Sleep problems are among the biggest threats to employee wellbeing and productivity, but are often overlooked by organisations. Dr Eidn Mahmoudzadeh looks at how employers can help.
Last month, NHS England and NHS Charities Together committed £16 million of funding to wellbeing programmes for its workforce. It means employers can make applications for initiatives such as wellness areas and new faith facilities – assuming it continues under the new government.
This is a significant milestone in recognising the need to improve the health and wellbeing of NHS staff, who are notoriously burned out. However, it should also be considered a landmark moment for employers more generally, given that the NHS is estimated to be the sixth biggest employer in the world. It sends a clear message that workforce wellness (or lack thereof) is crucial – not just to help improve mental and physical health, but to address operational efficiencies in companies.
Sleep problems
Poor sleep may contribute to migraine attacks
Given that recent estimates suggest that sleep deprivation costs the UK £40 billion a year in productivity losses, it is vital that employers across all sectors consider sleep programmes as part of their wellbeing support.
The power of sleep
While we have all probably experienced a period where we haven’t had enough sleep – and felt the negative side effects – most people may be unaware of the significant impact it can have on work and wellbeing, or how widespread the problem is in the UK.
We’re experiencing a sleep crisis. Recent research from The Sleep Charity shows that nine in 10 people experience sleep issues and millions are living with undiagnosed sleep disorders. Moreover, an academic study from RAND Europe showed that up to 50% of the adult population suffered from insomnia and those battling with the condition would trade 14% of their annual income to attain the same levels of life satisfaction as those without insomnia.
These staggering statistics mean that almost every employer in the UK will have some members of staff suffering from sleep problems, which is inextricably linked to mental health.
For businesses that rely on shift workers, it is worse still. The irregularity of shift work causes significant fatigue and can lead to workplace errors and accidents. Plus, the disruption to the body’s sleep-wake cycle has been proven to cause a multitude of physical conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes and cancer. There are some countries, such as Denmark, that have paid government compensation to women who developed breast cancer after working night shifts.
However, shift work, while challenging, can be navigated successfully with the right strategies and understanding. Likewise, employees who are affected by sleep disorders or poor-quality sleep can be treated effectively if given the right support.
In turn, this will address the estimated 200,000+ working days lost every year due to insufficient sleep.
Catalysts for change
Businesses are in a unique position to be catalysts for change and help tackle this growing, yet predominantly silent crisis. They can do this by empowering HR and health and wellbeing staff to effectively identify sleep problems, understand the bi-directional effects with mental health, and support their workforce accordingly.
OH professionals do not currently receive any sleep training or advice on sleep disorder management as part of their qualifications or career progression. If this changed, they would be empowered to spot the issues and know how best to approach them.”
For many, the most important first step is awareness – ensuring the senior leadership team understands that a workforce that sleeps well is a critical factor in the productivity and success of the business. Likewise, HR and wellbeing departments need to understand the benefits for the overall health and satisfaction of staff.
The second step is about support – offering the right type of help based on individual needs and the work environment. For example, shift workers will need more tailored support compared to those working a 9-5 job.
To help with this, organisations such as Asterion, an investment management company, have been working with sleep specialists that offer corporate support programmes. The packages, which can be scaled up or down, involve an employee sleep questionnaire to ascertain sleep concerns and a series of educational presentations or workshops to enable wellbeing teams to support their staff effectively. In some instances, such as transport software firm Goal Systems, the sleep specialists also provide employees with 1-2-1 sleep consultations.
Role for occupational health
However, the solution doesn’t sit solely with external help, especially if budgets are constrained. Occupational health and workplace wellbeing professionals can provide support from within their companies if they are given the right tools and training.
For example, OH professionals do not currently receive any sleep training or advice on sleep disorder management as part of their qualifications or career progression. If this changed, they would be empowered to spot the issues and know how best to approach them. In the immediate term, companies could also facilitate their OH staff to go on external sleep courses.
Likewise, for wellbeing staff to be better placed to tackle these issues, they should be given the opportunity to become sleep ambassadors. Similar to a mental health ambassador, they would need a day’s specialist training to become qualified and it means they can provide advice on good sleep practices and know the best way to communicate it to staff.
Organisational changes
There are also some wider organisational changes that can increase productivity and make a big impact on health. For example, encouraging rejuvenating breaks and rewarding healthy habits like working contracted hours rather than overtime. And for shift workers, creating a forward-rotating rota, such as day > late > night > recovery.
The impact of these changes in helping staff achieve optimal sleep can strengthen the immune system and support metabolic and cardiovascular health, and studies have shown it can reduce sickness-related costs by approximately 28%. Likewise, even small improvements in sleep can lead to significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Fundamentally, empowering teams to effectively identify sleep conditions and have the right information and tools to support individuals can act as a game-changer in improving productivity and staff wellbeing. Critically, it will also help address what is currently our biggest hidden threat to mental and physical health.
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