There's anepidemic running rampant in the workplace, and if you just closeyour eyes, you'll know what it is.

A survey from Ceridian LifeWorks, a wellness/EAP program unit ofconsultant Ceridian, found that more than 30% of human resourceleaders have witnessed or heard about a co-worker falling asleep onthe job in the past six months. All told, the sleep deficiencyepidemic is robbing corporate North America of $63.2 billion a yearin lost productivity, according to Harvard Universityresearchers.

The Ceridian survey also found:

• 35% of respondents said sleep deficiency had negativelyaffected productivity;
• 31% either witnessed or heard about an employer falling asleepon the job in the last six months;
• 33% who schedule shift work said they factored in a goodnight's sleep in their scheduling;
• 21% said their scheduling flies in the face of “human circadianrhythms,” which does not promote good sleeping habits;
• 60% don't offer tools and services to support good sleepinghabits;
• 35% is the average number of respondents reporting sleeping onthe job, but that dropped to 28% when companies offered supportingservices for good sleeping habits;

“A good night of sleep is vital for engaged, productive andhealthy employees,” said Estelle Morrison, vice president ofCeridian LifeWorks. “While businesses make expensive investments inprograms and technology to boost productivity, this surveyreinforces the need for companies to take seriously the issue ofsleep deprivation and promote healthy sleep habits in theworkplace.”

To produce its report, “Workplace Wake-Up Call: Pulling Back theCovers on Sleep Deficiency,” Ceridian extracted information fromsome 700 human resources managers in North America.