The Real Cost of Sleep Disorders in the Workplace

It’s no secret that sleep disorders can have an impact on a person’s physical health, mental health, home life, relationships and even work day. More than 40 million people are diagnosed with a chronic or long-term sleep disorder yearly. On top of that number, up to 20 million people suffer from an occasional sleep deficiency.  What these staggering numbers mean is that on any given day, 1 in 3 people attempt and often fail to function normally while being sleep deprived.

Healthy sleep plays a critical role in staying healthy and safe, but, what many people don’t know is that it also has a huge effect on the financial sustainability of companies. In 2015, the cost of sleep deficiency in the United States was estimated to be more than 1.4 billion dollars - that’s right, 1.4 billion.

Business owners and employers need to be aware of the hidden cost that sleep deficiencies can bring. It’s not easy to pinpoint exactly how the bottom line of a million dollar budget can be impacted by employees who frequently come to work in a fog of sleepiness but, it can be done. Studies have proven time and time again that sleep deficiencies, especially those that often go undiagnosed can negatively impact the workplace by:

• Causing a decrease in productivity that could lead to unmet deadlines or tasks not completed in a timely manner
• Causing poor immunity in sleep deprived employees leading to more colds and viruses being passed around
• Causing more absenteeism because employees need to stay home to treat the cold they caught or to try and catch-up on sleep they are missing out on
• A significant increase risk of serious to deadly workplace accidents

If a dollar amount were to be put on each and every one of these factors and the many more not included in this list, it’s obvious to see how lack of proper sleep in staff and management can cost businesses millions annually - of course, the larger the workforce the higher the cost.  For many business owners and employers, a lack of resources mean that having a dedicated employee measuring the hidden cost of sleep deprivation is not at all feasible. This typically leaves the hidden cost of sleep deprivation exactly that: hidden.

A new tool to help business owner save a few dollars

A new and completely free online tool can help employers put an exact price that sleep deficiency has on their company.  The Fatigue Cost Calculator, developed by Brigham Health, allows employers to input data such as industry, location and number of staff and in return, they will get an estimate of how much those drowsy employees are costing their company. Since more often than not, the amount of dollar signs that are associated with sleep deficiencies are staggering, the Fatigue Cost Calculator will not only give employers a reality check of their employees overall sleep health, but also, hopefully, will encourage companies to begin implementing the tools needed to promote healthy sleep as part of an employee health program. As a bonus and as an incentive for employers to promote healthy sleep, The Fatigue Cost Calculator will also provide an estimate of how much money can be saved by employees who take the steps needed to improve their sleep.