SADDLE BROOK, NJ (April 2, 2004) – If you’ve been working so hard that you’ve forgotten what the sun looks like, things should be getting brighter. Daylight Saving Time begins for most of the United States at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday of April, when we gain an hour of late-day sunshine. According to a recent Ajilon Finance poll of American workers, the top five activities selected for spending the extra hour of daylight are:

1. Catching up with family and friends (43%)
2. Exercising (16%)
3. Running errands and catching up on bills (11%)
4. Just keep working that extra hour (9%)
5. Clean the house (4%)

As indicated by Americans’ number one choice for spending an extra hour of daylight, it seems that American workers may feel pressured to spend more time at work and less time with the people they love.

“Americans work hard and often compromise on things that are important to them,” said Neil Lebovits, president and chief operating officer of Ajilon Finance. “It’s no surprise that most companies are producing more with less staff. With the amount of hours people are putting in at work, it’s more important then ever that employers find ways to offer employees more flexibility in work hours and vacation schedules. When this happens everyone wins because the happier a person is outside of work, the happier they will be at work.”

How would Americans use the extra hour if they were forced to use it outside the office? Nearly half of American workers (42%) indicated they would prefer to save these hours up and have an extra day off every month, while about one-third (30%) said they would cut out of work earlier. Very few (9%) would choose to put off coming to work an hour later.

“No single schedule works for everyone,” explained Lebovits. “People are busy and have different lives and different needs. Some need long lunches and others need to spend every other Friday with their children. Even when there is a lot of work to be done, compromising and accommodating different schedules can actually lead to increased productivity because it allows people to relieve stress outside of work and be more engaged during working hours.”

“We believe Daylight Saving Time this year is a great opportunity for employers to rejuvenate their staff in simple ways — for example, letting people choose one day this week to take off an hour early or arrive an hour late. Where morale is concerned, a little giving can go a long way.”

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