A new Canadian study is sounding the alarm on workplace fatigue, finding that more than one in five workers report falling asleep on the job — a trend researchers say poses serious risks to both employee wellbeing and public safety.
The study, conducted by researchers in Saskatchewan, surveyed hundreds of workers across multiple industries and found that fatigue-related incidents are alarmingly common. From dozing off at a desk to nodding out during the commute home, the findings paint a picture of a workforce running on empty.
Fatigue by the Numbers
According to the research, over 20 percent of workers admitted to falling asleep during work hours at least once. Even more concerning, many reported experiencing fatigue-related impairments that affected their ability to do their jobs safely — including difficulty concentrating, slower reaction times, and making mistakes they wouldn't otherwise make.
The study also highlighted the risks that extend beyond the workplace itself. Workers who reported high levels of fatigue were significantly more likely to struggle to stay awake during their commute, raising the spectre of drowsy driving as a downstream consequence of inadequate rest.
Why Workers Are So Tired
Researchers pointed to a mix of factors driving the fatigue epidemic. Long shifts, irregular schedules, and the blurring of work-life boundaries — a trend accelerated during the pandemic years — are all contributing to chronic sleep deprivation among Canadian workers.
Shift workers in healthcare, transportation, and resource extraction were among the most affected, though the problem was found across desk jobs and professional settings as well. The pressure to stay connected outside of office hours and the rise of hybrid work schedules that disrupt natural sleep rhythms were flagged as emerging concerns.
A Safety Issue, Not Just a Wellness One
What makes this study significant is its framing of fatigue as a safety issue rather than simply a personal health matter. Workplace accidents, medical errors, and transportation incidents all carry higher risk when workers are impaired by lack of sleep — yet fatigue is often treated as an individual failing rather than a systemic problem.
The researchers are calling on employers across Canada to take a harder look at scheduling practices, shift lengths, and workplace culture around rest. They also recommend better education for workers on sleep hygiene and the real risks of fatigue impairment, which can rival those of alcohol intoxication in terms of cognitive impact.
What This Means for Canadian Workers
For the millions of Canadians heading to work each day — whether in an office, a hospital, behind a wheel, or on a construction site — the message from this research is clear: sleep deprivation is not just a personal inconvenience, it's a public health and safety concern that deserves serious attention from workplaces, regulators, and workers alike.
Experts hope the findings will spark broader conversations about mandatory rest periods, limits on consecutive shifts, and the cultural expectation that exhaustion is somehow a badge of dedication.
Source: Global News / Saskatchewan workplace fatigue study
