Why do UK workers put in more hours than any other European nation, but still have the lowest levels of productivity? Recent articles have suggested that one reason is that we are exhausted!

If the French, Italians and Spanish build their working day around lunch and even a siesta, and the Germans take naps all the time – what are we doing here in the UK? Drinking coffee and eating chocolate apparently!

Our long hours culture means we get home late, don’t relax and wind down and set ourselves up for a poor nights’ sleep – as well as working longer than anyone else we also have the highest rates of insomnia (could be all the red tape and nannying we have to put up with?)

Sleeping Better

Researchers at a leading UK university are studying the issue of not enough sleep and what it does to us, as well as looking at the effectiveness of how a nap in the office and caffeine will help to eliminate tiredness.

What complicates sleep issues is that they can be interlinked with so many other conditions, all of which can affect our performance at work.

The British Snoring and Sleep Apnoea Association (BSSAA) says there are more than 80 known sleep disorders, from not being able to get to sleep to the inability to stay awake. You may think that some of your staff are just being lazy or leading inappropriate lifestyles, but they may suffer one of these conditions. The good news is that all of them can be suitably controlled, given the right treatment.

Keeping Healthy

Sleeping badly should not be looked at in isolation. Habits such as smoking, drinking and failing to exercise can all contribute and put your workers at a high risk of many major illnesses.

But what can HR do to ensure staff eat well, live well and sleep well?

• Provide good information about the value of sleep.
• Improve working styles - a long-hours culture leads to poorer sleep.
• Be aware that constant tiredness can be a symptom of serious illness.
• Ensure that staff who travel frequently or working night shifts soon return to normal sleep patterns.
• Develop a policy on driving and rest for staff, especially after long-haul flights
• Consider providing a relaxation or nap room.

Guess what - from April, employers who ignore the importance of encouraging staff to get sufficient sleep could land themselves in hot water, as the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act becomes law.

This will mean employers could be found responsible for fatal car accidents if they are caused by employees driving vehicles on company business. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents reports that one in three road accidents are caused by drivers on business journeys. And one in five accidents are caused by people falling asleep at the wheel.