Fatigue vs Productivity

Fatigue can lead to errors, accidents, ill-health and injury. It has been identified as a root cause in major accidents such as Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, Challenger and Exxon Valdez (more).

In the UK it is estimated to cost up to £240 million per year, in terms of accidents alone (more).

Long hours have recently been associated with lower productivity rates. In 2017, an OECD report found that 15% of New Zealanders work more than 50 hours per week (more).

In a study cited by The Economist (more), John Pencavel of Stanford University shows that when people work more than 50 hours, output per hour falls sharply. The results are even starker for those working very long hours, “Output at 70 hours of work differed little from output at 56 hours. That extra 14 hours was a waste of time”. Furthermore, it also”…increases the probability of errors, accidents and sickness”. Find John Pencavel’s article here.

More on long hour’s vs productivity can be found here.

If you are looking for more information on how to reduce fatigue-related risks, contact the team at Working Wise today.