Remote Work Time Zone Guide 2026
Find the exact overlap window for your distributed team. US to UK has 5 hours of shared daytime. US East to India has roughly 2 hours. US West to Australia has almost none. This guide shows exactly what works and what requires someone to sacrifice sleep.
Overlap Summary: Every Common Team Combination
The table below shows the daily overlap window where both sides can attend a meeting during standard business hours (9:00 AM to 6:00 PM local time). Times shown are for US winter (standard time). Add one hour to US columns during US daylight saving (March to November). The UK also shifts for British Summer Time (BST), which overlaps largely with US DST.
US East Coast and UK: The Easiest Combo
New York and London have a 5-hour gap in winter and a 4-hour gap in summer (because the US moves its clocks 3 weeks before the UK does). This is the most common remote work pairing and it works well for daily standups and weekly syncs.
Winter (Nov to Mar): 5-hour gap
- 9:00 AM EST = 2:00 PM GMT
- 10:00 AM EST = 3:00 PM GMT
- 11:00 AM EST = 4:00 PM GMT
- 12:00 PM EST = 5:00 PM GMT
- 1:00 PM EST = 6:00 PM GMT (last slot)
Best recurring standup: 9:30 AM EST / 2:30 PM GMT
Spring transition (Mar): 3 weeks at 4-hour gap
- 9:00 AM EDT = 1:00 PM GMT
- 10:00 AM EDT = 2:00 PM GMT
- 1:00 PM EDT = 5:00 PM GMT
- 2:00 PM EDT = 6:00 PM GMT (last slot)
US springs forward 3 weeks before UK. Check calendars in March.
Use the EST to GMT converter to check the exact time difference on any specific date, including those March and October transition weeks.
UK and India: A Practical Combination
India (IST, UTC+5:30) is 5.5 hours ahead of the UK in winter (GMT) and 4.5 hours ahead in UK summer (BST). This creates a clean 3.5-hour morning window for the UK side that lands within India's afternoon.
Use the GMT to IST converter for exact daily times. During UK summer (BST), all GMT columns above shift one hour earlier for the UK side.
US East and India: The Tight Window
The 10.5-hour gap between EST and IST (shrinking to 9.5 hours during US summer EDT) leaves only a narrow usable window. India needs to stay up past evening, and the US East team needs to be in before 11 AM.
Recommended window (US winter, EST)
- 8:00 AM EST = 6:30 PM IST
- 8:30 AM EST = 7:00 PM IST
- 9:00 AM EST = 7:30 PM IST
- 9:30 AM EST = 8:00 PM IST
- 10:30 AM EST = 9:00 PM IST (late)
Recommended window (US summer, EDT)
- 9:00 AM EDT = 6:30 PM IST
- 9:30 AM EDT = 7:00 PM IST
- 10:00 AM EDT = 7:30 PM IST
- 10:30 AM EDT = 8:00 PM IST
- 11:30 AM EDT = 9:00 PM IST (late)
Three-Way Scheduling: US, UK and India Together
Many distributed companies have engineering in India, product in the UK, and leadership in the US. Getting all three on a call requires a narrow window that works for everyone.
The three-way sweet spot (US winter)
New York (EST)
8:30 AM
London (GMT)
1:30 PM
Mumbai (IST)
7:00 PM
This is your optimal three-way meeting time in winter. For US summer (EDT), shift the US column to 9:30 AM EDT for the same 1:30 PM GMT / 7:00 PM IST result.
What to do when you cannot find a three-way slot
- Hold asynchronous standups via Loom, Slack, or written updates rather than live calls
- Use a weekly rotation so the "inconvenient" slot (early US, late India) alternates between teams each week
- For decision-making calls that require all three locations, 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM EST (winter) is the best compromise window
- Keep synchronous calls under 45 minutes to respect whoever is attending outside business hours
US West and Australia: No Natural Overlap
Los Angeles (PDT, UTC-7 in summer) and Sydney (AEST, UTC+10 in summer) are 17 hours apart during Australian winter (May to October) and as close as 15 hours during Australian summer (October to April, when Sydney uses AEDT at UTC+11). There is no window where both sides are within standard 9 AM to 6 PM business hours simultaneously.
LA early morning sacrifice
LA accepts a 7:00 AM PDT call. Sydney gets 11:00 PM or 12:00 AM depending on season. Neither side is comfortable.
Sydney early morning sacrifice
Sydney accepts a 7:00 AM AEST call. LA gets 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM PDT, which is comfortable for LA but very early for Sydney.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time for a daily standup with a US East and UK team?
The best recurring standup time is 9:30 AM EST (2:30 PM GMT) in winter or 9:30 AM EDT (1:30 PM BST) in summer. Both slots fall comfortably within morning US time and afternoon UK time. Keep it to 15 minutes and both sides will find it sustainable.
Does the UK and US time difference change throughout the year?
Yes, it changes twice a year and the gap is not always the same. In winter, the UK (GMT) is 5 hours ahead of US Eastern (EST). But in spring, the US moves its clocks forward about 3 weeks before the UK does. During those 3 weeks, the gap is only 4 hours. After the UK moves to BST in late March, the gap returns to 5 hours and stays there until the US falls back in November. Then for a few weeks it drops to 5 hours again before stabilizing at 5 hours for winter. Track it with the EST to GMT converter.
How do you schedule meetings with a team spread across three continents?
For teams spanning the US, Europe and Asia, there is no single slot that works for everyone during standard business hours. The most effective approach is to hold one weekly synchronous call in the 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM EST window (which is early afternoon in Europe and late evening in India), and default to asynchronous communication for everything else. Record all synchronous meetings and share summaries via text for team members who cannot attend live.
What time zones should remote companies avoid hiring in?
There is no universally "bad" time zone for hiring. The question is whether a specific combination creates enough overlap. US-centric companies often find it difficult to collaborate synchronously with hires in UTC+8 to UTC+12 (East Asia and Australia) during standard work hours. The problem is solvable with async-first culture, but it requires deliberate process design. Most companies that span more than 12 hours of time zone spread shift toward documented, async-by-default workflows.
Check Any Time Zone Overlap Right Now
Use our converter or world clock to find the exact time in any city for your next meeting invite.
Calling India from the US? Read Best Time to Call India from the US for a complete IST overlap table for EST, CST and PST, and the common scheduling mistakes to avoid.