What Is Close of Business (COB)?
Business communications regularly include acronyms to help the sender quickly type frequently used language. cob today
Employees and other business professionals frequently use the term close of business to communicate the end of a traditional work day. This article defines close of business and explains when and how to use it in professional communications.
What is close of business?
COB is an acronym for “close of business,” which is the end of the business day. Most companies base COB hours on traditional U.S. business closing hours of 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Stock markets use COB when referring to the time financial markets close. cob today

Differences between COB and EOD
EOD means “end of day” and refers to the end of the business day in the sender’s time zone. For example, if a manager in Kansas emails a remote employee in Florida asking for a task due at EOD, the task would be due at the end of the day in their time zone, which would be 5 pm. Central Standard Time. While they’re both referring to the end of the business day, COB always means end of the business day in the Eastern Standard Time zone. cob today

Why do companies use acronyms in communication?
Businesses use abbreviations to efficiently communicate with clients or employees. If a manager regularly assigns deadlines to employees, acronyms make it easier to quickly specify due dates. Clients also use acronyms to notify employees of meeting dates or project deadlines to save time typing whole sentences.

What is a business day?
A business day is the traditional hours of operation between the weekdays, which is Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. When mentioning business day hours, the companies sending the email are usually referring to their own time zone, unless they’re using the phrase “close of business.” Business days always apply to traditional work days and hours. For example, many business professionals don’t consider Saturday a business day, even if a business is open then. cob today

When to use COB in the workplace
Sometimes, you need to clarify a specific time with clients or employees if they’re unsure of the acronym or your time zone. Use COB for existing clients and employees you’ve already clarified the meaning of “COB” with. Use the acronym “COB” when:
• Giving an employee a deadline
• Requesting projects or actions from clients by the end of the business day in Eastern Standard Time. cob today
How to use COB in the workplace
Correctly using the acronym “COB” at work depends on who you’re speaking to and where they’re located. Here are examples for how to use COB in the workplace:

Local client
For local clients, use COB when describing a deadline for a project or important task in an email. Here’s an example:
Hello Mr. Johnson,
I am following up from our marketing meeting and notifying you of additional details we would need from you: cob today
• Budget estimation for upcoming projects
• Contact information for your human resources director
Setting deadlines for employees
If you’re sending a list of tasks to employees due at the end of several business days, COB helps save time writing whole sentences. cob today
• Prepare financial reports: due Tuesday COB
• Create profit report presentation: due Thursday COB
• Sort through and organize company financial records: due Friday COB