Legal Definitions - artificial day

An artificial day refers to a specific period of time that is formally defined by law, contract, or regulation to function as a "day" for a particular legal or operational purpose. This defined period may not correspond to a natural 24-hour calendar day or the period of daylight. It is considered "artificial" because it is a human-made construct, established to provide clarity and precision in specific contexts, such as calculating obligations, deadlines, or work periods.

• Example 1: Employment Contracts

  A collective bargaining agreement for airline pilots might define a "duty day" as a maximum 14-hour period, including flight time, ground duties, and layovers, within which a pilot can be scheduled to work. This "duty day" begins when the pilot reports for duty and ends when they are released.

  This 14-hour "duty day" is an artificial day because it is a specific, contractually defined timeframe that serves as a unit for measuring a pilot's work obligations and rest requirements, distinct from a standard 24-hour calendar day.

• Example 2: Construction Project Timelines

  A construction contract for a new building specifies that "working days" for calculating project milestones and potential penalties for delays are defined as Monday through Friday, from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, excluding public holidays.

  Here, the "working day" is an artificial day. It's a precisely delineated 10-hour period, established by contract, that serves as the basis for measuring progress and adherence to the construction schedule, rather than a full 24-hour day or simply any period of daylight.

• Example 3: Financial Market Regulations

  A stock exchange's rules define a "trading day" as the period from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, during which securities can be bought and sold. Any transactions initiated outside these hours are processed during the next official trading day.

  This "trading day" is an artificial day because it is a regulatory construct, specifically defining the hours when official market activity occurs. It is a fixed period, shorter than a 24-hour day, created to govern the operations and settlement of financial transactions.