If you want fewer scheduling fights, adopt one rule: define reasonable local hours and reject any slot outside the band. Most “5am calls” happen because teams pick a time that looks fine in one place and never check the other side.
The rule
Pick a local-hours band (for example 08:00–18:00), then only schedule meetings whose start and end are inside the band for every required attendee.
Why start and end both matter
A meeting that starts at 7:30pm local and runs 60 minutes ends at 8:30pm. If your “no later than 8pm” policy only checks the start time, you’ll still create bad experiences. Treat the meeting as an interval.
How to apply the rule with TimeZoneMeet
- Open Schedule.
- Enter the two cities (pick from suggestions to match the right country).
- Set the meeting duration.
- Pick a suggested slot that keeps both cities inside your band.
For quick spot-checks, you can also use the main Lookup tool to confirm each city’s current local time.
What if there’s no overlap?
- Rotate: alternate who takes the late/early slot (see rotation guide).
- Reduce the live requirement: record and summarize; keep live meetings rare.
- Split the meeting: two smaller meetings with a handoff can be better than one global meeting at a terrible time.
Mini-FAQ
What’s a good default band? 8am–6pm is common; global teams sometimes stretch to 7am–8pm.
Does DST change the overlap? Yes; re-check around DST seasons (see DST guide).
How do I write the time? Use a city or UTC, not ambiguous abbreviations (see abbreviation guide).