The ambulance was called at about 1.30pm to see Tina, who had collapsed on the floor, while talking to one of her colleagues at work. It was not clear what had caused her to collapse and according to Joe, whom she was talking to, there were no signs prior that anything was wrong with Tina.
After days in hospital and thorough examination, she was said to have collapsed due to Chronic fatigue syndrome.
She also confirmed that she had been closing late from work for weeks and unfortunately not been too rich with her sleep either.
When the reports got to her manager, she said it was clear something had to be done.
There was no doubt most employees of the company had been looking tired and worn down, but nothing was done until Tina’s mishap occurred. Evidently, the staff didn't have the energy or motivation to pursue their tasks with the same vigour as before and the manager seized the opportunity to tell the board that it was time for the organisation to look into fatigue management to ensure their employees were safe, productive and engaged in the workplace and the manager worked tirelessly to come up with a plan to boost performance through effective fatigue management.
After extensive research and working with us as their consultants, she came up with five ways that the organisation could implement effective fatigue management.
Firstly, the organisation arranged for more education, communication and awareness around fatigue management and general staff wellbeing. Training programmes for different levels of staff were introduced and well being focused initiatives were started.
Secondly, the organisation ensured adequate rest periods between shifts and there was a rotation system so that employees would have a chance to take turns having longer breaks and where possible, they considered introducing shorter shifts, so employees would have more energy during their time at work.
Thirdly, they implemented better scheduling practices, so that employees could be better prepared for their shifts and have more flexibility in their workload.
Fourthly, Fatigue risk management systems were taken more seriously. Their efforts included, as part of a safety management system, an explicit and comprehensive process for measuring, mitigating, and managing the fatigue risks that the employees were exposed to. They introduced fatigue monitoring systems, so that any signs of fatigue in employees could be caught early on and dealt with accordingly.
Finally, they promoted a healthy work-life balance. Employees were encouraged to engage in activities outside of work that helped them unwind and relax.
The manager was pleased with the plan and the organisation implemented the five strategies. It slowly but surely made a difference, with employees feeling more energised, engaged, and productive than before.
Worried about your employees falling into the fatigue and burnout trap? Talk to us at Ignite Your Leadership Prowess, where we can help you craft your bespoke solutions.
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