Whether your week tends to comprise of varied shift work, or the consistency of the 9-5; whether you’re fresh out of university, or a tenured professional in the working world, we all share the same underlying need: for healthy, refreshing sleep.
It’s no secret that adults need a minimum of 8 solid hours of shut-eye each night. Even if you’ve not read the research explaining why, you’ll know from experience that poor sleep leads to a poor day - heightened irritability, an inability to focus and general drowsiness that limits your productivity.
In the health and safety space, focusing on wellbeing as a part of safety is a must - and sleep certainly is the cornerstone of wellbeing. Those who are working in risky jobs that require an alert mind with high attention to detail are most at risk from poor sleep. It comes as no surprise to hear that a sleep-deprived employee will have greater difficulty focusing on tasks, which can lead to poor decision-making - and create riskier situations.
From a health and safety perspective, it’s no different. Certainly, poor sleep is a critical factor that often underpins preventable workplace incidents. Without a doubt, it’s up to us as leaders to evaluate how we approach the work-life balance in the office and consider ways to encourage employees to feel more rested.