[LEAPSECS] Problem for comparison: workers in multiple time zones

[Gerard Ashton]

In this list, various time problems that people have learned to live 
with without really solving are sometimes mentioned, in order to put the 
leap second problem into perspective. I would like to mention one more.

A company has its employees fill out a time sheet on a computer (or 
equivalently, has a data entry employee enter the data into a computer 
without training said data enterer with clear instructions). The company 
has numerous government and company policies concerning hourly pay, 
overtime, extra compensation for weekends and holidays. The employees 
often travel and get involved in complex situation such as boarding a 
plane in one time zone, work on the plane, and report to work at the 
home office, all in a 24 hour period. The computer time entry programs 
typically do not have a time zone field, and the employees are typically 
given no instructions on how to record time worked in a different time 
zone. In many cases this reflects an absence of company policy on work 
in a different time zone.

I think this is also relevant to those of us who are approaching various 
government-affiliated committees or study groups concerning leap 
seconds. I think it would show a proper sense of perspective to see 
whether government policies on overtime work properly address work in 
multiple time zones, and petitioning the relevant government agencies 
for correction of any deficiencies, before concerning ourselves with 
leap seconds.

Gerry