Many older workers seem to be morning people, finding the early part of the day their most productive time, according to the employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., which studied the work force of people 55 and older.

Studies show that we often require less sleep as we age, and many people adopt an “early to bed, early to rise” schedule as they get older. So Challenger Gray suggests early risers might want shifts starting at 6:30 a.m. because at that hour, there are fewer calls, meetings and distractions, allowing workers to focus on their tasks.

The Chicago-based firm notes that early work hours could have an impact on the wider economy – West Coast companies serving East Coast clients sooner, higher worker productivity, and more free leisure hours in the evenings.

Corporate risk

Some CEOs say the legislative response to business scandals is making companies more averse to engaging in risky behavior.

In a survey of 182 U.S. chief executives, 68 percent said they see corporations behaving more cautiously because of risk and nearly half, 44 percent, said this is true at their own companies.

Forty percent said the business environment is riskier than it was even a year ago, and about half complained about too much regulation.

Eighty-five percent of CEOs said they’ll meet or beat income targets this year.

The seventh annual survey was conducted last fall by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

AP-ES-02-03-04 2206EST