Businesses offer employees the day off on Blue Monday

COMPANIES are giving employees the day off if they are too sad to work on “Blue Monday” – the most depressing day of the year.

The third Monday of January is said to be so miserable because of the cold weather and extended gap between paydays in December and January.

Blue Monday was a term first coined by psychologist Cliff Arnall in 2004 after the holiday company Sky Travel reportedly asked him for a “scientific formula” for the January blues. The aim of the ad campaign was to boost holiday bookings, and lift winter spirits.

Though Sky Travel went bust in 2015, Blue Monday has entered into the cultural lexicon – and remains a common tool for ad campaigns aiming to encourage spending at a time when wallets are still recovering from Christmas.

Several start-ups have used it as an opportunity to offer workers the day off, though some insist the day is spent on “wellness activities” such as hiking or volunteering. It is the latest in a wider trend towards wellness perks and extra days off. Data from jobsite Adzuna found that 6,800 vacancies advertised by companies such as WH Smith and EE offered workers their birthday off.

A handful advertised mental health days and “pawternity leave” – time off for employees to bond with a new pet.

Several companies have given employees Blue Monday off in recent years. Heather Suttie, of Glasgow-based podcasting business Violet, said: “A day off like this works wonders for morale and wellbeing.”

Maj Hussain, the chief executive of Magic, a PR firm, said of his employees: “Monday can feel less blue if they have the day off to look after themselves and spend time with family.”

And James Thurlow-craig, director of Hampshire-based website design agency Create Designs, said: “People do look forward to having the day off, particularly as January feels like the longest month to get paid. That final week is a challenge for a lot of people.”