Make Work Seasonal Again
Laetitia@Work #79
Hi everyone,
I find it hard to get used to how seasonal my work has become. My keynote speaking engagements are concentrated in September/October/November and May/June. My administrative work is seasonal too. There are business cycles (so far 2025 for me has not been a great business year). And in writing (books, articles, reports...), I find my creativity also has "seasons"... Yet I've been trained to work continuously from 9 to 6 (or more) all week long. This expectation is so deeply ingrained that whenever I take the liberty to do differently I can't help but feel some guilt.
I am learning to break free, though. I go to whatever sport classes I want in the middle of the day. I've started to organize my schedule around my energy levels rather than arbitrary working hours. Even though I haven't been a salaried employee in many years, I still struggle at times to give myself permission to follow my own natural rhythms. Why is it so difficult to shake off these industrial-era expectations that no longer serve us?
The world outside our windows doesn't adhere to our schedules and productivity apps. Instead, it pulses with an ancient rhythm that has governed life on Earth since its inception: the cycle of seasons. Yet somehow, in just two centuries, humans have attempted to override this seasonality. We've created a world where productivity is expected to follow a straight line.
Make work seasonal again—this is the subject of this newsletter. How we moved from seasonal work patterns to continuous, linear productivity expectations, and why we may now be witnessing a return to more natural rhythms and seasons in our professional lives. When we talk about "seasonal work" today, most people think of temporary summer jobs in tourism or holiday retail positions—a narrow definition that barely resembles the natural seasonality that once governed all human labour. Here are some thoughts on why work is becoming more seasonal again and what we can do to support it💡👇
The work of our ancestors was seasonal
Before the Industrial Revolution, the majority of human labor followed the rhythm of seasons. For agricultural societies—which represented most of humanity until quite recently—work was inherently tied to natural cycles. Spring brought intense periods of soil preparation, planting, and the birthing seasons for livestock. The fields needed to be readied, seeds had to be sown at precisely the right moment, and young animals required constant attention. Summer involved tending growing crops, moving herds to higher pastures as the lowland grass dried, and gathering early harvests that couldn't wait for autumn. Autumn demanded the most labour for harvesting, processing, and storing food that would sustain communities through winter. Winter offered relative rest, with time devoted to repair work, handcrafts, and community activities—a necessary period of recovery and preparation for the cycle to begin again.
Craftspeople, traders, and artisans were similarly affected by seasonal patterns. Blacksmiths might see surges in work before planting season as farmers needed tools repaired. Construction workers could only build in favorable weather. Even intellectual pursuits like teaching traditionally followed seasonal calendars, with breaks coinciding with harvest times when children's labour was needed.
Time was measured more fluidly. Daylight governed activity, not clocks. Work intensified when needed and slowed when possible. Labour's pace ebbed and flowed with natural cycles and community needs. The workday expanded in summer and contracted in winter. These natural fluctuations were not seen as inefficiencies but simply as the way the world worked.
What's most important to understand is that productivity was never expected to be linear or continuous. Nobody expected a farmer to produce the same output in January as in August. A fisher couldn't catch the same amount every month. These fluctuations weren't failures—they were natural, expected, and built into the social and economic systems.
The Industrial Revolution and the birth of continuous work
The industrial revolution fundamentally restructured how we organised work time. Factories, unlike fields, could operate regardless of season or daylight. Steam engines, and later electrical power, made work less dependent on weather conditions. Economic imperatives drove factory owners to maximise output by ensuring consistent production throughout the year.
And this shift required a profound reordering of human experience. Fixed schedules replaced task-oriented work, with the day divided into precise units regardless of natural light or energy levels. Wage labour tied compensation to time rather than output, fundamentally changing the relationship between effort and reward. Clock time superseded natural rhythms as the factory whistle became more important than the sunrise or sunset. Standardised working hours homogenised the experience of labour across seasons, erasing the natural variations that had previously governed human activity. The advent of electricity only intensified this transformation.
This new relationship with work time spread and eventually reshaped education, healthcare, and government. The underlying assumption became that productivity should be linear and consistent—predictable, measurable, and standardised across days, weeks, and seasons.
The problem, of course, is that humans aren't machines. We've never evolved to maintain consistent energy, focus, or output regardless of light, temperature, or season. The industrial model of work represented a radical departure from the patterns that governed human activity for thousands of years prior.
Several forces are now pushing work back toward seasonality
#1 Climate change
As global temperatures rise, the fiction of season-independent work becomes increasingly untenable. In regions experiencing extreme heat, outdoor work such as construction, agriculture, and delivery services becomes dangerous or even impossible during the hottest months, forcing a return to seasonal scheduling for basic safety reasons. Tourism patterns are shifting as traditionally popular destinations become uncomfortably hot or vulnerable to extreme weather, creating new seasonal economies in previously year-round locations. Agricultural zones are moving northward in the northern hemisphere, changing what can be grown where and when, disrupting established farming calendars. Energy demands now fluctuate more dramatically between seasons, with cooling needs in summer rivaling or exceeding heating requirements in winter, affecting when and how energy-intensive work can be performed without overwhelming power grids.
=> See my previous newsletter titled “What future of work in a warmer world?”
#2 The growth of “seasonal” industries
Our economic structure is shifting toward sectors where seasonality is inherent. Tourism and hospitality represent growing sectors in many post-industrial economies, with clearly defined high and low seasons that resist standardisation despite industry efforts to smooth demand. Agricultural work is becoming more labour-intensive as sustainability concerns favour smaller-scale, organic farming methods that require careful attention to seasonal conditions rather than industrial-scale approaches that attempt to override them. Delivery and logistics experience extreme seasonal fluctuations, particularly around holidays, creating periodic labour demands that cannot be distributed evenly throughout the year. Event planning, entertainment, and sports are inherently seasonal industries that continue to grow in economic importance…
These sectors aren't merely accommodating seasonality—they're defined by it. The growth of the "experience economy" means more jobs tied to holiday periods and seasonal events. These fluctuations aren't bugs in the system; they're features.
#3 Demographic shifts and life course changes
The human life cycle itself is becoming more seasonal, with clear implications for work patterns. Longer lifespans mean multiple career phases rather than continuous linear progression, creating distinct seasons of professional life with different rhythms and demands. Changing family structures create different work patterns across life stages, with periods of intensive caregiving alternating with times of greater career focus. Education increasingly happens throughout life rather than being concentrated at the beginning, creating recurring seasons of learning and application. Care responsibilities—for children, parents, or oneself during illness or recovery—create inevitable seasons of lower and higher work availability that cannot be eliminated through better planning or productivity techniques.
The traditional model of continuous, full-time work from education until retirement at 65 is becoming increasingly rare. Instead, people experience seasons of intense work, education, caregiving, entrepreneurship, and semi-retirement throughout their lives.
As the population ages, we increasingly face the care economy challenge—the growing need for labour-intensive care services that are inherently difficult to standardise or make more "productive" in industrial terms. This type of work better aligns with seasonal patterns than with continuous production models.
=> See my previous newsletter titled “Navigating Change: The Midlife Journey”
#4 Technological transformation
Counterintuitively, today’s technology isn't systematically eliminating seasonality—it's often reinforcing it through several mechanisms. Automation tends to target predictable, continuous work first, precisely the tasks most divorced from natural rhythms, leaving more seasonal and variable work to humans. AI systems are rapidly taking over routine cognitive tasks that could be performed consistently regardless of time or season, further concentrating human labour in areas where performance naturally fluctuates. What remains for humans are increasingly the tasks requiring adaptability, creativity, and emotional intelligence—capabilities that are themselves subject to natural ebbs and flows rather than constant output. Remote work technology enables more flexible and seasonal work arrangements by loosening the geographic constraints that once forced people to structure their entire lives around consistent commuting patterns regardless of season or circumstance.
Jobs most resistant to automation tend to involve irregular situations, novel challenges, and human interaction—precisely the types of work where performance fluctuates naturally and seasonality makes sense. And the rise of platform work and the gig economy also facilitates more seasonal engagement.
#5 Cultural reassessment of work
Finally, we're witnessing a cultural shift in how we value work. Growing concern about burnout and mental health increasingly challenges the continuous work model, with recognition that human cognition and creativity function better with periods of rest and recovery. Interest in "slow" movements, work-life balance, and alternative scheduling reflects a desire to align work more closely with natural human rhythms. More fundamentally, we see an emerging questioning of productivity as the primary measure of work value, with wellbeing, sustainability, and meaning becoming alternative metrics by which work is organised.
The pandemic accelerated this reassessment, forcing many to question deeply held assumptions about when, where, and how work must be performed. Yes, there’s been a backlash since. But this Covid legacy hasn’t been entirely erased.
=> See my previous newsletter titled “Adios Productivity”
There are several barriers to the comeback of seasonal work
Despite these forces pushing toward more seasonal work patterns, our social and economic institutions remain designed for continuous employment. Housing markets demand regular monthly payments and penalise irregular income through credit scoring and loan approvals, while paradoxically, housing is often least affordable in areas with seasonal economies. Education systems operate on calendars poorly aligned with modern work patterns, creating childcare challenges and inflexibility for families engaged in seasonal work. These structural misalignments force difficult choices between housing stability, educational continuity, and economic opportunity.
Meanwhile, financial and social safety systems systematically disadvantage those with variable incomes. Healthcare access tied to full-time employment creates dangerous coverage gaps, while unemployment insurance often fails to accommodate predictable seasonal cycles. Retirement systems penalise irregular contribution patterns, and banking products from loans to insurance assume steady monthly income. Even basic financial advice rarely addresses the complexities of managing seasonal earnings. Together, these institutional barriers don't just make seasonal work difficult—they actively push people toward continuous employment models even when those models harm individual well-being, family cohesion, and environmental sustainability.
Why we need to reimagine work for a more seasonal future
If we accept that work is becoming more seasonal again—due to climate, demographic, technological, and cultural forces—how might we redesign our institutions to accommodate and support these patterns?
More flexible housing solutions: We need housing innovations like seasonal co-living arrangements for mobile workers that acknowledge the reality of movement between work locations throughout the year. Financial institutions should develop mortgage and rental products specifically designed for irregular income patterns, perhaps with variable payment schedules that align with expected earning cycles. Communities dependent on seasonal workers would benefit from simplified processes for seasonal relocation that reduce the friction and cost of moving temporarily.
Adaptive education systems: Educational systems could better support seasonal work patterns through year-round schooling with more frequent, shorter breaks that distribute learning and childcare needs more evenly throughout the calendar. Educational institutions could develop specialised programmes aligned with industry-specific seasonal downtime, allowing workers to upgrade skills during natural slow periods in their field. Communities would benefit from innovative childcare solutions designed specifically for seasonal work patterns. Distance learning options could be expanded and improved for mobile families who follow seasonal work.
A reimagined social protection system would need to account for the natural seasonality of work and life. Universal basic income or services could provide a stable floor regardless of seasonal fluctuations in earnings, ensuring that basic needs are met even during predictable low-income periods. We would benefit from portable benefits systems not tied to specific employers, allowing workers to accumulate protections as they move between seasonal positions without losing coverage during transitions. Healthcare access should not depend on continuous employment, but instead recognise that human health needs continue regardless of work patterns—and may themselves follow seasonal patterns of vulnerability.
Financial institutions could develop tools specifically designed for seasonal lives and income patterns. Income smoothing accounts could help spread seasonal earnings across the year, automatically setting aside portions of high-season earnings to provide steady withdrawals during predictable low-income periods. Lending products could be designed around predictable irregularity, with payment schedules that align with expected income cycles rather than imposing uniform monthly obligations. Insurance models could account for seasonal work patterns, with premium schedules that follow earnings patterns instead of assuming constant monthly capacity. Tax systems could be reformed to better accommodate irregular income without penalty.
Beyond specific policies, we need a broader cultural reassessment of productivity itself. The industrial concept of productivity—output per hour of input—assumes consistency and linearity that rarely exists in human capability. This concept creates the very guilt I described at the beginning of this piece—the nagging feeling that if I'm not producing at a consistent rate throughout the entire year, I must be failing somehow.
As feminist economists have long argued, this model of productivity ignores the crucial work of reproduction and care—the labour that maintains and renews the workforce itself. This work, traditionally performed by women, has always been seasonal and cyclical, following the rhythms of human needs rather than industrial schedules.
Making work seasonal again doesn't mean returning to pre-industrial hardship. Rather, it means reconciling our economic systems with the reality that human energy, creativity, and capacity have natural rhythms.
We evolved in a world of seasons. Our bodies respond to light, temperature, and environmental cues. Our creative capacities ebb and flow. Our care responsibilities intensify and recede at different life stages. Pretending otherwise—forcing ourselves into continuous, linear productivity—extracts a heavy toll on our health, relationships, and environment.
The forces pushing us back toward seasonal work aren't just problems to be solved. They represent an opportunity to realign our economic systems with human needs and natural cycles. By embracing seasonality, we might create work arrangements that are not just more sustainable environmentally, but more sustainable humanly.
In a warming world with ageing populations and increasingly automated routine work, the future belongs not to those who can maintain constant output regardless of circumstance, but to those who can adapt skillfully to changing conditions and needs. Perhaps it's time our institutions learned to do the same.
💡For Nouveau Départ, I wrote many new articles (in French):
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🔥 Exciting day ahead! This afternoon, I'll be at GÉNÉRATION B CORP at La Cité Fertile in Pantin—a unique gathering of over 500 B Corp leaders and changemakers! 🚀 Expect immersive workshops on key impact themes, inspiring discussions, and a vibrant evening celebration. If you’re around, come join us! ⏳ It’s happening today! 🔗 Register here.
✨ Event in Paris. What if working less meant gaining more—time, well-being, and efficiency? The four-day workweek proves that a better balance between work & rest is possible, with positive effects on mental health, the environment & even productivity. Join the conversation in Paris with Gabrielle Dorey (LITA.co), who will share insights from implementing the 4-day workweek in her company, at "La conf' qui fait du bien!" 📅 Thursday, April 10, ⏰ 7:00–8:30 PM 📍 La Maison des Canaux. Do come! 👉 Free registration here.
🎙️ I had the pleasure of joining Marielle Lieber-Claire on the Speech Society Podcast for a special episode on ageism and women! 👩💼💥 Why does ageing hit women harder in the workplace? How can we navigate careers after 40 without guilt or pressure to "fight" time? ⏳ We break it all down—stereotypes & strategies💡 Plus, I share a few tips from my experience as a speaker! ➡️ Listen here.
Miscellaneous
🇨🇦 Worthwhile Canadian Observations, Paul Krugman, Substack, March 2025: “yes, Canada’s GDP per capita is comparable to that of very poor U.S. states. So is per capita GDP in Finland, generally considered the world’s happiest nation. But Canadians appear, on average, to be more satisfied with their lives than we are, although not at Nordic levels. We don’t have a comparable number for Alabama, but surveys consistently show it as one of our least happy states. Part of the explanation for this discrepancy, no doubt, is that so much of U.S. national income accrues to a small number of wealthy people; inequality in Canada is much lower. And I don’t know about you, but I believe that one important contributor to the quality of life is not being dead, something Canadians are pretty good at; on average, they live more than a decade longer than residents of Alabama.”
Happy Spring—my favourite season! Enjoy the season & your work! 🌸🌿🌼☀️🐝🌷🤗
This is a really thought provoking post. It links back to something I have been pondering recently. There is a lot of advice about personal productivity. Plenty of apps and systems to support this as well. It seems to be based on various forms of masochistic Taylorism. How can you trick yourself into doing more and producing more against your own instincts and rhythms. Maybe there is space for a different approach!
great article with interesting solutions, thank you