Employers may start taking more of an interest in its employees’ bedtime routines based on the latest research from Rand Europe. Using data from 62,000 people, they discovered that sleep-deprived workers cost the UK economy £40 billion a year, as well as having implications on employees’ health.
The cross-country report found the following:
- US loses 1.2 million working days a year, costing US $411 billion (£328 billion);
- Japan loses 600,000 working days a year, costing US $138 billion;
- Germany loses 200,000 working days a year, costing US $60 billion;
- Canada loses 80,000 working days a year, costing US $21.4 billion; and
- the “healthy daily sleep range” is between seven and nine hours per night.
So what can employers do?
Employers could invest and build “nap rooms” or sleep pods so employees can sleep at work when needed. However, the simplest and most beneficial option is to promote the benefit of a healthy working lifestyle for employees.
Of course, employers cannot ensure that employees are getting the required seven to nine hours per night and there will be times when late night working is required (for example, for large deals or international work). However, they can ensure that the need to be available around the clock is reduced, encourage employees to leave the office at reasonable hours and discourage the use of electronic devices when employees have left the office.
Staggeringly, the report suggests that if those currently sleeping six hours a night increase this to between six and seven, it would add £24 billion to the UK’s economy. So, time to put down the Blackberry and call it an early night?
