How Should HR Handle Employees Sleeping During Night Shifts? Seeking Advice on Next Steps

Dear Mates,

I have recently joined as an HR in an IT Manufacturing firm. It was recently found that some of the employees in the night shift have a tendency to sleep at their workstations. We met with those employees individually and counseled them about the code of conduct of the organization. We also sent them warnings via email.

We were in the process of giving them a formal documented warning letter, but somehow it got delayed. In the meantime, it was found that some of the employees continued to sleep on the floor during their working hours.

Now, as an HR, what should I do? Should I give them a formal documented warning letter (warnings were already sent via email), or can I take other strict actions like termination?

Please guide with your valuable suggestions.

Thanks & Regards,
Abhishek 5524

Understanding Employee Capabilities

First of all, you should understand the human physical capabilities. Secondly, analyze whether the employee is new to night shifts or not, and if they have any bodily imbalances. Encourage them to have hot beverages like coffee, tea, or snacks if interested, and request them to take breaks between work hours to enhance their ability to work.

Communicating Expectations

Inform them amicably that you are not opposing any kind of behavior, as it is a very normal human tendency that everyone experiences. However, also make them realize that they should do justice to the job for which they are paid. Work is important for us and not just normal behavior.

Maintaining Workplace Morale

As long as it does not affect morale, ask them to use the restroom or another area for refreshment to avoid affecting the moods of other employees. Deal with the situation very diplomatically to help maintain employee relations and the mindset of employees towards their work.

Enhancing Employee Engagement During Night Shifts

Consider implementing entertaining programs every night for 10 to 20 minutes to refresh employees and make the work environment more active. This could help in reducing the tendency to sleep during work hours.

I appreciate the suggestion from BSSV. In the IT industry, the machine is man; hence, we cannot treat them as machines and impose punishments. Continuous working in night shifts may create a biological imbalance as well. Though it is wrong to sleep during working hours, employees might know that and still sleep at night, particularly between 12 am to 4 am, as the human body needs.

Sometimes, if we HR do not address this issue on time, it may result in adverse effects on the production front. Hence, arrange to give them a midnight 10-minute break at least once every two hours, a small break for tea, and snacks as suggested.

Keeping in mind the business goals and organizational interests, to some extent, we need to communicate and address their issues during the night shift. Also, if possible, you can plan staggered week-offs, introducing the rotation of the C shift once every three days as long weekdays. This may help to control night shift turmoil. We have done this in our company, which helped in overcoming night sleeping issues.

I very much agree with the suggestions given by BBSV and Lakshmi87. I understand human tendency and nature. I have tried many times through various counseling sessions, but it now seems that they are taking undue advantage of it. Please guide me on further course of action.

Regards,
Abhishek5524

Course of Action for Addressing Employee Performance Issues

Your further course of action is to request the reasons for low performance or distractions in work from the employees. This will allow you to send an accurate report to your superior, who is demanding it. It's important not to provide your superior with incorrect information about your employees.

However, it seems you may lack patience when dealing with the emotions of others. You should hold your patience, analyze the situations, and then make a decision that is accepted by the majority or is the right one. Act as an assistant who helps them solve their issues, rather than someone who gives orders. Otherwise, it may lead to punitive actions that take advantage of your position.

Counseling and Feedback

When you have conducted counseling sessions, you should have received feedback on what exactly the employees are facing. Work on improving those areas. What was the necessity to request here? The employees are already sacrificing their time, health, and comfort. Making the workplace stressful will not yield positive results. Take some time to think and try to encourage the employees by giving them time and space. Make it clear that work and maintaining decorum are important, and nothing more is expected.

Maintaining Professional Boundaries

Do not become friends with the employees to the extent that they may take advantage of you. Be supportive while maintaining boundaries that do not exceed work-life limits. Try not to engage with them personally.

Regards,

I work in the IT industry, and I have seen that one thing that works in such cases is setting up target utilization that the employee is expected to achieve for the day/week and tracking such performance by the HR. In case of low utilization, you may set up time with the employee to discuss the underlying issues. Another approach that may work is having a counselor or team leaders who are responsible for the team's utilization. This also encourages a sense of responsibility and healthy teamwork.

Regards,
Nidhi

The employee should get proper sleep when off duty so that these incidents don't happen. According to the judgment of Bharat Forge v. Nakate, sleeping while on duty is serious misconduct warranting dismissal. Therefore, to have a deterrent impact, you can issue a warning letter to the concerned employee.

As you know, working regular night shifts can lead to health problems. It is essential to maintain a healthy and friendly environment with workers. I suggest encouraging them to take regular short breaks and provide facilities based on the employees' demands within the company norms. This approach will make them feel valued and encourage them to be fair not only in terms of salary but also in supporting the company's needs.

Regards,
Santhosh

Handling Employee Indiscipline During Appraisals

Issue warning letters at the time of appraisals, take the same into account, and consider withholding increments, performance bonuses, etc. However, beforehand, ensure that this action is communicated to both employees and management. Establish a policy stating that any acts of indiscipline will result in non-increment, performance bonus, incentives, promotions, etc.

Regards,

There can be no denial of the requirements of the body between 12 midnight and 4 AM. Taking this into consideration, employers who provide a shift duty allowance often double it for the C shift. I do not know your specific case.

To address this situation, please consider implementing a provision for a change of shift fortnightly; this may be of some help.

As you mentioned having counseling sessions and sending warnings to their computers, issuing further warnings will not serve any purpose except for them perceiving the management as weak.

Sleeping While on Duty

Sleeping while on duty is a serious misconduct on the part of employees. If nothing proves effective, please issue a show cause notice following the template below:

Mr.........................

Designation...............................

Department.....................................

Sub: Show Cause Notice

Dear Sir,

It has come to our attention that you have been found sleeping while on duty on the following dates and times:

1.

2.

3. and so forth.

You have been previously informed and counseled by------------------ on (please provide dates).

The management finds it necessary to emphasize that sleeping while on duty is a major misconduct. This behavior carries more weight when it becomes habitual.

Therefore, the management has taken a serious view of this misconduct and has decided to issue this notice requiring you to show cause as to why suitable disciplinary action should not be taken against you. Please submit your explanation within 24 hours of receiving this notice. Failure to respond within the specified time may result in appropriate action at the discretion of the management. Kindly acknowledge the receipt of this notice on the office copy.

( ..................................)

Sometimes, counseling alone may not be effective. Let us hope that either of these alternatives will be successful.

Regards,
S.K. Johri

Suggestions for Managing Employee Breaks

a) Ask their bosses to give them more work.

b) Create avenues in the office where employees can take short breaks. A coffee corner, foosball, and table tennis facilities could help.

c) Provide other options for them to take short breaks because no one can work continuously for 8-10 hours. You obviously don't want them to sleep at their workstations, but you can't solve this by simply asking them not to sleep.

Addressing Employee Fatigue

Employee fatigue is a common issue. I suggest that if you provide tea or any food, please use fat-free options. Otherwise, employees might struggle with their physique in the long run. Offer counseling on work ethic to each individual and consider reducing one hour from the absolute duty hours to encourage them if possible.

Not all employees are resistant to following discipline. Some employees believe they contribute significantly to the company and understand the importance of ethical behavior while working for the company. It would be beneficial to address this issue. I hope this approach is feasible.

Regards,
Hasan

Managing Night Shift Misconduct

Regular night shifts are common in some industries. Employees should be aware that they may be required to work night shifts when they are hired. It is not uncommon for employees to feel sleepy while on duty during night shifts, but it can have serious effects on all employees. This behavior is considered serious misconduct.

Employees should ensure they get proper sleep during their off-duty hours to prevent industrial accidents. It is important to counsel the employees and obtain a written explanation regarding the misconduct. If the behavior persists, a charge sheet or show cause letter may need to be issued to take appropriate action against the employee.

Regards,
Murali

It is possible that there is no manager on the operation floor during night shifts. This lack of supervision may be why employees feel they have the freedom to sleep while on duty. :(

It is not understood whether you are directly supervising their performance or if the erring employees are being supervised by some floor supervisor or manager. Whosoever supervises them should be made responsible for their performance and alertness during night duty.

The prime aim of the organization's effort should be to improve their performance. Punishment is not always the remedy to improve the habits or efficiency of the employee. The employee should be able to see the rod of punishment and keep it in memory to stay alert, but it should be sparingly used. Once punished, they may become doggedly attached to their habits and culture. Therefore, it is necessary for the management to resort to some alternative measures to keep them duty-bound even during their night shifts.

You may better explore the possibility of either changing the working schedules to adjust some part of the day and some part of the night (say 50:50) or by assigning daily as well as weekly targets for the completion of specific jobs. The same can be checked on a day-to-day basis every next day as well as on weekends for their overall output. You can notify them about shortfalls on their part and the penal provisions for poor performance.

Another alternative can be to post the names of such persons found sleeping so that other workers may also take notice of them. When they find their names notified on the notice board, it can have a psychological effect on them and may improve their habits to avoid a bad name appearing time and again. Other employees can also get alerted and make efforts not to get their names included in the list of defaulters. A practice of just 2-3 months is likely to improve the situation.

Regards,
Director
WORK AT HOME CLUB

Considerations for Night Shift Workers

The contributing members have shared their views, which are valuable. It is crucial to consider not only the interest of production but also the well-being of workers when engaging them in the night shift. Night shift workers should be allowed to rest after their shift ends and should not be required to continue into the next shift.

There should be a practice of rotating workers through different shifts. For example, if a worker is on the A shift this week, they should be placed in the B shift next week and then the C shift. This rotation helps ensure that workers remain fit both physically and mentally.

Regards,
Adoni Suguresh
Labour Laws Consultant

Hi Abhi,

If you look at it from a human perspective, we should organize employee engagement activities during the night shift, such as indoor games like chess, carrom, and dancing for a half-hour break after every 4 hours of work. This initiative will help create a positive environment within the company and boost productivity. It is also beneficial to occasionally visit the company during the night shift and organize surprise visits and additional activities to keep the employees engaged.

Regards, Dattatraya

Addressing Sleeping on Duty: A Step-by-Step Approach

Sleeping while on duty is misconduct. As an HR Manager, you cannot allow or ignore this issue in the workplace. Ignoring such problems can lead to more complicated issues in the future. Therefore, you should take the following steps in sequence:

1. Never allow any employee to work continuously on the night shift. Change or rotate shifts weekly or fortnightly.
2. Hold meetings with employees in small groups to convey your message and advise them not to sleep during duty hours.
3. If you observe employees sleeping despite your message, call them to your office, warn them against repeating the misconduct, record the meeting in a register, and obtain their signatures.
4. If the issue persists with certain individuals, identify repeat cases and issue written warnings.
5. The final step is to issue a charge sheet and initiate disciplinary action.

It is crucial to address this matter seriously to prevent any disruption in work. The above method has been tried and tested in multiple organizations based on my experience.

By following this approach, you provide employees with opportunities to rectify their behavior. If they refuse to change, there will be no choice but to take action.

Thank you,

Regards,
Sushil Sharma
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Arranging Night Shifts Effectively

With regard to night shifts, employees' shift duties have to be arranged in such a way that they should not be put on night shifts continuously. When they are working night shifts, they should be given at least 1 hour's rest on a rotation basis. Due to human tendency, they should be provided with some snacks like biscuits and tea to energize them (it has been observed that a road bypass company in Hubli is adopting this and has succeeded).

Additionally, they should receive a night allowance and be motivated by incentives, among other things. Only then can we expect to see some positive developments. However, if despite these measures, an employee continues to sleep during night shifts, disciplinary action, including termination from service, may be necessary.

I think everybody has elaborated properly, but it is more important to ask the employee why he is sleeping while on duty. How many hours is he working in a day? (In the manufacturing industry, workmen normally work for eight hours.) How pressurized is his work, etc.?

So, after counseling, issue him a show-cause letter in the proper format, cc'd to his superior and duly signed by the higher authority (whoever has disciplinary action authority). After his explanation, you will be much clearer for further action.

Regards,
Ramesh Vyavare