Dealing with the Chaos of Daylight Saving Time

Last year, President Donald Trump expressed support for making DST permanent, saying: The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time (DST), which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! DST is inconvenient and very costly to our Nation.

Many countries are debating whether to abandon clock changes altogether. The European Union has considered scrapping it, and several states in the United States have pushed for year-round DST.

Whether DST remains or is eventually phased out, one thing is certain—many people would be happy to see their clocks locked.

Farmers and the Reality of Livestock

For now, those affected by DST will continue to endure the twice-yearly ritual of adjusting clocks, double-checking schedules, and dealing with … confused sheep?

Jennifer Doherty, a former farmer from Cornwall on Prince Edward Island in Canada, sums up the dilemma:

(Thank you to Jennifer for sending us the adorable photo at the top of this page!)

Too Much Focus on the Negative

Let’s stay in Canada, but talk to Dr. Lawrence Loh, a Medical Health Officer:

Interestingly, during standard time, his home province of Ontario follows Eastern Standard Time (UTC−5). But the province where he works, Newfoundland, operates on a unique Newfoundland Standard Time (UTC−3:30), which is a rare half-hour offset.

This quirk adds to Canada’s already complex system of six different time zones, ranging from Pacific Time in the west (UTC−8) to Newfoundland Time (UTC−3:30) in the east. Not all areas follow DST.

Dr. Loh describes himself as a “time geek” and a fan of both timeanddate.com and DST. He agrees with DST expert Dr. David Prerau, who argues that the DST debate puts too much focus on the negative sides of seasonal clock changes.

Hate Clock Changes?

David Prerau wants you to consider the benefits of DST no one talks about.

“Much like vaccines, Daylight Saving Time appears increasingly a victim of its own success after almost a century since its adoption,” Loh says.

Even though the time zones in Canada are challenging, they are perhaps not as challenging as in Australia, where time zones are notoriously confusing.

A Patchwork of Time Zones

In Australia, time changes have created a fragmented system that leaves residents in a perpetual state of confusion. Some states observe DST, while others steadfastly refuse.

As Johan Locke, an AI and assistive technology expert, puts it: At any given moment in Australia, someone, somewhere, is confused about what time it actually is. This is because only some states observe DST while others refuse to participate in the madness.

He elaborates: “If you live in Queensland but do business in New South Wales, prepare for six months of mild panic every time you schedule a meeting:

‘Wait, are they an hour ahead or behind us now?’ ‘Oh no, I’ve just woken up my client in Perth at 5 AM.’ ‘Why do I need an advanced mathematics degree just to call my cousin in Adelaide?’”

Locke claims that instead of one unified, sensible time system, DST has left Australia “with a patchwork of time zones more confusing than an IKEA instruction manual.”

Globalization and Scheduling Troubles

In an era where remote work and online classes connect people across continents, DST causes even more complications. Nikki Jane, an ICAO-certified English examiner and instructor based in Spain, shares her struggles:

“This morning, a topic cropped up in my English class, as I was explaining my Friday schedule of online classes: Daylight Saving Time. As I started with a class with someone in Turkey, followed by someone in France (same time zone as me), then someone in China, and finally someone in Spain, it became clear how challenging time changes can be.” She says:

(Thanks to Nikki for talking with us for this article—fortunately, she’s in the same time zone as us!)

As international communication becomes more crucial than ever, the disruptions caused by DST can lead to missed meetings, confusion, and frustration for professionals working across different time zones.

Tips for Better Teamwork across Time Zones

Eight simple ideas for helping your project bridge the time zone gap.

Iran and the Persian Calendar

Iran, which follows the Persian calendar, stopped using DST in 2022. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, which follows a set of predetermined rules to stay in sync with the solar year, the Persian calendar, is based on astronomical observations. This makes the DST switches even more complex.

Like Newfoundland in Canada, Iran has a half-hour offset instead of the usual full-hour offset.

“Iran stopped observing Daylight Saving Time due to confusion caused by this time zone, increased energy consumption from extended evening appliance use, and concerns about its incompatibility with Islamic beliefs, which don’t separate day and night,” says Amir Bijan, a system administrator at Microsoft, living in Teheran. He notes that:

Cultural and Religious Practices

Tobarra, a town in Albacete, Spain, with a population of around 8000, decided not to adjust its clocks for Daylight Saving Time like the rest of the country on March 31 last year. The reason? One of its most cherished traditions: the Tamborada.

This annual event, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, features 104 hours of nonstop drumming during Holy Week. To avoid disrupting the festival’s rhythm, local officials chose to keep the clocks unchanged—at least until the celebrations ended.

The Mayor of Tobarra, Manuela Garrido, explains:

Morocco’s approach to DST is even more distinct. While the country generally follows DST, it usually suspends it temporarily during the holy month of Ramadan, making sunset 1 hour earlier. This allows Muslims to better align their daily routines, particularly fasting hours, with the natural cycle of daylight. Once Ramadan is over, the country reverts to DST.

This unique approach highlights how time changes can be adapted to cultural and religious practices, even if it adds another layer of complexity.

Is There DST in Antarctica?

Although most research stations in Antarctica lie within the Antarctic Circle, where DST does not make sense, some of them change their clocks every year to stay in sync with the countries that operate or supply them.

For this reason, Daylight Saving Time changes in Antarctica are often labeled as preliminary.

“At the Troll research station, we operate in Greenwich Mean Time (UTC +0) when there are operations in Queen Maud Land,” Jon Hugo Strømseng, Head of the Antarctic section, tells timeanddate.com.