Long Island businesses, experts debate benefits of daylight saving time

Long Islanders may well complain about losing an hour of sleep Sunday as clocks spring forward, but some businesses and experts touted the potential benefits of shifting to daylight saving time while also noting few short-term downsides.

A local brewery and shopping center said they tend to see an increase in foot traffic as shoppers maximize sunlight but researchers said worker productivity and efficiency could take a temporary hit after the time change, set to take effect Sunday at 2 a.m. 

“Any sort of change is going to have an impact. The question is how big is the impact,” said Jadrian Wooten, an economics professor at Virginia Tech.

One way or another, Wooten said, the effects are likely minimal in the grand scheme of an entire year. “You have both pros and cons.” 

'Uptick in foot traffic'

Brick-and-mortar stores told Newsday they've historically seen a bump in shoppers after the time change.

“Longer days mean more visitors for us,” said Lesley Anthony, marketing director for the Tanger Outlets in Riverhead. “With the time change bringing extended daylight shopping hours, we see an uptick in foot traffic in the evenings with shoppers taking the opportunity during that time frame.”

Anthony, who has worked at Tanger for 23 years, said the increase in customers happens like clockwork each year.

The extra sunlight is also one reason the open-air shopping center extends its hours starting at the end of March every year, Anthony said.

Rich Vandenburgh, founder of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, said his brewery’s tasting room benefits from the longer days.

“People seem more likely to stay a little bit longer and not head home quite as early,” said Vandenburgh, who estimated the brewery sees 10% to 15% more in sales after daylight saving kicks in.

A 2017 study by the JPMorgan Chase Institute found that Los Angeles shoppers spent about 3.5% less at retailers and other businesses during the month following the end of daylight saving time in the fall, when clocks are moved back an hour.

'Some decreases in performance'

But the switch to daylight saving could pose some downsides for employers, medical professionals and academics said.

“It is short term, but people are definitely tired, they are less productive," said Dr. Gary Wohlberg, director of Northwell Health’s South Shore University Hospital Sleep Center.

"There is generally an increased rate of absenteeism and some decreases in performance,” Wohlberg said. “We definitely pay a price.”

The adverse effect of daylight saving can last between five and seven days, and can be worse for those entering the time change with insufficient sleep cycles, according to a health advisory from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

“From the sleep perspective it’s a tough period for a week or two,” Wohlberg said.

Andrew Pierce, an assistant professor of accounting with Georgia State University's business college who has researched daylight saving's impact on stock trading efficiency, said the time shift affects productivity, at least in the short term.

Pierce, who examined stock trading activity from 2007 to 2018, said data consistently showed the market was less reactive to the release of major companies' earning news, suggesting that traders weren't as alert to potential surprises in corporate news that would otherwise trigger immediate market movement.

“The stock market is no question less efficient because it takes longer for stock prices to shift," Pierce said. "Probably because investors aren’t on their game."

'Beneficial' for employees

But some office-centric businesses said the time shift doesn't have much of an impact on employees.

“I’ve never seen it become an issue,” said Jami Schultz, senior director and general manager of corporate HR at Canon USA in Melville.

“We all get excited, frankly, as the ‘spring forward’ comes,” Schultz said. “We know that within a couple weeks of daylight saving time that our courtyard will open again so people can take their lunch outside.”

Liz Uzzo, chief human resource officer for Melville-based H2M architects + engineers, said in a statement the transition to daylight saving hasn’t had a noticeable impact on staff in years past.

“While some employees may experience mild fatigue from the loss of an hour of sleep, we have not observed any significant changes in overall morale,” Uzzo said.

“The added daylight in the evenings, however, is generally perceived as beneficial for employee well-being,” she said. “Many of our staff members appreciate the longer days and the arrival of spring, finding it uplifting when 3 p.m. no longer feels like 8 p.m.”