“Whilst employers can’t dictate when their employees get to bed, there are some excellent strategies that companies are implementing to help improve employee fatigue and subsequently increase productivity and staff morale”

If you think that sleep is a personal matter, not relevant to your business, think again.

According to the Sleep Health Foundation, Australian companies suffered $17.9 billion in productivity losses in 0296594411, due to employee fatigue from lack of sleep.

Inadequate sleep not only leads directly to workplace accidents but can also lead to chronic conditions such as heart disease, obesity and depression, just to name a few. A sick, tired workforce means an increase in absenteeism as well as lower productivity and decreased employee engagement.

How much sleep is enough?

The average adult requires seven to eight hours of sleep a night. Not getting enough sleep results in the accumulation of what is known as sleep debt. After a few days of inadequate sleep, the debt becomes large enough for fatigue to manifest which is when accidents and errors occur.

So, what can businesses do to combat employee fatigue?

“Whilst employers can’t dictate when their employees get to bed, there are some excellent strategies that companies are implementing to help improve employee fatigue and subsequently increase productivity and staff morale,” says Danijela Negro, Director of Alexander Appointments.

1) Flexible working hours

Gone are the days of working nine-to-five with many companies offering more flexible working environments and working hours which is crucial for reducing employee fatigue.

“We have seen that companies who provide flexible work arrangements for their staff, such as allowing early risers to start work early and finish early or allowing “night owls’ to come in later, can have a profound effect on productivity levels, not to mention staff morale and employee engagement,” says Danijela.

“Options to work from home are also particularly helpful for parents of young children who may be suffering from irregular sleep patterns.”

2) Education

Educating staff about the importance of sleep is not usually part of businesses employee wellness programs but, according to Danijela, it should be.

“In physically demanding jobs as well as jobs which require lengthy periods of sitting at a computer, employee fatigue can lead to injuries as well as costly errors,” she says.

Whilst educating staff about how to recognise symptoms of fatigue is important, businesses also need to provide solutions that employees can follow when symptoms of fatigue do arise. This is particularly important in physically demanding jobs where fatigue can lead to serious injury or even death.

3) Risk scoring in scheduling shift work.

In businesses or government departments where shift work is common, risk scoring helps to monitor scheduling of shifts to prevent tired employees being rostered on.

According to the Sleep Health Foundation, this is crucial:

“Changes to shift work scheduling that use evidence-based principles minimising disruption to the circadian and sleep/wake cycles need to be promoted.”

(Asleep on the job, cost of inadequate sleep in Australia. A Sleep Health Foundation report).