Bridge HR articles

Normally, when I get a call and the word ‘sleeping’  is mentioned, the word ‘dismissal’ isn’t far behind it!

Whilst napping has its major health and possibly productivity benefits (which I review below), sleeping on the job can often be cause for major concerns and often leads to consideration of dismissal, especially in high-risk roles. But, action should not, of course, be taken without a proper investigation into the facts and causes. For example:

• a long-term underlying health condition causing said nap could well be a deemed disability under the Equality Act 2010 and, thus, any disciplinary action taken could be cause for discrimination claims;
• excess overtime and breaches of working time could also be the cause of the napping, thus, yet again, creating further potential, costly claims;
• also, was said napping during a break time? If so, could that be a perfectly valid snooze? 
  
  

What SHOULD you do if you catch an employee napping on the job?

There are cases where employees have been reinstated into their roles by the courts after being found to have been dismissed unfairly for sleeping on the job. Those cases are usually where the employer had not taken the time to properly establish the facts. Before I take a look at the benefits of napping, here’s a simple summary of actions to take to reduce the risks of valid claims:

• When was it?
• Who saw it?
• Where was it?

• Ask the employee to explain why it happened; and
• What caused it?

• Is this a formal or informal process?
• Is that via a performance or disciplinary procedure?

Technology and the office won’t let us sleep!

There is a growing argument that many of the workforce are sleep deprived. Technology, which can allow an invasive ‘always on’ culture (proliferated during the COVID-19 lockdowns) is one cause.

Additionally, many mobile telephones and laptops emit a ‘blue light’ impacting our sleeping habits - ‘blue light’ essentially confuses the body and wakes us up when we are trying to sleep.

Another factor can be the workplace itself which can affect the Circadian rhythm. During the day, your melatonin levels will increase and decrease. Typically, melatonin decreases during the day, when you are exposed to sunlight, and increases at night which makes you drowsy. So, a workplace that doesn’t permit much exposure to natural sunlight could actually be sending your employees to sleep, without them even knowing.

The above, coupled with the traditional perception that sleeping on the job leads to a loss of productivity and signifies laziness, means that employees are left to figure out their sleep deprivation by themselves.

So, what can we do about this?

What’s wrong with a modern-day, tactical snoozeroo?

One growing idea is to permit our workforce to nap at work, essentially to sleep at work.

Now, before you throw this article away in disgust because such an idea is outrageous, let’s have a look at the benefits and how it could be implemented.

According to a 2008 study by Sara C Mednick & others, a nap is better than caffeine. Ms. Mednick is also quoted to have said “naps had the same magnitude of benefits as full nights of sleep if they had a specific qualify of nap”.

Other research, such as a study by Neuroscience, tested subjects on their perceptual performance four times throughout the day. Those subjects who did not nap had a deterioration in performance. However, those who napped either stopped their deterioration or reversed it (depending on their length of nap).

In addition, it is believed that napping is extremely beneficial and can also help with:

1. productivity;
2. alertness;
3. creativity;
4. associative thinking;
5. engagement;
6. improved ability to learn;
7. reducing anxiety; and
8. reducing burnout.

So, with all the benefits of letting employees get some shut-eye, which is arguably much cheaper than the amount of coffee they are going through, how could organisations implement this and what is recommended?

What is recommended?

Napping doesn’t have to be long. Apparently, even a 5 to 10-minute nap can be enough, though this will vary from person to person. The recommendations, from commentators, are:

• avoid napping after 3pm;
• offer a quiet, private space;
• dim the space as much as possible; and
• aim for about 20 – 60 minutes.

The naps could be factored into lunch or coffee breaks.

What are the drawbacks?

In a 2016 study by Rand Corporation, the conclusion was that sleep deprivation in workers cost the United States of America (USA) economy $411bn per year. Whilst the USA is a completely different ball game to the UK, it is important to take away that sleep-deprived workers may already be less productive in your organisation. Additionally, they are more likely to be absent from work, more prone to accidents and more irritable.

Even if you do permit napping, it is important to note that napping is not for everyone and even those who do nap must not do so for too long or they will suffer from sleep inertia, where you wake and feel groggier than you did before. There is also a risk that this impacts their sleep at night which, in turn, creates a need for a nap during the day.

Final thoughts

Napping at work, to me, sounds like a brilliant idea in principle, but it would need to be carefully monitored to avoid abuse and obviously would not work on duty for any active / safety risk roles - a clear process and guidelines would be needed regardless. For example, it would need to be made clear to the workforce:

• what was and was not acceptable; and
• how and where the naps would need to be taken.

It should also be appreciated that some sectors lend themselves to napping better than others and so it may not be viable for every organisation.

However, the big question left for me is whether napping is necessary at all or whether it is the product of poor sleep. It is recommended that adults get between 7 and 9 hours per night. Therefore, is your workforce ensuring they get this amount before taking naps? If not, is the workplace / culture affecting this?