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Sleep Expert's Testimony in Jackson Case a Wakeup Call to Filipino Call Center Workers

Sleep Expert's Testimony in Jackson Case a Wakeup Call to Filipino Call Center Workers

June 27, 2013
By Madhubanti Rudra, TMCnet Contributor

The call center industry is the most important foreign currency earner for the Philippines. But does the “Sunshine Industry” of the country have the right regulations in place to safeguard its millions of employees’ health? In the absence of a system of “rotating schedules,” it seems that the Philippines call center industry is apparently oblivious to the dangerous medical consequences of sleeping disorders or forceful alterations in the sleeping patterns.


In many other countries, call center industries are following a more scientific pattern. In these countries, call center employees work a night shift for two weeks running, and then are off for a full week. In the following two weeks, they work straight days followed by another week off, and they then rotate back onto the night shift. The pattern then repeats itself. That full, one-week gap of being off before rotating between day and night shifts allows the body to adjust to the changes in their sleeping routines.

However, this system of rotation is unknown to the Philippines call center industry. The call centers there mostly operate at night. The call center facilities servicing the companies in the other side of the world requires its agents to observe the office hours of the countries they are servicing. This means the agents are awake through the nights answering the queries of their client’s clients and catching sleep through the day, when the world outside is busy with the normal day’s chores. 

Photo courtesy Shutterstock
This is an artificial alteration to the human sleeping pattern and might take a dangerous toll on the health of thousands of young Filipinos. The recent testimony of a Harvard-based sleep expert, Dr. Charles Czeisler, in the Michael Jackson (News - Alert) case reminds the whole world of the importance of sleeping at night and the danger of altering that pattern. The Department of Labor and Employment in the Philippines should take a lesson from the case and force call center employers to adopt a more hygienic work schedule for the call center workers. 

The recent hearing on Michael Jackson’s death revealed he spent 60 sleepless nights before he died on June 25, 2009. Dr. Conrad Murray was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for administering Propofol treatments on the legendary singer. The treatment was blamed for causing the singer’s untimely demise. The doctor was hired by the concert promoter, AEG Live.

The report revealed AEG “pressured Dr. Murray to get Jackson to rehearsals” for the scheduled “This is it Concert” that was to start on July 13, 2009 in London.

Propofol was administered on Jackson for 60 consecutive nights before June 22, 2009 reportedly to treat the singer’s insomnia. But according to Czeisler, this kind of treatment does not offer REM (Rapid Eye Movement) – sleep, which is so important for the rejuvenation of brain cells. This kind of artificial coma can be compared to the consumption of cellulose pellets instead of dinner. Just like these pills keep you full without supplying any calorie or nourishment, the Propofol induced sleep makes you feel refreshed but without actually repairing or maintaining your brain cells.

Czeisler, who serves as a sleep consultant to NASA, the CIA and the Rolling Stones pointed out, “Your brain needs sleep to repair and maintain its neurons every night,” and “An adult should get 7-8 hours of sleep each night to allow for enough sleep cycles.”

The testimony of Dr Czeisler should come as an eye-opener for the regulatory bodies in Filipino call center industry. Government agencies should urge employers to adopt a rotation-based work schedule to preserve the mental health and integrity of millions of young Filipinos joining the industry every year.



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