The Toll That Sleep Deprivation Takes on Employee Productivity and Safety [Statistics]

Your employees are exhausted.

The Virgin Pulse Institute in conjunction with vielife conducted a research study on the impact that lack of sleep has on employee productivity.

Key findings:

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• 76% of employees expressed feeling tired most days of the week

• 30% noted that they were dissatisfied with the quality and quantity of their sleep

• 15% admitted to taking a cat nap at the office at least once a week

The type of job that an employee has including the amount of hours worked and the shift that they work plays a critical role in contributing to an employee’s overall exhaustion level.

Environmental factors also strongly impacted sleep:

• 85.2% reported that the temperature of the room interfered with rest

• 71.9% sited that their partner affected their ability to get a good night’s sleep

• 68.6% sited noise as a factor
  

• 52.8% reported bright lights as a sleep deterrent

• 40%  shared that their mattress prevented them from having a good night’s sleep

• 35.9% indicated that having young children played a role in their sleep deprivation

• 10.2%  sited a medical condition as a factor

Environmental factors aside, employees in the survey also shared that there were “worries” or “concerns” as well as “lifestyle” and “thinking habits’ that made it difficult to sleep.

Whatever the reason for the lack of sleep, studies show that not getting an adequate amount of rest absolutely affects your overall health and contributes to chronic health issues such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

The impact on the workplace is clear: Employees who are not getting enough sleep suffer from impaired memory and decision making skills, diminished reaction time and a increase in job related accidents. It has been gauged that nearly 24% of job related accidents are the result of sleep deprivation.

What Employers Can Do

The study acknowledged that there is a need for employers to ask employees to work “off” shifts, travel, or work overtime but it is recommended that employers provide educational programs and employee friendly policies to support their employees’ ability to manage sleep and exhaustion.

Recommendations include providing access to behavioral programs, initiatives and other resources that help employees understand how to deal with sleep and exhaustion issues through time management, exercise, and nutrition.

Study details:  Asleep on the Job: The Causes and Consequences of Employees’ Disrupted Sleep and How Employers Can Help

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Dianne Shaddock

President and Founder at Easy Small Business HR

Get more tips on interviewing, hiring, managing and engaging your employees. Dianne Shaddock is the President of Easy Small Business HR, Employee Hiring and Managing Tips and the author of the eGuides, "How To Supervise:  What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took the Job", A Step-By-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers and "How To Find and Hire the Best Employees".

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