A Decimal calendar for business - Keep it Simple
Preamble -
The calendar we use for business today is very complex.
Well, we think it is very simple, just because we are used to the complexities.
When you start doing any calculations based on dates / number of days in a month / and try to arrange any repetitive activities we start seeing the problems.
The idea here is to propose a very simple to use and predictable calendar that will be useful for businesses across the world.
Why Decimal -
The decimal system of calculations makes everything simple, because the number system we use in many other places is decimal. Even when we talk about long term time measurements, we talk about decades and centuries and millenniums which fit in the decimal system.
However there are certain things out of our control. For example we cannot change the number of days in the year. And it’s definitely not a multiple of ten. It’s not even a natural number. So there are certain adjustments required which are unavoidable.
The proposed system is not entirely decimal. As one can find in Wikipedia, there have been earlier attempts to force everything in the power of ten. But they have failed.
More than being perfectly decimal, the proposed system focuses on being simple and predictable.
Is it solar or lunar?
The proposed calendar is neither solar or lunar. In initial days it was necessary to link the calendars with the celestial objects, since that was the only thing which was common throughout. However today we are very well connected, and there is no need to depend on external objects to count days.
However, the concept of one year is based on one solar year. And it is required because seasons are linked with the position of the sun and the months are linked with seasons.
Challenges -
It is tough to make it happen. Any change is difficult. It creates challenges and opportunities. If a careful evaluation shows that the advantages are more than the drawbacks, the change becomes more acceptable.
Also the drawbacks are temporary and short lived. And the advantages are forever.
The current Corona crisis is changing the world in many ways. Many things are already disrupted, and it could be our opportunity to embrace one more change for the long term good.
The proposal -
The proposed calendar is based on convenience for business, and not strictly linked with solar position or anything like that.
So the first day of the new calendar falls on Gregorian January 1st 2020.
So lets say
Gregorian Wednesday January 1st 2020 is the same as Business Wednesday January 1st 2020.
Good start.
Which means
Gregorian Thursday January 2nd 2020 is the same as Business Thursday January 2nd 2020.
Logically following
Gregorian Friday January 3rd 2020 is the same as Business Friday january 3rd 2020.
All right so far so good.
Hold on, now the changes start, slowly but steadily.
Gregorian Saturday January 4th 2020 is the same as Business Monday January 4th 2020.
Yes, the business week has only five days. So Friday is the same as Sunday. And where is Saturday? It has a special meaning, we will see that later. Oh, does that mean I am losing the weekend all together. No holiday? That’s not acceptable. We need a holiday. Which one do you want? Pick between Friday and Sunday. Whatever you pick will be a holiday. It’s the same day, anyway.
The first weekend of the year falls on Business Friday / Sunday January 3rd 2020.
Counting forward -
Business Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday fall on January 5th, 6th and 7th respectively.
Again, Business Friday is on January 8th, which is a weekend holiday.
The same sequence continues upto January 30th, which is on Tuesday.
Pictorially it looks like this -
It may be a bit of a trouble understanding the month layout, since we are used to seven days in a week. Now we have only five.
The beauty really starts here -
Can you check out the calendar for the next month? Next month is February 2020.
Did you? How does it look?
Wow! it looks exactly the same.
Did I say it was simple? This will be incredibly simple once all of us start following.
So keep counting the next few months - January to November. All months have 30 days, and exactly the same calendar.
What names we choose for the months is not important. If it is confusing, we can choose different names. Perhaps a better scheme for naming is available. Feel free to suggest.
We are not done yet. Where is December?
The first eleven months take care of 30 * 11 = 330 days, so the last one has extra burden.
December has a slightly modified calendar. But not very different. -
The extra week in December is called Christmas Week. Only the dates are different, but the days are the same. Isn't it?
And Christmas week comes only in December. Right?
December is the only month having 7 weeks and 35 days.
All of this week qualifies to be a holiday week. Everyone needs it, right?
To accomodate for the leap year, every leap year will have six days in this week, and that is the hidden Saturday.
So, Business Saturday 36th December appears only in a leap year.
That changes the calendar for December 2020 slightly and it looks like this -
I know this looks weird, but we are going to face it only once in four years. Isn’t it?
Any suggestions / ideas here?
Introducing Saturday on a leap year, makes the next year start on the same day.
Year 2021 starts on Business Wednesday January 1st 2021. The same calendar will repeat year after year.
Incredibly simple to follow.
Any business presentation must be followed by a Q&A session. So here is one -
Q. Why does the month start on Wednesday and not on Monday?
A.
Most of the financial activities happen around the 1st or the 15th of the month. Salaries, taxes, interest payments, quarterly closures etc. It is better to keep them in the middle of the week so they do not interfere with our holidays.
Q. Why to merge Friday and Sunday, why not any other days?
A.
Some countries observe Friday as a weekly off, and the rest observe Sunday. By merging the two, the weekly off day for all the countries will coincide without any adjustment.
Q. Many of us are used to two days of holiday in a week, now we are getting only one. Will that reduce the number of holidays?
A
With 53 weeks in a year, we get 106 holidays. With 73 weeks in Business year we get only 77 holidays. That will increase the productive time. Or businesses will get the freedom to choose the remaining 29 holidays. Those can be chosen on Thursdays or Mondays based on requirement.
Q. Some countries observe Daylight Saving. How will it be affected?
A
The Daylight savings will change every year on the same date, twice a year. It changes in the early morning on Sunday, so that will remain unaffected. Having a fixed date for the change every year, will simplify calculations and remembering the dates.
I am sure a lot more questions will come up. Feel free to share your comments, ask questions, and also suggest your answer if any. It’s not about who finds it, it is about making things simpler for everybody in the world.
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