Although it can be hard to admit, your mom probably was right when she said, “Get a good night’s sleep, and you’ll feel better in the morning.” According to a recent Gallup poll, poor sleep habits significantly impact employees and the American economy.
According to researchers, insufficient sleep affects more than just employees, with employers losing billions of dollars annually due to increased health costs, decreased productivity, and employee retention issues. Fortunately, some steps can be taken to combat this growing workplace issue.
The study found that employees reported 2.29 days of unplanned missed workdays in a month due to poor health versus .91 days for all other workers, in the study adjusted for other health-related absenteeism. Further, respondents who didn’t sleep well reported more job changes, voluntarily or involuntarily, in the past 12 months. Based on the analysis, this could result in 980,557 job changes and a replacement cost of $32.4 billion.
More research might change those numbers, but most agree fatigue contributes to illness and lower productivity. Does anyone you know make their best decisions when they are exhausted? Probably not.
There is already intense competition for talent among employers. A stretched-thin workforce is further stressed by turnover and absenteeism. Sleep loss is the tip of the iceberg for productivity challenges for personal and family health problems.
Sleep issues can’t be fixed overnight, but you can start helping your team by:
• Educating employees on tips for better sleep habits (e.g., sticking to a consistent sleep schedule, removing electronic devices, reducing caffeine)
• Informing employees about healthcare benefits that can provide options for a medical issue that may be the source of lack of sleep
• Allowing flexible schedules, when possible, to encourage natural sleep patterns (e.g., permitting “morning people” to come in early and providing “night owls” a little more time in the morning)
• Encouraging a healthy work-life balance to reduce stress
• Promoting and incentivizing exercise (e.g., reimbursing a gym membership, holding a drawing for anyone who participates in a fitness activity or giving a prize for the best weight improvement)
• Avoiding drastic changes in shifts whenever possible as sleep patterns are disturbed if a person regularly switches between day shift and night shift
• Making rest and wellness part of your culture by encouraging leaders to regularly discuss the company’s priority of wellness, including getting enough sleep and keeping stress low
Over time, intentional behaviors become habits. A company’s culture is formed by its habits. Workplaces that create an atmosphere of wellness and encourage employees to get enough sleep are desirable places to work. A well-rested workforce is safer, more productive and far less costly. Try some of these and spread the word to your colleagues. Simple solutions can sometimes solve the most challenging problems.
Tommie Jo Brode is the President of Venice Solutions Group, based in Hudson, Ohio. The firm was founded in 2021 with a commitment to good workplace communication, best employment practices, and promoting common sense solutions. Venice Solutions Group helps public, private, and non-profit organizations solve small problems before they become bigger ones and address big issues before they become more costly. Learn more at venicesolutionsgroup.com.
