Soaking Up Summer

Clocking Off Early on Fridays for Daylight Savings

Known in Europe as summer time, daylight savings is practiced in approximately 70 countries around the world. Simply shifting clocks forward one hour for the summer months give us an extra hour of daylight in the afternoons.

The concept was first introduced in England as a way to conserve fuel during World War I.

Australia adopted the method in both world wars, with Tasmania becoming the first state to permanently introduce the plan in 1968. New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory followed in 1971.

“Summer is like a religion in Australia, and it’s one of the things I found most interesting when I moved here,” said Greishma Singh, brand manager at Coke’s Sydney office, of her daylight saving experience.

Greishma is one of many staff at Coke’s Australian offices taking advantage of the extra daylight hours.

As part of a focus on work/life balance, Coca‑Cola Australia has adopted flexible working hours during the summer months with staff allowed to finish at 3pm on Friday.

“Summer is already so incredible in Sydney and summer hours make it just that extra bit better,” said Greishma. “It’s great how that extra few hours make every weekend feel so much longer – I love it!”

The initiative is part of the Coke Life Program that encourages more balance between professional and personal life.

“Personally I think this is a great initiative, and it feels like these few hours extend the weekend significantly,” said Ivan Smeets, Human Resources Director at Coke.  

For Group Marketing Manager Dianne Everett, the extra hours in the week are a chance to encourage her kids to get some Vitamin D and get out and about on their bikes. It also provides some extra time to indulge in one of her favourite summer activities.

“The best thing about summer is my husband cooking barbecues for dinner,” Dianne said.

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