Flexible work schemes could help sleep-starved Kingdom workers

Nearly a quarter of workers in Saudi Arabia (24 percent) say they have to sacrifice sleep to fit in personal and work commitments. Globally, 35 percent of employees say they sleep too little. Workers either wake up early or burn the midnight oil.
These are some of the key findings of a global survey by Regus, the world’s largest provider of flexible workplaces, based on interviews with more than 24,000 business-people from over 90 countries.
Twelve percent say a shorter commute would give them more hours of sleep and leisure while 18 percent say a greater flexibility of work location would be the solution.
To enjoy the benefits of flexible working, businesses would need to trust their employees to work remotely. For this to work, a change in mindset would be the key.
The younger generation of employees and managers seem keen on exploring ways to work from home or an alternative work space, as this would cut overhead costs and would improve on productivity, employee satisfaction and staff retention.
The younger workforce added to the BYOD trend (bring your own device). Employees are comfortable using mobile devices for work and play and the lines between those are blurred. As businesses start hiring from younger generations, traditional mindsets get gradually replaced.
“Lack of sleep is clearly detrimental to health and happiness. Long working hours are closely linked to heart disease,” said Joanne Bushell, Regus vice president for the Middle East and Africa.
“This survey shows that allowing employees to work closer to home can have an important impact on family life and provide workers with a few more minutes’ sleep each morning. In spite of the win-win benefits that flexible working can bring both to the employee and the company, there is evidently still plenty of grounds for improvement. Half of firms in Saudi Arabia do not recognize or reward managers for encouraging the creation of a flexible workforce,” she said.