How to Schedule Across Multiple Time Zones

Scheduling meetings across multiple time zones feels impossible until you do the maths. London is 8 hours ahead of San Francisco and 7 hours behind Singapore. That 15-hour spread means there's no time that feels good for everyone — but there's usually a window that's tolerable for all three. This guide shows you how to schedule across multiple time zones without accidentally booking anyone in for midnight.

The Problem: Why Global Time Zones Are Harder Than You Think

When you're organising a meeting across two time zones, it's annoying. Across three or more, it becomes a logistics puzzle.

London is GMT+0 (or GMT+1 during British Summer Time, March to October). San Francisco is UTC-8 (or UTC-7 during daylight saving). Singapore is UTC+8, year-round. That's a 15-hour difference between London and Singapore during winter, 16 hours during summer (because the UK and US both shift but Singapore doesn't).

You could just pick a time and ask someone to join at 6 AM or 11 PM. But if you do that regularly, you're burning out your earliest and latest risers. The goal is to rotate the pain — sometimes it's slightly inconvenient for everyone, rather than terrible for someone.

Our time zone converter handles daylight saving transitions automatically, so you don't have to remember when the US or UK shifts. But understanding the mechanics helps you anticipate problems.

Understanding Time Zone Offsets and Daylight Saving

Every time zone is defined by its offset from UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). London during winter is UTC+0. During British Summer Time (BST), it becomes UTC+1. Most of the Northern Hemisphere shifts for daylight saving, but the dates don't align — the UK, US, and EU all change on different weeks in March and October.

This creates a 2–3 week window in March when the US has shifted but the UK hasn't, compressing or widening the gap. Singapore, being near the equator, doesn't shift at all — the sun rises and sets at roughly the same time year-round, so there's no productivity benefit to shifting clocks.

The IANA Time Zone Database is the authoritative source. It's used by almost every calendar system, phone OS, and scheduling tool to automatically handle DST transitions and future timezone changes. For more details on why different regions shift at different times, Wikipedia's article on daylight saving time has comprehensive background.

The key takeaway: don't try to calculate this in your head. Use a tool.

If you're coordinating across multiple time zones regularly, check the daylight saving calendar before you schedule a recurring meeting — you may find your "9 AM London time" call lands at a different local time for your San Francisco team after the spring shift.

Finding the Overlap: Working Hours in Each Zone

The simple rule: find the hours when every location is within working time.

Let's say you need a 1-hour call with teams in London, New York, and Singapore. Working hours are 9 AM–6 PM in each city.

London: 9 AM–6 PM = UTC 9:00–18:00 (winter) or 8:00–17:00 (summer, because London is UTC+1)
New York: 9 AM–6 PM EST = UTC 14:00–23:00 (winter) or 13:00–22:00 (summer, EDT)
Singapore: 9 AM–6 PM = UTC 1:00–10:00 (always; no DST)

Overlapping window (winter): UTC 14:00–17:00 (2–5 PM London, 9 AM–12 PM New York, 10 PM–1 AM Singapore)

Singapore's team is working well past midnight. That's not sustainable for daily calls.

If you rotate the time:

Some calls at 7–8 AM London (3–4 PM Singapore, still in office; 2–3 AM New York — painful)
Some calls at 8–9 AM London (4–5 PM Singapore; 3–4 AM New York — still painful)
Some calls at 4–5 PM London (12–1 AM Singapore, 11 AM–12 PM New York)

There's no perfect time. The strategy is rotation: don't always ask the same person to dial in at midnight.

Our time zone converter makes this quick to check. Plug in London, New York, and Singapore; input your proposed time in London, and see what time it lands in the other zones instantly. No mental maths, no mistakes.

The Practical Strategy: 4 Steps to Scheduling Global Teams

Step 1: List Your Locations and Their Working Hours. Write down each location and its time zone offset from UTC. Include whether daylight saving is currently active. Update this every March and October.

Step 2: Calculate the Overlap Window. Input your locations into our time zone converter and find the hours when every location is within "reasonable" working time (9 AM–6 PM, or 7 AM–8 PM if you're flexible). You might find there is no perfect overlap. That's normal — proceed to step 3.

Step 3: Rotate Meeting Times. If a meeting must happen outside standard working hours for some attendees, rotate whose late night or early morning it is. If your Singapore team is always joining at midnight, you're not rotating — you're asking them to sacrifice. Use a shared calendar (Google Calendar, Outlook) that shows multiple time zones. When you propose a meeting, attendees see the time in their local zone automatically. No one accidentally joins an hour early or late.

Step 4: Build Flexibility Into Asynchronous Communication. For decisions that don't require everyone present, use email or Slack threads instead of meetings. Record decisions and share the video. Give people 24 hours to comment before finalizing. Fewer but better-scheduled synchronous meetings mean less pain overall.

Tools That Handle Multiple Time Zones Automatically

Time Zone Converter — Input your proposed meeting time and see it translated instantly across all your locations
Date and Time Difference Calculator — If you need to find the best date for a multi-timezone meeting (e.g. "when in the next 2 weeks can we all meet between 8 AM and 6 PM?"), work backwards from your deadline
Calendar apps with timezone support — Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, and Apple Calendar all show times in multiple zones if you add them as separate calendars
Time management guide — Print a timezone reference chart and stick it next to your desk if you're scheduling global meetings regularly

The calculator does the maths so you don't have to. Bookmark the time zone converter for your next global meeting.

Common Mistakes People Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Forgetting daylight saving. The US, UK, and EU shift on different dates. If you schedule a recurring meeting in February, check whether it still works after March (US) and late March (UK/EU) when clocks shift.

Only thinking about "working hours." Some people have school runs at 8 AM or 5 PM. Some prefer asynchronous communication. Ask your team where their flexibility (or inflexibility) lies. Don't assume everyone is free 9–5.

Assuming the same person can always take the awkward slot. If your San Francisco team member is always joining at 5 PM London (1 AM SF), they'll burn out or leave. Rotate.

Not using a tool. Calculating time zones in your head is how people schedule meetings at the wrong time. Use our time zone converter. It's free and takes 10 seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What's the maximum number of time zones you can effectively coordinate across?

A: Three, comfortably. Four or more and there's usually no time that works for everyone within standard working hours. At that point, you either rotate meeting times heavily, accept that one team is always outside 9–6, or rely on asynchronous communication (Slack, email, recorded videos). The time zone converter helps you see exactly which times work for your specific locations.

Q: How do I know when daylight saving will change the time for my team?

A: The US shifts on the second Sunday of March and first Sunday of November. The UK/EU shifts on the last Sunday of March and October. They don't align — there's usually a 1–3 week gap where the times are different. Singapore never shifts. Our daylight saving guide explains the exact dates each year. Set a calendar reminder for mid-March and late October to check whether your recurring meeting times need updating.

Q: Is there a time zone that's "easier" to work from if you're coordinating global teams?

A: London and Singapore are surprisingly well-positioned. London sits roughly in the middle of the European and US time zones, and has reasonable overlap with Singapore during morning and evening hours. If you're hiring globally and want flexibility, UTC±2 hours (UK, Western Europe, West Africa) is the sweet spot. That said, your team is where your team is — the point is to rotate inconvenience rather than avoiding it.

Q: How many hours apart can two time zones be?

A: Up to 14 hours (e.g. New Zealand and parts of North America). Use the time zone converter to check any pair instantly rather than trying to remember.

Q: Can I use a scheduling tool to find the best time automatically?

A: Tools like Calendly, Doodle, and Google Calendar can show multiple time zones and find overlaps, but they still show "available" times — you need to manually confirm those times work for everyone. The time zone converter speeds up that manual check. There's no substitute for asking "is 8 AM London time okay for your team?" and getting a clear answer.

Q: What if one of my team members is in a time zone with no standard UTC offset (because of an ongoing DST situation)?

A: A few countries change their time zone offset mid-year or have inconsistent DST rules. Use the IANA Time Zone Database (which your calendar app relies on) rather than calculating the offset yourself. The database is updated regularly with rule changes. If you're working with someone in an unusual zone, ask them directly what their local time is for your proposed meeting time.

Q: Should I ever schedule a meeting outside working hours?

A: Yes, sometimes. If it's a one-off 30-minute standup and there's no overlap, someone might reasonably volunteer to dial in early or late. But make it explicit, thank them, and rotate. Never assume the same person will always do it.