Last updated: March 2026
Scheduling Across Time Zones
Scheduling meetings across time zones is one of the biggest operational challenges for distributed teams. A 2023 Buffer survey found that 68% of remote workers cite scheduling across zones as their top coordination problem. The math is straightforward for two cities, but with three or more participants in different zones, finding an hour that works for everyone becomes a genuine puzzle.
The fundamental constraint is the overlap between business hours. Standard 9-to-5 working hours across two zones that are 8 hours apart yield exactly one overlapping hour. New York (9 AM - 5 PM EST) and Singapore (9 AM - 5 PM SGT, which is UTC+8) overlap only at 9 AM in Singapore / 8 PM in New York. Add a third city like London and the overlap shrinks even further — or disappears entirely.
Successful distributed teams use several strategies to manage this. Rotating meeting times spread the inconvenience of early or late calls across team members rather than always burdening the same time zone. Some teams designate specific "overlap hours" — perhaps 8 AM to 10 AM Pacific, which catches the end of Europe's day — as the window for synchronous meetings, keeping the rest of the day free for focused work.
Another approach is asynchronous-first communication. Teams at companies like GitLab and Automattic default to written updates, recorded video messages, and collaborative documents, reserving synchronous meetings for decisions that truly require real-time discussion. When a meeting is necessary, they use tools like this planner to find the least disruptive time for all participants.
When using this planner, consider adjusting work hours to reflect reality rather than ideals. If your London teammate is willing to take calls at 7 AM, set their start time accordingly — it may open up an overlap window that doesn't exist with strict 9-to-5 assumptions. The visual timeline makes it immediately clear how each participant's schedule affects the available meeting window.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the meeting planner find the best time?
The planner compares the work hours of all participants across their respective time zones. It identifies the hours where everyone's working hours overlap and recommends the midpoint of that overlap window as the ideal meeting time. You can customize each participant's work hours — for example, if someone works 7 AM to 3 PM instead of the default 9 to 5, the overlap calculation adjusts accordingly.
What if there are no overlapping work hours?
When participants span too many time zones, there may be no overlap during standard business hours. The planner will tell you no overlap was found and suggest adjusting work hour ranges. You can extend one participant's window to include early morning or late evening hours. For extreme cases like New York to Tokyo (13+ hours apart), consider asynchronous communication or rotating meeting times to share the inconvenience.
Can I change the default work hours for a participant?
Yes. Each participant has adjustable work hour start and end times. The default is 9 AM to 5 PM local time, but you can change it to any range. This is useful for team members who work non-standard shifts, part-time schedules, or who are willing to take early or late meetings to accommodate the team.
How many participants can I add?
There is no hard limit. You can add as many cities as you need. The timeline visualization and overlap calculation scale to handle any number of participants. However, the more participants you add across distant time zones, the smaller the overlap window becomes — with more than 4-5 widely spread cities, finding a good meeting time becomes increasingly difficult.
Does the planner account for daylight saving time?
Yes. The planner uses the JavaScript Intl API and IANA timezone database, which automatically apply the correct daylight saving rules for each city. If you're planning a meeting for a date when some cities have shifted to DST and others haven't, the overlap calculation will use the correct offsets for that specific date.