A baggage handler recently made the headlines when he dozed off inside an Alaska Airlines cargo hold and then awoke – mid-flight – causing the aeroplane to make an emergency landing. The case highlights the risks of falling asleep on the job. What can you expect if you are found asleep at work?

Sleeping on the job is viewed by some employers as a serious misconduct offence, justifying disciplinary action as far as dismissal. By others, it is considered a minor misdemeanour not worthy of any sanction beyond a verbal warning.