SURVEY SAYS: “Springing Forward” and Work Productivity

Last week, I asked NewsDash readers, “Does ‘springing forward’ reduce your work productivity, and how much time does it take for you to get back to normal?”

An equal number of responding readers (30.9% each) said springing forward does not reduce their work productivity and that it does so “a little.” Two in ten (21.4%) indicated it reducing their work productivity somewhat, while 11.9% said it does “a lot.” But, 4.8% reported that springing forward actually increases their work productivity.

Asked how much time it takes for them to get back to normal after springing forward, the majority of respondents (52.4%) said a couple of days to one week, and 19% said one week to one month. However, 16.7% reported they have no issues adjusting to the time change. On the extremes, 7.1% said they would be adjusted after just one day, while 4.8% said it would take more than one month.

Among readers who left comments, there was strong support for ending Daylight Savings Time. One reader likened the feeling after springing forward to jet lag. However, quite a few like the additional daylight after work. Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said: “I love the extra sun after work and even though I’ll be a bit crabby on Monday, it’s worth it in the end.”

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey!

Verbatim

The usefulness of Daylight Savings Time has come to an end. It should be eliminated!

I wish daylight savings time was abolished.

It messes with the routine you were on, so your entire rhythm is off.

Daylight savings time is outdated. Leave the clocks alone!!

an extra hour of sleep is always preferable!

I don’t have time to let it reduce my productivity!

I start work at 6am Monday-Wednesday (get up at 4:30 with a loooong commute). Every week is a new struggle. I was just getting used to having some daylight toward the end of my drive. Not looking forward to the dark drive on Monday — Ugh!

It’s a ridiculous waste of time. The original justification for the change–energy savings from lighting–no longer applies. We should dispense with this anachronism.

I drag a little more than is usual for a Monday after the clocks move ahead.

My only issue is getting the clocks of my elderly parents, who live in another state, changed to the correct time.

Eliminate Daily Light Savings. It’s a waste of energy and costs millions.

Statistically there are more accidents after the spring time change. As I get older it takes me longer to adjust. Standard time is only about 4 months long now. I wish we’d stay on DST all year long. Yes, there’s the darkness in the morning issue for kids traveling to school, but many schools have adopted later starting times anyway, so it’s dark for the after school commute. The whole process is a useless exercise that should be done away with, in my opinion.

We should just eliminate Daylight Saving Time. It no longer serves any useful purpose.

I hate it. And in California, it is ridiculous to do it. We should be like Arizona.

Is it time already to get rid of daylight savings? We’re long past an agrarian society, and most ag is now big business. Let us enjoy our early mornings!!

Aughghghghggh! Hate it! Never really adjust. My body gives a big sigh of relief in fall when we can go back to normal.

We should move it forward & leave it. Florida is taking the lead & keeping it year round. I would like to see Texas follow. It feels like we have more hours in the day. The only other option would be to adjust our working hours.

I love the extra sun after work and even though I’ll be a bit crabby on Monday, it’s worth it in the end.

Hate losing an hour of sleep!

So many people are drama queens about how it affects them. A friend once said it takes them over two weeks to adjust to the change. It took all my willpower to not roll my eyes. This same friend handled jet lag without a problem on a trip to Europe.

Good grief. Why is this a problem for anybody?

If we’re going to keep do it, why not make it on Friday night/Saturday morning? Some of us go to church on Sunday morning.

It’s like having jet lag. I’m definitely not springing in the morning. Plus it’ll now be dark again (for a while) when the alarm goes off to wake up!

the more sunshine the better!

I hate losing the hour of sleep, but I welcome getting home and the sun is still up. That means that summer is just around the corner.

Talk about a regulation that needs eliminating, this is it. This changing of the clocks is a throwback (read Ben Franklin’s original paper on the subject) and seems to serve absolutely no purpose in today’s world. Time to move on.

It is more of a pain than one would expect for only a 1-hour change. It seems easier when I travel to another time zone than when we change the clocks at home, for some strange reason.

I can take it or leave it. It messes with my sleep patterns for a brief period, which is annoying though. It’s hard enough sometimes to get a decent night’s sleep. Where I live in the upper Midwest, it provides perceptible daylight late into the evening during the summer, which is nice for outdoor activities when the weather is nicer.

I love the longer hours of sunlight and being able to leave the office before it gets dark. I may work longer hours but I feel better

It makes no sense and it surely is not worth the lost productivity – must be a conspiracy from coffee purveyors – they are the only ones who profit from this action.

I love having day light after dinner! It gives me more incentive to do something in the evening other than watching TV, even if it is just sitting on my patio and getting some fresh air.

Move them ahead and leave them. I do not like the fall back part each fall.

I like it just as little as I like moving the clocks back an hour.

I don’t understand the purpose of the “spring forward” and “fall back”. I would be a supporter of abandoning the idea of daylight savings time.

I think this whole moving clocks thing is crazy stupid. It supposedly saves energy, but the studies all refute that (i’ve seen some that suggest it actually costs more), and there are any number of reports that suggest it costs LIVES. STOP THE MADNESS!!!!

All this time changing is ridiculous especially since there are states and even counties and cities that don’t observe it. You never know what time it is! I wish the government would just put an end to it once and for all.