reasons that cause workers to sleep on the job

 reasons that cause workers to sleep on the job

Sleeping on the job is one of the most dangerous mistakes that a worker can make while handling sensitive tasks. That momentary lapse in attention and judgment can make the difference between success and failure, profits and losses, life and death. In this essay, we examine some of the reasons that cause workers to sleep on the job, the consequences of such mistakes, punishments for such behavior and the remedies that can prevent such occurrences.

One of the biggest causes of workers sleeping on the job is sleep deprivation. When you get less sleep than your mind and body requires, there is a high likelihood that you will doze off while on duty because you are simply too fatigued to function normally. This is often the case when adults sleep for less than six hours on any given night and try to focus on work the next day. Despite physiological differences, the general sleep duration for adults across the world is 8 hours and anything less usually leads to workplace fatigue and sleepiness.

The second reason why workers sleep on the job is usually boredom. Though this is not a problem as serious as sleep deprivation, the lapse in concentration can be fatal if the employee is working with heavy machinery, vehicles, planes and other sensitive jobs. Boredom is the state of experiencing deep monotony and dullness when conducting one’s tasks. If a job is repetitive or uninteresting, some employees may find it boring and feel disengaged, leading to decreased concentration and eventually, sleepiness.

The third reason why a worker may sleep on the job is illness. Sometimes an employee may underestimate the seriousness of their health problems and assume that they can work through the difficulty. However, certain sicknesses that sap energy such as bacterial infections may cause fatigue and drowsiness in victims, leading to sleepiness. By overworking physiological systems, such ailments create fatigue, making a sufferer feel tired and overwhelmed.

The fourth reason workers may sleep on the job is due to the influence of medicine. Certain medications have the side effect of making people drowsy or sleepy. A good example is cough syrups that contain codeine or promethazine, an ingredient that causes sleepiness in those who take it. Other physiological chemical reactions   may be the result of overeating carbohydrates or strenuous physical activity, both leading to a general tiredness that can cause sleep.

The fifth reason an employee may sleep on the job is due to sheer indiscipline. Some workers do not have a commendable work ethic and may not have the workplace scruples that would make them consider such an action offensive. Such workers often need close supervision and training to root out unprofessional attitudes.

Because of sleeping on the job, workers may make mistakes that have grave consequences. First, a momentary doze on the job can cause a major lapse in judgment that can prove fatal. For example, a sleepy driver can cause a major car crash if he falls asleep for only a few seconds while driving on a highway. The loss of focus can cause a lapse in judgment that can easily lead to accidents and death because the moment you wake up, confusion and panic sets in, clouding the ability to make prompt decisions.

Second, sleeping on the job creates an attention lapse that may lead create a backlash in terms of productivity. For example, an assembly line worker who falls asleep on the job may package the wrong product or mis-package a product if they momentarily fall asleep. Having lost attention, they may not notice this and the product may reach to customers who sue the company for a raw deal. The loss of attention in sensitive jobs due to sleepiness is one of the punishable mistakes that companies do not tolerate.

Third, sleeping on the job may cause a loss of morale among work colleagues who feel that you are not taking work seriously. If management does not take steps to remedy the situation or punish an offender, this bad habit can quickly spread in a workplace, creating more problems than expected and having a larger impact than anticipated.

Fourth, sleeping on the job may create an image crisis for an organization. If clients find workers asleep on the job, they can create a very bad impression by openly talking about it. In this age of viral internet news, a firm can easily lose its standing if a critical mass of people shares pictures or news of its staff sleeping on the job.

In response to these mistakes, various organizations have formulated ways of dealing with employees who sleep on the job. The first step is usually a verbal or written warning to an offender caught asleep while on duty. This is often the responsibility of the line manager who has a direct supervisory role over the employee in question. The warning should explicitly state that the employee is under sanction for sleeping on the job and will face punishments that are more punitive if he commits the same mistake. This is often a deterrent strategy that works for most employees, especially in jobs that do not involve operation of risky machinery.

Second, an employee who sleeps on the job can receive an unpaid suspension, especially in instances where their action has grave consequences e.g. adversely affecting   a company’s image. In such instances, the employee needs to feel the pinch to recognize the impact of their mistake and seek ways to reform.

Third, employers can surcharge workers who sleep on the job in cases where their attention lapse leads to damage to machinery or injury. If the loss is quantifiable and require an organization to recoup, the wayward employee should pay for it. This discourages such behavior in the workplace, enabling management to discount such risks in the office.

Fourth, employers can dismiss workers who sleep on the job, especially where such behavior leads to serious injury and losses. If for example, a sleepy worker causes a factory fire or machine damage and injury to colleagues; such an employee is a danger to those around him and faces the sanctions for his actions.

Fifth, employers can institute legal proceedings against an employee who sleeps on the job, leading to loss of life and property damage. Such a mistake may fall under the criminal negligence category depending on the seriousness of the offense. For example, pilots who cause plane crashes due to sleeping on the job are dismissed or sued depending on the seriousness of the mistake and the magnitude of the loss.

Generally, these punishments should work hand in hand with measures aimed at preventing the problem in the first place. First, employers should ensure an agreeable work-life balance that enables employees to work within reasonable limits then head home to rest and recoup. This is the best way of ending the sleeping in the workplace syndrome.

Second, employers should closely monitor workers in order to spot any signs of fatigue, loss of concentration or judgment lapses. This helps prevent further problems if a sleepy person takes a break to enable them regain composure.

Third, some employers like Google and Microsoft have rest lounges where tired workers can go for a nap or an extended rest. This enables an employee to give their job total concentration while minimizing any errors that sleep may bring. Napping during official breaks is also a good way of rejuvenating the system in preparation for work sessions that follow.

Fourth, some countries like Spain have designated nap sessions when workers take a break from work and sleep to reduce fatigue from work. This session known as siesta happens after the lunch break and lasts about 45 minutes. Workers who cannot get the advisable eight hours of sleep can take advantage of this opportunity and reduce their weariness by sleeping.

In conclusion sleeping on the job is a major challenge that workers and employers need to address together in order to conclusively solve the problem. Effort from both ends will salvage the situation.