Clarity is one of the most important elements of running a successful business. That transparency and precision become much harder when operating a remote, diverse team, especially one that spans multiple countries and time zones.

A smart way to tackle potential missteps is to get everyone on the same page regarding time. An easy starting point is shifting from a 12-hour clock to a 24-hour option using a military time converter. By shifting to 24 hours in your notes for meetings and more, you reduce the chance someone mixes up AM and PM.

This guide will examine the benefits of using a military time converter, note some available options, and review how the change works and can support your team.

Military time, also known as the 24-hour clock, is a timekeeping system that eliminates confusion between AM and PM. Unlike the 12-hour clock format, there’s no repetition of numbers.

A core benefit is that everyone can see and understand the time of something at a glance. You no longer have to look for that AM or PM notation. In a remote world, this is especially helpful because not all displays prominently note AM or PM. That means it’s easier to create confusion and miss something.

Military time is commonly used in the military, health care, transportation, and other industries where precise timing is critical. There are also eighteen countries that use a 24-hour clock. By adopting military time, you can eliminate miscommunication and avoid errors that could cost your business time and money.

It’s also a smart way to simplify time tracking when calculating payroll hours.

As you consider moving to a 24-hour clock, you’ll also need to think about what time zone to base your timekeeping in for easier use. That way, when you work with a military time converter tool, everyone is still on the same page.

Most businesses will use the time zone of their headquarters to set their military time, though you can also use the central point of a time zone system like UTC. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the successor to GMT and simplifies conversions by giving everyone the same reference point.

If you like the military feeling of switching to military time, you can also adopt the language of military time zones. Each time zone gets a letter of the alphabet to make coordinating easier. The time zone Z, or Zulu, corresponds to UTC+0 — or UTC with no offset.

Setting the time zone and sharing that with everyone ensures your team knows when 13 o’clock occurs and can be on time for your next event.

24-hour clocks keep projects flowing, meetings running on time, and communication more timely. Every second counts — sometimes even the slightest miscommunication can result in costly mistakes.

The risk is if you're not used to this system, it can feel confusing and time-consuming. This is why a military time converter app can be a game-changer for your business.

If you're not used to working with military time, converting between 12-hour and 24-hour format can seem time-consuming. If it disrupts your day or service, you and your team members will likely ask if it’s worth it.

Manually figuring out the hours, minutes, and seconds could lead to errors — and defeats the purpose of trying to keep timezone conversions to a minimum. This is where a military time converter app comes in. Not only does it save time, but it also eliminates the risk of calculation errors.

One of the most important aspects of successful change management is helping people believe that a new development (like switching to a military time converter) is useful and helpful to them.

So, what are the advantages of adopting military or 24-hour time calculations? Your business can expect a significant number of benefits, according to the U.S. Army:

• Reduces errors in timekeeping and payments

• Easily understand if something is during the day or at night across time zones

• Less confusion over time for meetings, events, and due dates

• Simpler communication across multiple time zones

• Reduced risk of mistakes as people travel across time zones

• Improved accuracy of documentation

• Gets your teams all on the same schedule — especially for areas like software development that traditionally use 24-hour clocks

Advice on using military time more effectively

While the military time format can be useful for businesses, it's not necessarily appropriate for all situations. For example, if you're communicating with clients or customers who are not familiar with the military time format, it could lead to confusion and misunderstandings. Generally, it's best to use military time for internal communication where all team members are familiar.

How a military time converter app saves time and money

To use a military time converter app, you only need to input the time you want to convert, and the app will take care of calculating the exact hours and minutes. It's that simple. This feature is handy for remote teams who work across different time zones. Using a military time converter app ensures everyone is on the same page and eliminates the need to convert multiple times.

That translates directly into monetary savings by eliminating waste. You no longer have people missing meetings or making a follow-up sales call outside the prospect’s working hours. Your team also completes projects and makes timely presentations so customers never have to wait.

Your savings will vary. However, the more mistakes a 24-hour clock converter can eliminate, the greater the potential for savings or generating more revenue through improved sales team responsiveness.

The time savings go hand-in-hand with protecting revenues because you’ll have fewer missed and rescheduled meetings and calls. There’s also less time spent sending out those follow-up emails to recap for someone who couldn’t make a call.

Hubstaff is not associated with any specific military time converter app, tool, or website outside of the 24-hour setting within our own Hubstaff app.

However, in our research, these are some common options that you may consider for your business:

• Calculate Hours. Free military time to regular time converter

• iConvert Military Time. 24-hour clock converter for iOS

• Military Time Converter +Chart. Military time converter app for Android devices

• Savvy Time's Time Zone Converter. Chrome extension that includes 24-hour to military time converter

• World Clock Pro. Mac and iOS app with 24-hour clock converter support

• The Time Now. A web-based military time converter with hours and minutes options in a variety of formats

• Time and date. Another web-based option with a military time to regular time converter that lists both options and lets you convert time using multiple locations

Also, please note that many operating systems allow you to set a specific time and format. For Windows Calendar users, the “Clock and Region” setting enables a 24-hour format.

The good news about almost all of these tools is that they also have military time to regular time converter settings. That means you and your team can convert as needed in either direction.

This is great for checking the time of a meeting against a non-work conflict like a doctor’s appointment or school pickup time on a personal calendar that isn’t set to the same military time.

Hubstaff makes it easy for you and your team to set up military time within our platform. To change your format, follow these quick steps.

Step 1

• Click on the menu with your avatar icon at the top right.

• Click “User settings & billings.”

STEP 2

• Click the SETTINGS tab on the right side of the page.

• Scroll down to TIME FORMAT and select one of the two “24-hour” options. These choices either display or hide the seconds.

• Enjoy your simpler time!

Learn more about your date and time format options on our support page.

Even if you use military time converters, it's helpful for business owners to be familiar with the basics of military time. To convert between 12-hour and 24-hour format, add 12 to any time after 12:59 PM. You don’t need to adjust any time before that.

For example, 2 PM would be 1400 in military time, while 11 PM would be 2300. Thankfully, 1 AM is 0100 in military time — think of this as 01:00 while you get used to the conversion.

Note that the military time format typically doesn’t use a colon, so it’s written out as 2300. Some 24-hour clocks may use one and write the time as 23:00.

With practice, you can make changes quickly and accurately. Here’s a detailed chart to help you see the conversions as you learn:

Military time is a valuable option for remote business owners, but it can be time-consuming and confusing to make the switch without the right tools.

Use a military time converter app to save time and eliminate errors while ensuring that everyone in your team is on the same page. By following our tips and resources, you can smoothly transition to military time and enjoy its benefits. It’s an intelligent way to help everyone have their most enjoyable and productive day at work.