Technology has always been a valuable asset for improving employee productivity and cutting operating costs.

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It was with these goals in mind that the Home Office issued its employees the piece of hardware shown above in the 1970s.

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Back then, long distance telephone rates could run anywhere from 50 cents to more than a dollar per minute, depending on the time of day and the callers' locations. Because of this, limiting the length of employees' phone calls was a cost-cutting business priority.

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The hourglass was a simple and effective way to track the length of a call. When an employee answered the phone, they would turn over the hourglass; when the sand ran out, it was time to end the call.

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