According to a new workplace survey commissioned by Red Bull and Glassdoor, the leading jobs and recruiting community, nearly half (48 percent) of employed Americans are distracted by fatigue at work, causing them to make mistakes and even doze off.  Tiredness is a bigger distraction to workers than social media (19 percent) and personal communications (35 percent).

More than just typos, fatigue at the workplace shows itself in various ways, with 23 percent of respondents admitting to walking around the workplace with an unbuttoned top or mismatched shoes. Lack of energy has also shown it greatly impacts employees' ability to focus, with 24 percent of workers confessing to addressing a colleague or client by the wrong name or making a mistake via email due to low energy. 

"It's clear that fatigue at work can impact productivity and efficiency, and this is something both employees and employers need to be aware of and address among their specific workforce," said Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor Community Expert. "This is a wake-up call for employers to review and assess how to keep their employees engaged throughout the day and make appropriate changes."

To be more productive at work, pick-me-ups like coffee, energy drinks and tea are more popular choices than energy bars, smoothies or juices.  U.S. workers are so desperate to combat tiredness, 93 percent of respondents said they have taken action to boost their energy at work, with caffeine as a top workplace necessity, even surpassing taking a walk or listening to music.  In fact, 48 percent can't live without caffeine at work and just as many (46 percent) can't live without office supplies such as pen and paper.  Fewer find it essential to have their smartphone or tablet (44 percent) or their schedule (32 percent). 

Key Findings:

Nearly two in three (66 percent) admit they've made mistakes at work because they were tired

About one in five admit to missing a meeting (21 percent) or a deadline (16 percent) due to tiredness

Two in five have forgotten items they need to do their job (41 percent)

Parents are more likely than non-parents (25 percent vs 16 percent) to reveal they've missed a meeting at work due to tiredness

25 percent of 18-44 year olds find themselves getting off-track because of social media, compared to nine percent of those 45 and over

Women are more likely than men to be sidetracked from their work by lethargy (53 percent vs 44 percent)

More men than women admit that being tired has made them overlook meetings (26 percent vs 13 percent) or deadlines (20 percent vs 10 percent)

More women than men (56 percent vs 42 percent) rely on caffeine to survive the workday

66 percent of respondents said caffeine is the top fix for boosting energy compared to taking a walk (39 percent) or listening to music (37 percent)

49 percent of respondents said they would be more interested in a job they were applying for if they offered free food and beverages compared to gym memberships (39 percent)