Yes. Remote professionals hired through Somewhere.com work full-time on US business hours, so they’re online when your team is. You set the schedule when you hire, and your new team member works it, whether they live in Cape Town, Manila or anywhere else in the world.
If time zones are what’s holding you back from hiring abroad, read on. Below, we cover how it works and what a normal working day looks like.
Why time zones worry employers
Most business owners picture the same problem with hiring abroad: you send a question at 10am, and the answer only arrives the next morning. A small task takes three days because every handoff waits overnight.
This only happens when a remote team works its own local hours. The fix isn’t better tools or more meetings; it’s hiring people who work the same hours as you and your team.
How remote professionals work US hours
The professionals we place work full-time for one company: yours. They join your calendar, your chat and your meetings, and they’re there for the work as it happens, not hours later.
Here’s what a 9am to 5pm Eastern day looks like in three cities where many remote professionals live:
- America: 9am to 5pm all year.
- Bogotá, Colombia: 9am to 5pm from November to March (US standard time), 8am to 4pm from March to November (US daylight time).
- Cape Town, South Africa: 4pm to midnight from November to March, 3pm to 11pm from March to November.
- Manila, Philippines: 10pm to 6am from November to March, 9pm to 5am from March to November.
For a professional in Bogotá, your day is close to their day, in Cape Town it’s an afternoon and evening shift and in Manila it’s a night shift (which is a common and well-established way of working there).
People choose these roles knowing the hours. The schedule is agreed before anyone starts, so there’s no guesswork once they’re on the team.
What working the same hours means day to day
When your new hire is online at the same time as you, the practical gains show up quickly:
- Live meetings: They join your morning standup and your afternoon client call, on camera, in real time.
- Same-day answers: A question at 11am gets an answer before lunch, not tomorrow.
- Real handoffs: Work moves between people in hours, not overnight.
- One team, not two: Nobody plans around a “remote shift”. Your hire is simply part of the team.
This is how Somewhere.com has helped more than 5,000 companies make over 11,000 hires across 18+ countries: by placing people who fit into the way a business already works.
Habits that help any team work as one
Working the same hours does most of the work. A few simple habits do the rest, for remote and in-office teams alike:
- A daily check-in: 15 minutes at the same time every day keeps priorities clear.
- Shared updates: Keep work in one place, such as a shared board or channel, so anyone can see where things stand.
- A clear owner for every task: Every piece of work has one name on it, so nothing falls between people.
- A strong first week: Set up access, introductions and a first project before day one. Our guide to remote onboarding mistakes covers what to avoid.
Hire someone who works your hours
Different time zones don’t have to mean a different working day. When you hire through Somewhere.com, your new team member works full-time on your schedule, online with everyone else.
Want to see how the process works, from first call to first day? Read how Somewhere.com works, or book a call with our team.
Frequently asked questions
Do remote professionals work US business hours?
Yes. Professionals placed by Somewhere.com work full-time on the hours you set, so they’re online at the same time as your US team.
What time is 9am to 5pm Eastern in South Africa?
From November to March it’s 4pm to midnight in South Africa; from March to November it’s 3pm to 11pm. South Africa doesn’t change its clocks, so the gap shifts by an hour when the US does.
What time is 9am to 5pm Eastern in the Philippines?
It’s 10pm to 6am in the Philippines from November to March, and 9pm to 5am from March to November. Night shifts on US hours are a common way of working there.
Can a remote employee join live meetings with my team?
Yes. Because they work your hours, they can join standups, client calls and video meetings in real time.
How do teams work well across time zones?
The simplest way is to hire people who work the same hours. After that, a daily check-in, shared updates and a clear owner for every task keep everyone aligned.
Who sets the remote professional’s working hours?
You do. The schedule is agreed before your new hire starts, and they work it full-time.
Do I need special tools to manage a remote professional on US hours?
No. They use the same calendar, chat and project tools as the rest of your team.
