If employees are more than two or three time zones apart, the real time difference has an unavoidable impact. Employees don’t have to spend time wondering if their colleague has begun or ended their work day, and won’t hesitate to ask for their help or get their opinion as a result.Īs effective as an office time zone could be, the reality is that different time zones still exist and will present certain difficulties for employees and businesses. An office time zone ensures that every employee is working during the same time period, making it easier for quick communication. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic greatly accelerated the transition to remote work, communication problems were cited as a major issue by an astonishing 62% of office employees in one survey, and this number simply cannot be allowed to grow while working as part of a remote team. The ability to ask questions, seek clarification and listen to other opinions only improves the work completed by each individual employee. An office that emphasises communication is one that encourages collaboration and openness between colleagues at all levels. Instead of break times taking place over the course of a couple hours, everyone is back to work at the same times and ready to collaborate.Ĭommunication is the key to a productive and supportive work environment. For many sales-based companies, lunch breaks already occur at the same times, and productivity can be boosted by keeping this policy in place. An office time zone will make it simpler to have synchronized breaks, meaning everyone is away from their work stations at the same time. Even breaks as short as 10 minutes in length have positive benefits and should be encouraged. These periods of rest give employees time to rest and recharge, improving work performance, productivity and well-being. With everyone working during the same time period, it approximates the feeling of the office, where collaboration and support can be spontaneous and constant.īreaks are an important part of the work day. Company leaders should do everything they can to make it easier for employees to work together and collaborate. The office time zone is one way to maintain a sense of the workplace community, even as employees work in seperate locations. A workplace community with a strong corporate culture takes time to develop and effort to maintain, and many leaders fear that the transition to remote work in a virtual office will mean losing this community. Teamwork does, after all, make the dream work. There are several pros and cons to creating an office time zone for a remote workplace.Įstablishing a strong work community must be a priority for a business. This is a big decision for a company to make, as it will have a ripple effect on a business’s ability to complete tasks, produce work and interact with clients. The idea is that it replicates the schedule of a traditional office in a virtual setting for remote workers.

Employees in the Atlantic Time Zone will start at 10 AM AST.Employees in the Eastern Time Zone will start at 9 AM EST.Employees in the Central Time Zone will start at 8 AM CST.

Every employee begins and ends work at the same time, adjusted for their time zone. One type of scheduling that can be of use in a remote workplace is establishing an office time zone.Īn office time zone is a policy for scheduling remote workers in a virtual office. Managing and working with employees not only in different locations, but even different time zones is now a daily reality for many leaders and employees. The past six months has seen an unprecedented shift to remote work for necessary reasons, leaving many businesses trying different formats and schedules to see what works best for them. Remote work and international recruitment were already growing trends for companies in multiple industries and fields. Look for your perfect career match with the Jobillico job search!

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