Q: Why does WST start on Saturday?
A: Worldwide adoption of WST is predicated upon successful pilot projects in smaller communities. Starting WST on Saturday means people operating under WST enjoy an extended weekend and a truncated Monday, while still living Tuesday through Friday at the same rate as the rest of the world. This process both makes scheduling easier for non-WST communities and creates a ready comparison for how much the human experience is improved under WST.
Q: Do employers pay for the missing hour under WST?
A: Employers should follow their DST policies. Some employers do opt to pay for the ‘missing’ hour under DST, while others do not. Under WST, the hour does not exist and would likely not be paid. Likewise, an employee working on Saturday would be paid twice for the two hours from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Q: Doesn’t this process play havoc with payroll software?
A: Not at all. Payroll software is already designed to handle DST in most parts of the world. This is an identical process. Software engineers will likely enjoy having an actual needed feature to work on, rather than having to come up with their own ideas. (Note: Never say this to an actual software engineer.)
Do you have a burning question about WST? Send us your question at WeeklightSavingsTime@gmail.com, or just buy a t-shirt.