Global Business Hours Reference
Typical office hours, lunch customs, and when not to call partners across regions.
Working hours vary by industry and country, but sales, support, and procurement teams need a rough map of when partners are reachable. Figures below describe **typical office culture**, not legal definitions.
Common office windows (local)
- China: roughly 9:00 AM–6:00 PM; lunch varies by company
- United States: ~9:00 AM–5:00 PM; East vs Pacific differ by 3 hours
- UK/Western Europe: ~9:00 AM–5:30 PM
- Japan: ~9:00 AM–6:00 PM; external meetings usually in daytime
- Gulf (e.g. UAE): Sun–Thu workweek is common; Fri weekend
- Latin America: often 9:00 AM–6:00 PM with longer lunch in some countries
Communication etiquette
- Email anytime; expect replies during recipient morning hours
- Chat: prefer overlap; mark time zone on urgent pings
- Avoid phone calls 10 PM–8 AM local unless pre-arranged
- Expect delays around national holidays
Scheduling
Before booking, run times through the Convert to stay inside 9–5 local. See International Meetings and remote-work guides in Guides. Watch DST Guide in March/October for US/EU partners.