How should you manage an employee who fell asleep at work?
In most jobs, sleeping during working time is not allowed; as an employer, the way you manage a suspicion or incident of someone caught sleeping on the job may depend on what their role is. If an employee has been sleeping it might not just be the case of them not being productive at that time. To ascertain the seriousness we’d suggest considering things like…
Are they responsible for security?
Are they supporting vulnerable people?
What are the implications on health and safety?
Have they put other employees at risk?
Have they put the public at risk?
Did something happen because they were asleep?
The action that you take, will depend on the answers to the above questions. An informal conversation could be all that is needed if it’s a first offence and there are no health and safety issues to consider.
But let’s also think about our employee’s welfare.
Why are they tired?
Could there be an underlying health condition?
Are they suffering from work stress?
Are they getting enough time off work?
Do they undertake shift work?
Are they taking prescribed medication which would make them sleepy?
Once you take a step back and think about the different factors involved and your employee’s wellbeing it might not be as straight forward as managing the issue as misconduct under your disciplinary policy. Are you able to establish if falling asleep was an accident, or did they plan to fall asleep?
It’s important to talk to your employee and find out if there are any reasons for them falling asleep at work and if you can do anything to support them. You have a duty of care to protect the health, safety and welfare of your employees, therefore, it is important to find out as much as you can. Does the employee have a disability within the meaning of the Equality Act? If they do then you have a responsibility to make reasonable adjustments, which could include things like adjusting shifts or working patterns or reducing hours.
Following an investigation, the conclusion could be that the incident is deliberate or very serious because of the impact on the business or a health and safety risk - this may warrant disciplinary action under your organisation’s disciplinary policy.
If you need support or advice with any people topic get in touch with Stanley & Davis and we can provide guidance and advice.