A survey has found that Ireland has the sleepiest workforce In Europe.
The survey, carried out by the recruitment agency Monster.ie, shows that nearly 40 per cent of Irish people questioned said they had fallen asleep at work, usually at their desks. The authors of the report say that there are a number of factors that make the Irish the sleepiest workforce in Europe.
Long working hours, boring tasks, and staring at a computer screen all day.
Alan Townsend, Monster.ie, says some of the factors that influence sleepiness in the Irish workplace are the way people work, job motivation, poor management and a hectic social life..
Over 21,000 respondents took part in the survey. 39 per cent of respondents admitted to falling asleep at work. 35 per cent said they had never fallen asleep at work but had had problems staying awake. Seven per cent said they had nodded off at a meeting and another seven per cent said they had taken a nap in the bathroom.
There are other factors at play. Other surveys show that the Irish work the longest hours in Europe and drink twice as much alcohol as the average European. Bernard Harbor of the IMPACT trade union backs this, saying that the Irish work the longest hours and have fewer holidays than other Europeans. He also pointed to the fact that Irish people have some of the longest commuter times. Despite these factors, he says Irish workers are the most productive in Europe.
We're not a lazy workforce by any means but maybe it's not surprising that occasionally we get a little tired.
According to the report, 80 per cent of Dutch people said that they had never fallen asleep at work. Tips for staying awake include fresh air and caffeine breaks, playing music if performing repetitive tasks, and getting more sleep.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 17 May 2004. The reporter is Eileen Whelan.
