October 2007 – four Italian air traffic controllers were suspended after they were caught asleep while on duty.178 people were killed in the crash the controller later killed himself in prison. The ground controller, who had been up at nights due to recently becoming a father of two, allowed the workers to dry the runway during heavy rain and fell asleep on the job. October 1984 – Aeroflot Flight 3352 hit maintenance vehicles on the runway while attempting to land in Omsk, Russia.February 2008 – the pilots on a Go! airline flight were suspended during an investigation when it was suspected they fell asleep mid-flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to Hilo, Hawaii, resulting in their overshooting Hilo Airport by about 24 kilometers (15 miles) before turning around to land safely.Brigitte Steger, a scholar who focuses on Japanese culture, writes that sleeping at work is considered a sign of dedication to the job, such that one has stayed up late doing work or worked to the point of complete exhaustion, and may therefore be excusable. 'present while sleeping'), may occur in work meetings or classes. In Japan, the practice of napping in public, called inemuri ( 居眠り, lit. In 1968, New York police officers admitted that sleeping while on duty was customary. In those work cultures sleeping in the office is seen as evidence of dedication. This practice is particularly common in start-ups and during political campaigns. In such environments it is common for employers to provide makeshift sleeping materials for employees, such as a couch and/or inflatable mattress and blankets. Such work cultures typically have flexible schedules, and variant work loads with extremely demanding periods where employees feel unable to spend time commuting. In some industries and work cultures sleeping at work is permitted and even encouraged. For example, airline pilots risk loss of their licenses. Employees who may endanger others by sleeping on the job may face more serious consequences, such as legal sanctions. Some employers may prohibit sleeping, even during unpaid break time, for various reasons, such as the unprofessional appearance of a sleeping employee, the need for an employee to be available during an emergency, or legal regulations. This may or may not be permitted, depending on the employer's policies. Some employees sleep, nap, or take a power-nap only during their allotted break time at work. Those who are caught in violation may face disciplinary action such as suspension or firing. Some companies have instituted policies to allow employees to take napping breaks during the workday in order to improve productivity while others are strict when dealing with employees who sleep while on duty and use high-tech means, such as video surveillance, to catch their employees who may be sleeping on the job. Views Įmployers have varying views of sleeping while on duty.

One in four admit to shirking duties on the job for the same reason, either calling in sick or napping during work hours. More than 90% of Americans have experienced a problem at work because of a poor night's sleep.

Daytime employees are more likely to take short naps, while graveyard shift workers have a higher likelihood of sleeping for a large portion of their shift, sometimes intentionally.Ī survey by the National Sleep Foundation has found that 30% of participants have admitted to sleeping while on duty. The frequency of sleeping while on duty that occurs varies depending on the time of day. However, in many countries, these workers are supposed to take a break and rest every few hours. In some occupations, such as pilots, truck and bus drivers, or those operating heavy machinery, falling asleep while on duty puts lives in danger. Concerns that employers have may include the lack of productivity, the unprofessional appearance, and danger that may occur when the employee's duties involve watching to prevent a hazardous situation. Sleeping while on duty is such an important issue that it is addressed in the employee handbook in some workplaces. While some employees who sleep while on duty in violation do so intentionally and hope not to get caught, others intend in good faith to stay awake, and accidentally doze. In some types of work, such as firefighting or live-in caregiving, sleeping at least part of the shift may be an expected part of paid work time. Recently however, there has been a movement in support of sleeping, or napping at work, with scientific studies highlighting health and productivity benefits, and over 6% of employers in some countries providing facilities to do so. Sleeping while on duty or sleeping on the job – falling asleep while one is not supposed to – is considered gross misconduct and grounds for disciplinary action, including termination of employment, in some occupations.

Sleeping on the job meme