[Everyone] Effects of Desynchronosis

[James B.]

Dear all,

Having recently returned - with Phil - from the Travis County  
International Solutions Conference, I've been noticing the effects of  
jet lag, and have been researching the impact of this on working  
practices during my 3am "wakefulness breaks".

Evans, A., Elliott, A. and Gorman, R., in "Dim nighttime illumination  
accelerates adjustment to timezone travel in an animal model" (Current  
Biology 19 (4), Feb 2009) note that light levels can positively effect  
a speedier return to the local circadian rhythm. Admittedly, the study  
focuses mostly on hamsters, but I thought I might suggest that Pretend  
establish a series of "time rooms" in which light levels are adjusted  
for employees recently returned from different time zones. Properly  
calculated movement through these rooms in the days following long- 
haul travel should greatly increase productivity - as well as, in a  
double benefit, implementing all the benefits of hot desking, as  
previously discussed.

As a relatively new employee of Pretend, could anyone with more  
experience suggest where on campus we could trial these "time rooms"?

Alternatively, a more simple suggestion might be the implementation of  
"Pretend Time", a form of universal (or internet) time, whereby all  
Pretend employees, no matter where they are colocated, operate  
according to the same "time". Following the useful example given by  
the Swatch corporation of Biel, Switzerland, a decimalised time unit -  
fixed on the Pretend meridian running through head office - would  
enable all employees to arrange meetings and conference calls, book  
rooms for visiting guests, and meet worldwide deadlines, without fear  
of common time-based errors - or suffering from jet lag when visiting  
other Pretend offices in different time zones.

I myself will from now on be operating on "Pretend Time" (PT), as a  
form of guinea pig (or, following Messrs Evans, Elliott & Gorman,  
experimental Golden hamster) for new Pretend time practices, pending  
approval. I'll let you know how it goes!

James
[insert job title here]

Sent @ 612 millidays PT 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <#/attachments/20100324/126be6f6/attachment.html>