Friday the 13th at Work: What Superstition Reveals About Risk, Bias and the Brain
- Tenneile Manenti
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
You probably noticed it this morning.
Someone joked about it.
Someone avoided booking something important.
Someone said, “Watch out — it’s Friday the 13th.”
Even if you don’t believe in it, there’s often a tiny shift. A micro-pause. A subtle tightening.
That’s not superstition.
That’s your brain doing what it has always done — scanning for threat.
And for HR and WHS leaders, that matters more than it sounds.
Friday the 13th and the Brain’s Threat Detection System
The fear of Friday the 13th didn’t even properly exist before the 19th century. It was stitched together from Norse mythology, biblical references and later popularised in early 1900s literature.
In other cultures, it isn’t even Friday the 13th that carries fear. Italy worries about Friday the 17th. Spain fears Tuesday the 13th. In parts of Asia, the number 4 carries more weight than 13.
The date itself isn’t dangerous.
The meaning is.
And meaning changes physiology.
When something is labelled “unlucky,” the amygdala — the brain’s threat detection centre — becomes slightly more alert. Mood dips. Anxiety rises just enough to influence judgement.
You don’t feel panicked.
You just feel… a bit more cautious.
Now imagine that same subtle threat activation happening in workplaces every day.
How Friday the 13th Influences Risk, Decisions and Safety
Research shows people tend to become more risk-averse on Friday the 13th.
Financial decisions become safer. People hesitate more. Anxiety nudges thinking toward intuitive shortcuts rather than careful analysis.
Interestingly, some data suggests traffic fatalities increase on this date, particularly among women, with anxiety thought to play a role. Yet other patterns show fewer people travel and some drive more cautiously.
It’s not chaos.
It’s subtle cognitive bias.
And subtle bias is exactly what shapes workplace decisions.
Confirmation bias increases.
We look for proof something will go wrong.
We tighten control.
We stick with the status quo.
Neuroscience studies show reduced activation in frontal brain regions during superstitious decision-making — meaning rational override weakens slightly.
The brain loves patterns. Even when the pattern isn’t real.
Why Friday the 13th Matters for HR and WHS
There is no direct evidence that Friday the 13th causes workplace accidents or productivity collapse.
But that’s not the point.
The point is this:
Mood influences cognition.
Cognition influences behaviour.
Behaviour influences safety and culture.
Under the Work Health and Safety Act (including obligations relating to psychosocial hazards and ISO 45003 guidance), organisations are required to manage risks to psychological health — including stress, chronic anxiety, and unsafe cognitive load.
When a workforce operates in sustained “threat mode” — whether from deadlines, restructuring, leadership instability, or cultural tension — the same mechanisms activated by superstition are amplified.
And the business impact is real:
Narrowed decision-making
Reduced creativity
Increased reactivity
Heightened conflict
Fatigue-based errors
The nervous system does not distinguish between a tiger and organisational uncertainty.
It reacts to ambiguity.
The Illusion of Control and Leadership Behaviour
Here’s where it gets interesting.
Positive superstitions can actually boost performance. Crossing fingers, carrying rituals, small confidence cues — these can increase persistence and self-efficacy.
Why?
Because belief influences confidence. Confidence influences performance.
But when fear becomes the driver, leaders may over-control, micromanage, or become risk-averse in ways that limit innovation.
The illusion of control can soothe anxiety.
It can also quietly damage culture.
The question for leaders isn’t whether Friday the 13th is unlucky.
It’s this:
Where in your organisation are people operating from perceived threat rather than actual risk?
Reducing Superstition-Driven Bias at Work
Research suggests simple steps can reduce superstition-driven cognitive bias:
Notice the thought without judgement
Challenge it with evidence
Continue acting based on data, not narrative
Mindfulness and analytical training strengthen prefrontal activation — improving rational override.
Translated into workplace terms:
Build psychological safety
Reduce chronic ambiguity
Increase clarity around expectations
Train leaders in cognitive bias awareness
Manage psychosocial risk proactively
That’s not “soft stuff.”
That’s cognitive risk management.
The Real Takeaway
Friday the 13th isn’t the problem.
Chronic threat activation is.
And if a simple calendar date can subtly shift mood and behaviour, imagine what sustained uncertainty, poor leadership, or unmanaged psychosocial hazards are doing over months and years.
Understanding inspires growth.
Understanding how the brain responds to uncertainty gives leaders leverage.
If you’re an HR, WHS or executive leader navigating psychosocial risk obligations and cultural strain, this is the work I support organisations with:
Psychosocial risk assessments
Leadership cognitive bias training
Workplace mental health strategy aligned with WHS legislation
Executive nervous system and performance coaching
You can explore Workplace Consulting or book a confidential conversation via the website.
This article forms part of The Performance Mind series — grounded reflections on how the brain actually functions under pressure, and what that means for decision-making, leadership and sustainable performance. The focus is not on pushing people harder or lowering the bar, but on understanding how attention, threat detection, cognitive bias and nervous system load shape the way we think and behave at work. When we understand the mechanics of the mind, performance stops being about willpower — and becomes about design, awareness and capacity.
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