Does the Law Require that You Let an Employee Nap?

Napping is popular among just about everyone other than toddlers, who desperately need naps, but are convinced they are prohibited by the Geneva convention. Culturally, though, we just don’t do it. We get up in the morning, we go to work, and we work until dinner time, in which case we go home, eat, watch Netflix, and go to bed, where we are supposed to sleep all night and wake up refreshed!

Oh yeah, and do the laundry, clean the bathroom, help the kids with their homework, visit our mothers-in-law, and walk the dog. So, some of us might be a bit tired around, say 1:30 in the afternoon. More importantly, some of your employees might want to take a nap. Are you legally required to let them sleep?

Of course not! You set the schedule and they can take it or leave it! Unless you have 15 or more employees and your sleepy employee has a medical reason for the nap. For instance, if your employee suffers from Narcolepsy. This is a condition that can be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). People with ADA covered disabilities are entitled to “reasonable accommodations.” And a nap can be a reasonable accommodation for narcolepsy or other sleep disorders.

To keep reading, click here: Does the Law Require that You Let an Employee Nap?

If you want to nap, but just can’t relax, watch this video. It’s super helpful.

 

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11 thoughts on “Does the Law Require that You Let an Employee Nap?

  1. I used to work 2 jobs over an 80 hour work week for financial reasons. One of the jobs was overnight work. The crew of this shift ( same crew for years) agreed that we would all punch out for our break at agreed time periods and nap and then return to work as long as all work was completed at end of shift. We all worked during the day also. This nap was well appreciated.

  2. I work two jobs: an office jockey by day and a professor in the evening. If I take a nap then I can’t and won’t sleep at all that night. When I was in uni and simultaneously working three jobs, I’d pull all nighters at least twice a week. My body just doesn’t need much sleep.

      1. And now, after a screen refresh, the duplicate disappeared so my “oops” comment is confusing. Sorry.

    1. My great grandfather used to get 4 hours of sleep every night. I wish I had inherited that. I need a ton of sleep.

  3. When I was in law school, an elderly Professor Emeritus advised us to — once we became lawyers — obtain rowing machines for our offices and take a 20-minute nap after lunch. He was in his 80’s then — still very active and vital — and claimed that those were the secrets to his success and longevity.

  4. Thanks for that super relaxing meditation video! I’m now feeling so refreshed since all my stress has been “EXTERMINATED!”

  5. I really wish napping was a cultural norm. Then maybe folks wouldn’t be so reliant on caffeine to keep them awake after lunch.

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