Why your calendar app lies about availability across timezones

Your calendar says you're both free at 2pm. You send the invite. Your teammate in Tokyo accepts, then messages you: "That's 3am for me—can we reschedule?"

This happens because calendar apps show availability in your timezone, not theirs. They don't account for working hours, local holidays, or the simple fact that "free" doesn't mean "awake and ready to work." When your team spans continents, this gap between what the tool shows and what's actually possible becomes a constant source of friction.

The three lies your calendar tells

Lie #1: "Free" means available
A calendar slot marked "free" only means there's no event scheduled. It doesn't know if that person works 9–5 or 2–10pm. It doesn't know if they're on call, in deep work mode, or simply unavailable during their local evening.

Lie #2: Timezone conversion is enough
Converting 2pm EST to 3am JST is math, not context. The conversion tells you when but not whether that time works. Your teammate might be available at 3am for emergencies, but not for a planning session.

Lie #3: DST changes are handled automatically
Calendar apps update when clocks change, but they don't warn you that your carefully planned overlap window just shrank by an hour. The meeting you scheduled in October might break in March when daylight saving shifts.

What you actually need

To schedule across timezones, you need to see:

• Each person's actual working hours (not just calendar events)
• The real overlap window where everyone is awake and working
• How that overlap changes with DST shifts
• Which times are reasonable vs. which require someone to work odd hours

This is why teams that work well across timezones use a shared view that shows everyone's availability side-by-side. Not just converted times, but actual working hours overlaid on a single timeline.

The fix: see it live

Create a shared board on timezoners.com (also available at timezones.com) with your team's timezones and working hours. You'll see the overlap instantly—the hours where everyone is actually available, not just technically free. The live view updates automatically as DST changes, so your carefully planned windows don't break silently.

When you can see everyone's availability on one screen, scheduling becomes obvious. You know immediately if a time works for everyone or if you're asking someone to join at 11pm. You can spot when your overlap window shrinks and adjust before it becomes a problem.

Your calendar app is great for blocking time. But for global teams, you need a tool that shows the truth: when people are actually working, not just when their calendar is empty.