morale can develop into longer-term wellbeing issues.
Proactive support during periods like Blue Monday helps reduce disruption, maintain focus and reassure employees that they are supported. It also demonstrates that wellbeing is not only addressed when problems escalate.
Blue Monday as a signal, not a one-day problem
Blue Monday should not be treated as a one-off wellbeing initiative or a single day of action. Low morale rarely appears overnight. More often, it reflects wider issues such as sustained workload pressure, lack of support, unclear communication or ineffective management practices.
Seen in this way, Blue Monday can act as a useful signal. It provides an opportunity for employers to step back, assess their wider approach to office wellbeing and consider whether existing policies, practices and leadership behaviours are genuinely supporting their teams.
Addressing these issues early helps create lasting improvements rather than temporary fixes.
The link between employee wellbeing and office morale
How employee wellbeing influences engagement and retention
Employee wellbeing and workplace morale are closely connected. When people feel supported, valued and listened to, they are more likely to be engaged in their work and committed to their organisation.
Poor wellbeing, on the other hand, often leads to disengagement, higher turnover and increased absence. For employers, investing in employee wellbeing is not just about doing the right thing. It also makes strong commercial sense.
How employee wellbeing influences engagement and retention
Wellbeing influences how people feel about their work, their colleagues and their organisation. Employees who feel supported are more likely to show discretionary effort, remain loyal and speak positively about their workplace.
During periods of low morale, HR teams may notice early indicators such as increased sickness absence, reduced participation in meetings, or a drop in motivation. Monitoring these signals and responding appropriately can help prevent issues from escalating.
Sustained investment in employee wellbeing supports engagement, improves retention and reduces the costs associated with recruitment and absence.
Mental health awareness in the workplace
Blue Monday often brings mental health conversations into sharper focus. Employers have a responsibility to create environments where mental health is treated with the same seriousness as physical health.
This includes encouraging open conversations, equipping managers with the confidence to respond appropriately, and ensuring employees know where to seek support. Small, practical actions can make a meaningful difference when they are applied consistently.
A supportive workplace culture reduces stigma and encourages early conversations, helping issues to be addressed before they become more serious.
Practical, everyday actions can make a real difference, as outlined in our blog 8 Tips for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace, which provides simple, effective steps employers can implement year-round:
A supportive culture reduces stigma and encourages early conversations before issues escalate.
Recognising early signs of low morale
Early signs of low morale can include changes in behaviour, reduced communication, irritability, withdrawal from team activities or a noticeable drop in work quality.
Line managers play a crucial role in spotting these signs and responding with empathy. Early intervention is almost always more effective than reactive measures taken once problems have escalated. Encouraging managers to take concerns seriously and escalate them appropriately helps protect both employees and the organisation.
How to improve morale during Blue Monday 2026
Prioritise open communication and manager visibility
Clear, consistent communication is especially important during challenging periods. Employees need reassurance, transparency and opportunities to be heard.
Visible managers who check in regularly with their teams, ask how people are coping and genuinely listen can have a stabilising effect on morale. These conversations do not need to be formal or lengthy, but they do need to be authentic and handled with care.
Flexible working and realistic expectations
Winter months can be particularly draining, especially for employees balancing work with caring responsibilities or health challenges. Flexibility around working hours, location and workload can make a significant difference.
Many organisations have learned that flexibility supports both wellbeing and performance. As explored in The Evolution of Hybrid Working: From Emergency Response to Strategic Advantage, hybrid and flexible working models can play a long-term role in supporting employee wellbeing and sustaining morale: Flexibility should be viewed as a wellbeing tool rather than a concession. Small adjustments often lead to improved focus, loyalty and morale.
Small actions that make a measurable difference
Morale does not always require large budgets or complex initiatives. Simple actions such as recognising effort, saying thank you, encouraging breaks or creating space for connection can have a powerful impact.
Consistency matters more than one-off gestures. When employees see wellbeing embedded into everyday practice, trust and morale grow.
How to improve wellbeing all year round
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Take a long-term, strategic approach to wellbeing:
Effective workplace wellbeing is built through planning rather than reaction. A sustainable wellbeing strategy should look beyond individual initiatives and consider how wellbeing is supported across the organisation as a whole, including workload expectations, management capability, organisational culture, HR policies and communication practices. Wellbeing works best when it is embedded into everyday operations, not treated as a seasonal campaign.
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Equip and support managers to play their role confidently:
Line managers have a significant influence on employee wellbeing and morale. Providing managers with training and guidance enables them to have supportive conversations, manage workloads fairly and respond confidently to concerns. When managers feel equipped, they are better able to spot early signs of low wellbeing, reduce risk and create psychologically safe workplaces where employees feel comfortable raising issues.
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Review HR policies and practices through a wellbeing lens:
Policies relating to absence, flexible working, performance management and conduct all directly affect employee wellbeing. Regular reviews help ensure policies remain clear, consistent and supportive, rather than unintentionally adding pressure or uncertainty. Reviewing how policies are applied in practice is just as important as the wording itself.
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Balance legal compliance with care and compassion:
Healthy, high-performing teams are created when compliance and care work together. Ensuring policies meet legal requirements while also reflecting organisational values helps employees feel supported and treated fairly. This balance strengthens trust, improves morale and supports wellbeing throughout the year, not just during challenging periods.
How Roots HR can support employee wellbeing and morale
Supporting employee wellbeing and workplace morale is not about one-off initiatives or seasonal campaigns. It is about creating a working environment where people feel supported, listened to and able to perform at their best, even during challenging periods.
At Roots HR, we support organisations to take a thoughtful, practical approach to employee wellbeing. We understand that pressures on teams can come from many directions, including workload, change, uncertainty or personal circumstances, which is why our support focuses on building sustainable, people-centred solutions that work in the real world.
We can help you to:
- Review and develop wellbeing-focused policies that support employees while remaining legally compliant
- Train managers to recognise low morale, support mental health and have confident, compassionate conversations
- Create sustainable employee wellbeing strategies that go beyond short-term fixes
- Provide expert HR advice on complex people management challenges that impact morale and wellbeing
If you would like tailored support to strengthen wellbeing in your organisation, we would love to help. Whether you are responding to current challenges or looking to take a more proactive approach, we can support you every step of the way.
At Roots HR, we are proud to help organisations create workplaces where people feel valued, supported and able to thrive. Let’s work together to strengthen your culture, support your people and build long-term organisational resilience.
Book your free one-hour HR consultancy session to discuss your next steps.
