To comply with safety standards, many companies examine workplace conditions but one issue that is often overlooked is sleep deprivation. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30% of American adults are sleep deprived. Inadequate sleep can pose a serious risk to one’s health and also pose a danger in the workplace, causing decreased cognitive function, impaired judgment, slow reaction time, memory loss, and a lack of motivation.
These problems have the potential to lead to injuries, safety hazards, or accidents, which can affect a business’s workers’ compensation. The Huffington Post reported that a lack of sleep plays a role in almost 275,000 workplace accidents each year and losses of $31 billion dollars.
Here are some ideas different companies have used to combat the negative effects of sleep deprivation. Look to CLEAR for advice on ideas which might work best for your company.
• Establish a maximum number of hours that an employee can work per week, which includes overtime hours.
• Institute comp time or flex time programs.
• Support family time demands. An employee who has been actively working overtime for an extended period should be given priority for time-off requests.
• Establish rules for employee lunch time and allow your employees to take a 15 minute break in the morning and afternoon.
• Set up a wellness program or workshops to educate workers on good sleep habits and include wellness assessments.
