New sleep research shows an exhausted workforce

Up to 80% of doctors experienced burnout in 2024 according to the AMA (WA)’s annual Hospital Health Check survey, and it’s a statistic that’s reflected in sleep research data commissioned by private health insurer HIF.

The HIF research shows that more than half of Aussies are turning up to work exhausted.

Medical professionals are some of the most time-poor workers in Australia, and doctors say being exhausted is having an adverse effect on team morale and culture in hospitals all over Australia.

The annual sleep survey conducted by CoreData on behalf of HIF has uncovered that up to one in five workdays are being affected by poor sleep, with significant economic impacts.

The research revealed that the overwhelming majority of Aussies say this has impacted their productivity at work.

The 2024 HIF Sleep Index Survey of 1,003 Australians identified that:

• • more than half of working Aussies (54%) admit they have turned up to work exhausted in the last year, and almost 9 in 10 say it’s impacting their productivity;
  • nearly 3 in 10 Aussies have faked a ‘sickie’ because they were too tired to work (28%);
  • 15% of working Aussies have taken a ‘sneaky’ nap at work or during work hours; and
  • on average, those who work tired say their productivity declines by 15%.

“This research highlights some concerning data about Aussies and their sleep, and how exhausted we are as a nation,” HIF CEO Justin James said.

“HIF recognises sleep as one of the three pillars of health, and is committed to supporting people to get the best night’s sleep. Not getting enough of it is clearly costing the economy dearly – but the health impacts are so significant, and often underestimated.

“Not enough importance is placed on sleep in Australia, and we’re working hard to help change that narrative. There are no medals for ‘powering through’; sleep is a health issue, and we need to treat it as such. No one needs to ‘fake a sickie’ if they’re tired. We’ve implemented company-wide training about sleep to make sure our team prioritise it, and we encourage our team to take personal leave as they need it. And to help them ‘nap openly’ during work hours, we’ve introduced a sleep space at our head office.”

Visit sleep.hif.com.au and take a quiz to reveal your Sleep ID and access tailored resources, including an eight-part podcast, to help you transform your sleep health.