More workers are tired on the job and it's bad for business

Do you ever go to work tired? New research suggests you're not alone. The results from an online survey from Robert Half, an HR consulting firm, suggests that 76 per cent of people are regularly tired while working.

Nearly one-third or 31 per cent of respondents said they were "very often" tired on the job, 45 per cent said "somewhat often" and 23 per cent said it "rarely" occurred that they were tired on the job.

The online survey randomly selected 570 Canadian employees in February 2018. The results are considered accurate plus or minus four per cent, 19 times out of 20.

David King is the Canadian director at Robert Half. He says a tired workforce severely impacts a company's bottom line.

"One of the big concerns is that you'll generally have a level of disengagement by employees," said King. "That leads to, certainly, a loss of morale; loss of productivity and things such as the missed deadlines or the mistakes in the person's work. That leads to a poor relationship with the employer and, potentially, ultimate turnover in their employment."

'Reframe your mindset to the value of sleep'

Clare Kumar isn't surprised that so many people are tired on the job. It's one of the complaints that she consistently hears from her clients.

Kumar is the founder of Streamlife, which helps clients to get organized, improve productivity and achieve greater peace of mind at work. She says people don't value sleep enough, but it's the foundation of a successful day at work.

"You need to get your head around that sleep is when your body heals," said Kumar. "It's not time when nothing is going on. You have to reframe your mindset to the value of sleep. You have to believe that you deserve the sleep and then you have to set your schedule up to claim it."

But Kumar says that companies also have a significant role to play in combating a sleepy workforce.

"Look at the culture that you're creating and the language around sleep in your office," said Kumar.

Tips to decrease incidents of tiredness

Kumar suggests employers take bold steps to decrease incidents of tiredness by, for example, creating an electronics-free wellness room where workers can go to relax for 15 to 20 minutes or even take a power nap.

She encourages bosses to lead by example by not consistently working late nights or sending emails after hours. She also says encouraging employees to unplug when they leave the office and not rewarding employees who work long hours can go a long way to boost morale and promote a restful workforce.

Ultimately, says Kumar, we have to take responsibility for ourselves by making sure we get seven to eight hours of sleep, exercise regularly and eat right.

"The broader, more important strategy is around cultivating the right amount of sleep for you," said Kumar. "And I call that getting in touch with your sleep number: determining exactly how much sleep you need and then setting up not only the environment for sleep, but also your schedule so that you actually claim the sleep that your body needs."

All the stuff we know we should do, but every once in a while need a reminder to actually do it.