It's 3 pm. The coffee machine is busy again, concentration starts wandering and even simple tasks seem to require more effort.
Sound familiar?
For many people, there's a biological explanation. Our internal body clock influences alertness throughout the day, including a natural dip during the early afternoon. Add a poor night's sleep, a heavy lunch or several hours of demanding work, and that afternoon slump can become more noticeable.
For someone working through emails, a brief lapse in concentration may be frustrating. For an employee operating machinery, driving or performing detailed inspections, the consequences can be more significant.
Fatigue can affect attention, reaction time and judgement. Another coffee might provide a temporary lift, but won't compensate for ongoing sleep deprivation.
Employers can consider how demanding tasks are scheduled, whether employees have adequate breaks and how fatigue is recognised and managed. Persistent tiredness may also warrant assessment.
Through occupational health assessments and employee wellness programmes, Incon Health helps organisations take a more informed approach to employee health.
After all, the last few hours of the working day deserve just as much attention as the first.