Nearly half (48%) of employed Americans say they are distracted by fatigue at work, causing them to make mistakes and even doze off, according to a survey commissioned by Red Bull and human capital solutions firm Glassdoor.
Employees say tiredness is a bigger distraction to them than social media (19%) and personal communications (35%).
Nearly two in three (66%) survey respondents admit they have made mistakes at work because they were tired. About one in five admit to missing a meeting (21%) or a deadline (16%) due to tiredness. Two in five have forgotten items they need to do their job (41%).
Twenty-three percent of respondents admitted to walking around the workplace with an unbuttoned top or mismatched shoes. Nearly one-quarter (24%) of workers confessed to addressing a colleague or client by the wrong name or making a mistake via email due to low energy.
Ninety-three percent of respondents said they have taken action to boost their energy at work, with 48% saying they “can’t live without” caffeine at work. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents said caffeine is a top fix for boosting energy, compared to taking a walk (39%) or listening to music (37%).
The workplace survey was conducted between October 7 and 14, 2014, among 549 working Americans ages 18 and older, using an email invitation and an online survey.