Did you remember to set your clocks back on Saturday night? If you forgot that it was time to “Fall Back” the clocks on Sunday, chances are you showed up at your office space an hour late. it will still seem dark on your commute, but it will be even darker on that same commute when you adjust to the time change.
Benjamin Franklin first advocated for the practice of Daylight Savings Time in 1784 because he noticed that people used candles at night and slept past dawn in the mornings. Franklin suggested that if work hours were during daylight, people could save money on candle wax, which was costly at the time. He also believed that shifting time by an hour during the summer, people would not sleep through the morning sunlight.
Daylight savings time enacted during World War I, bus was phased out after the war. It was reintroduced during WWII to save energy. But daylight saving does not only save energy, but it also saves lives as our evenings are lighter for longer periods of time so highways are brighter during the drive home.
Adjusting to a one hour time change might seem simple, but to some people take a few days to adjust just like they would from jetlag. This adjustment period could have an effect on the productivity of your small business staff and the way you are able to deliver your services to your customers. while she spring time change is the worst because sleep deprivation is worse on our bodies– the adjustment of an hour is no different one way or the other.
Once the adjustment is made, what are the other effects of Daylight Savings Time on your small business and your employees? Transitions associated with the start and end of Daylight Savings Time can often disturb sleep patterns, and make people restless at night. Not getting enough sleep often results in sleepiness the next day. Sleepiness often leads to a loss of productivity and an increase in “cyberloafing” in which people float around more on the computer instead of working.
Another costs associated with Daylight Savings Time is the increase in on the job injuries and accidents, mainly caused by the fatigue and lack of sleep workers are know to get during this time. People are up later and because of lack of sleep, safety protocols are often overlooked.
Light dictates how much melatonin our bodies produce. When it’s bright out, we make less. When it’s dark, our body ramps up synthesis of this sleep-inducing substance. Just like how jet-lag will make you feel all out of wack, the beginning and end of Daylight Savings Time has the similar effect to just skipping over to one time zone over for a few months.
The debate continues as to if Daylight Savings Time saves businesses money or costs more money. According to an index from Chmura Economics & Analytics, it is suggested that the cost of Daylight Savings Time could be up to $434 million in the U.S. alone. That estimate takes into consideration of the total of all of the health effects and lost productivity that Daylight Savings Time Brings.