Business hours

Business hours are the hours during the day in which business is commonly conducted. Typical business hours vary widely by country. By observing common informal standards for business hours, workers may communicate with each other more easily and find a convenient divide between work life and home life.

In the United States, the hours between 9 am and 5 pm are typically considered to be standard business hours, although this varies by region due to local tradition and the need to conduct business by telephone with people in other time zones. For instance, business in Chicago is often conducted between 8 am and 4 pm, while in New York City, business hours tend to be later-- for instance, from 9:30 am to 6 pm.

In Mexico the standard business hours are from 9 am to 2 pm and 4 pm to 6 pm.

Other countries have different business hour patterns. Many workers in warmer climates observe siesta during the afternoon, effecting a pause in business hours, and resuming business in the evenings.

Business hours take place on weekdays. The days of the week on which business is conducted also varies from region to region in the world.