My coworker keeps falling asleep at his desk. Should I keep waking him up or just let him snooze?
This has been going on off-and-on now for a couple of months. He falls asleep sitting up in his chair and starts snoring. My boss also told me he fell asleep once while doing an interview, and the client complained!
I have spoken to him about it. I suggested, in a friendly way (we’re fairly close) that he has been doing it so much lately I think he may want to see a doctor to make sure he doesn’t have some sort of disorder.
But, the original question remains…
PS: He is sleeping right now, with his head hanging back, as I type this!
Today has been especially bad. He’s dozed off at least than a dozen times.
My boss knows about that one time in the interview, but she doesn’t know its a cronic problem. I feel like it’s up to him to tell her, not I.
Wake him up — but you really need to tell your boss that this has become a chronic problem. Your boss would be wise to persuade your colleague to seek medical attention. Falling asleep frequently and easily can be dangerous. It is NOT a humorous situation. He could be at risk for sudden death.
If you are close to him, perhaps you could discuss this serious medical problem. If you think I am exaggerating, please “google” his symptoms and you will see for yourself that this is serious.
For example, your colleague could be suffering from narcolepsy, out of control diabetes or sleep apnea. These are all serious health conditions that can lead to death if left untreated.
Snoring Coworker
