Set your working hours with US clients before the clocks change on November 1
For talent6 min read1 zone picker1 checklist
On Sunday, November 1, 2026, most of the United States sets its clocks back one hour. The Philippines does not change its clocks. So a meeting that stays at the same US clock time moves one hour later in Manila. Plan for it now. Ask each US client whether the meeting time or your working hours will move.
The short version
Convert your recurring meetings for both sides of November 1.
Message each client at least a week before the change.
Track your total weekly hours for the first two weeks after the change.
What changes, and what does not
According to Time Out, daylight saving time ends at 2:00 am local time on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Most, but not all, Americans set their clocks back. Check each client’s location. Arizona and Hawaii are common examples of places that do not change, and other countries change on other dates.
The Philippines has one time zone. Timeanddate lists the last clock change there as 1978. Your own clock stays the same. The gap to your US client grows by one hour.
Try it: pick the client’s zone
Zone picker
Open the client’s time zone to see the gap and a sample meeting time.
Eastern
Eastern time
Before November 1 (EDT, UTC-4), Manila is 12 hours ahead. From November 1 (EST, UTC-5), Manila is 13 hours ahead.
A 9:00 am client meeting is 9:00 pm in Manila now. After the change it is 10:00 pm.
Central
Central time
Before November 1 (CDT, UTC-5), Manila is 13 hours ahead. From November 1 (CST, UTC-6), Manila is 14 hours ahead.
A 9:00 am client meeting is 10:00 pm in Manila now. After the change it is 11:00 pm.
Mountain
Mountain time
Before November 1 (MDT, UTC-6), Manila is 14 hours ahead. From November 1 (MST, UTC-7), Manila is 15 hours ahead.
A 9:00 am client meeting is 11:00 pm in Manila now. After the change it is 12:00 am the next day.
Pacific
Pacific time
Before November 1 (PDT, UTC-7), Manila is 15 hours ahead. From November 1 (PST, UTC-8), Manila is 16 hours ahead.
A 9:00 am client meeting is 12:00 am the next day in Manila now. After the change it is 1:00 am the next day.
Quick check
A client keeps a weekly call at 9:00 am Pacific. It is at 12:00 am in Manila now. If the client keeps 9:00 am Pacific after November 1, when is the call in Manila?
12:00 am. The time does not change.
Not quite. The Philippines does not change its clocks, but California does. The gap grows.
1:00 am the next day.
Yes. Pacific time moves from UTC-7 to UTC-8. Manila is UTC+8, so the call is one hour later.
11:00 pm.
Not quite. The call moves later in Manila, not earlier.
Click an answer to see why.
Two ways to handle it
| Option | What moves | Good when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep the client clock time | Your hour moves one hour later | The call must stay at the same time for the client’s team | Your day gets longer unless you shift your other hours |
| Keep your Manila hours | The client moves the call one hour earlier in US time | The client has flexible hours | The client may not agree. Ask early and offer a clear reason |
| Split the change | Both sides move by 30 minutes | Both sides have limits | Some calendar tools handle half hours badly |
This is a scope question as well as a time question. Ask whether the new time stays inside your paid hours. If a client wants extra hours, agree on the rate before you accept. Clear rules on time protect both sides.
Why total hours matter
The World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization published a study in 2021. It compared people who worked 55 or more hours per week with people who worked 35 to 40 hours. The long-hours group had about a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease. The estimates come from reviews of many studies. The WHO page says long hours are “associated with” these risks. It does not claim to prove cause. Read the WHO release.
This is general research on workers worldwide. It is not medical advice, and it does not say what is right for you. It gives one practical reason to count your hours across all clients. A clock change can add an hour to a long day without anyone noticing.
Example: one assistant, three clients (made up)
This example is made up for illustration.
Ana works for two clients on Eastern time and one client on Pacific time. She lists her recurring calls. She sees that two calls land after 10:00 pm in Manila after the change. She writes to each client on October 23. For the Pacific client, she asks to move the call one hour earlier in US time. The client agrees. For the Eastern clients, she keeps the clock time and moves her start hour one hour later on those days. She then checks her weekly total after two weeks.
Start here: a seven-step plan
Checklist
Clock change plan
☐ List every recurring call and deadline with the client’s local time.
☐ Convert each one for the weeks before and after November 1.
☐ Mark which clients are in places that do not change, or change on other dates.
☐ Message each client by October 25. Offer the two options in the table.
☐ Set each calendar event to the client’s time zone, not to your own.
☐ Write your overlap window and your reply window in your client agreement or in a short note.
☐ Add up your total weekly hours for all clients in the first two weeks after the change.
Copy this list into your notes and tick each item off.
Advanced extension: write an availability note
Write a short note for each client. State your working days, your overlap window, and how fast you reply to messages inside paid hours. State how you handle urgent requests outside those hours and at what rate. Send the note with the clock change message. A clear note reduces the number of surprise requests, and it makes your boundaries easy to respect.
Some readers work at night by choice or by contract. Others work daytime hours for clients in many places. This plan works for both. Use your own hours as the starting point. For more ways to prove the quality of your work to clients, see five checks for AI-assisted client work.
Do this week
Open your calendar now. Find your calls for the week of November 2. Check the time in Manila for each one. Send your first client message today.
Sources
- Time Out. “When do the clocks go back in 2026?” timeout.com. Read October 12, 2026.
- Timeanddate. “Daylight Saving Time 2026 in Philippines.” timeanddate.com. Read October 12, 2026. The page lists the last Philippine clock change as 1978.
- World Health Organization. “Long working hours increasing deaths from heart disease and stroke: WHO, ILO.” May 17, 2021. who.int. Read October 12, 2026.
