LAS VEGAS, NEVADA--(Marketwired - Oct. 8, 2014) - Booth #1923, HR Technology Conference & Expo - A new Ceridian LifeWorks survey released today reveals that more than 30 percent of human resource leaders have witnessed or heard about a co-worker falling asleep on the job in the past six months. Workplace Wake-Up Call: Pulling Back the Covers on Sleep Deficiency, a comprehensive survey of nearly 700 HR leaders across North America, examines the sleep deficiency epidemic, which costs businesses $63.2 billion per year in lost productivity, according to Harvard University researchers.
The average adult needs seven to eight hours of sleep each night to be completely rested. However, one-third (CDC.gov) of adults sleep six hours or less each night, due largely to today's fast paced culture that promotes constant attachment to work and mobile devices. Lack of sleep is proven to compromise workplace safety and performance, making it more difficult for employees to pay attention, complete assignments and solve problems.
Highlights of the survey are:
Sleep deficiency is a significant workplace concern organizations must immediately better address
- Sleep deficiency is a costly factor to productivity, presenteeism, errors and illness
- More than 35% indicated sleep deficiency had negatively impacted productivity
- Nearly one-third (31%) had personally witnessed or heard about a coworker falling asleep on the job within the past six months
Shift work scheduling presents an opportunity for improvement among organizations
- Of the half of Wake Up Your Workforce respondents who offered shift work, one-third indicated their schedules change in a way that supports healthy sleep for shift workers
- 21% indicated their schedules go against the natural human circadian rhythms. Such evidence supports the critical need for manager training to support a sleep-healthy workforce.
Tools and services decrease the negative effects of sleep deficiency
- Of the 60% responding organizations that did not offer tools and services to promote healthy sleep habits, 35% reported employees sleeping on the job
- Of the organizations that do offer sleep health resources 29% saw the number of employees sleeping on the job dropped by 7%, to 28%
- As a result, those organizations offering services and tools to support sleep health reported less often that employee sleep deficiency negatively impacted productivity
"A good night of sleep is vital for engaged, productive and healthy employees," says Estelle Morrison, vice president of Ceridian LifeWorks. "The Wake Up Your Workforce sleep survey is one of the largest on this topic ever conducted with HR managers. While businesses make expensive investments in programs and technology to boost productivity, this survey reinforces the need for companies to take seriously the issue of sleep deprivation and promote healthy sleep habits in the workplace."
In addition to providing employee assistance and wellness services, there is a significant opportunity for organizations to create progressive policies that promote healthy sleep habits. A small proportion of respondents to the survey reported the following sleep-friendly policies:
- Guidelines for managing after-hours workload: 12%
- Rules related to checking electronic devices after work hours: 9%
- Installation of "nap rooms" at the office: 9%
- Policies for international travelers pertaining to the impact of jet lag: 5%
- Sleep disorder screening programs to assess those in safety-sensitive stages: 3%
As a LifeWorks customer, Sleep Country is a strong advocate of promoting sleep health and its positive impact in the workplace.
"It's important to prioritize time for sleep and to protect that time from distractions and tasks," says Christine Magee, President of Sleep Country Canada LP operators of Sleep America, Sleep Country Canada and Dormez-vous. "Establishing a routine is critical to getting the rest that is needed to not only maximize work productivity, but also have the energy to fully enjoy our personal time."
Ceridian executed Workplace Wake-Up Call: Pulling Back the Covers on Sleep Deficiency between July 9 and July 23, 2014, in North America. 700 HR professionals representing small, mid-sized and large organizations across a wide variety of industries responded to an online survey. There is a 95 per cent confidence rating in the results.
About Ceridian LifeWorks
The LifeWorks service is a comprehensive EAP, Work-Life, and Wellness program that helps organizations improve employee health and wellness, increase employee engagement, and improve productivity. LifeWorks provides employees and family members with access to telephonic, in person and online services to address personal and work related issues. Employers realize returns in reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, lower turnover, and reduced health care costs.
About Ceridian
Ceridian is a leader in human capital management with more than 100,000 clients across the globe. Ceridian delivers trusted results and transformative technology. Our offering includes the award winning, cloud-based Dayforce HCM, LifeWorks, Powerpay and International Payroll. Ceridian is transforming the world of work. For more information about Ceridian solutions call 1-800-729-7655 or visit www.ceridian.com.
Contact Information:
Donna Teggart
905-947-7251 or (c) 647-388-2464
donna.teggart@ceridian.com
www.ceridian.com