WP_CRON issue with UTC and local time

Question

I have made a plugin to change some user metadata on a schedule according to the wp_cron function.

If the current time is say between their lunch hours (that is in their user profile as date('g:i a', strtotime($time)

However whenever the Cron Job is run, it is in UTC and the other times in the user profile is in local time.

I'm just hitting my head against a wall because I can't figure it out.

// function to run
function mb_user_location_automater() {

    // get the read values
    $user_id            = get_current_user_id();
    $current_time       = time();

    // defaults
    $default_start      = date( "Y-m-d 09:00", strtotime('today') );
    $default_finish     = date( "Y-m-d 17:00", strtotime('today') );
    $default_lunch_in   = date( "Y-m-d 12:00", strtotime('today') );
    $default_lunch_out  = date( "Y-m-d 13:00", strtotime('today') );
    $is_weekend         = date( 'N', strtotime('tomorrow') );

    // get the user meta
    $user_start         = get_user_meta( $user_id, 'mbu_start_time',    true );
    $user_finish        = get_user_meta( $user_id, 'mbu_finish_time',   true );
    $user_lunch_in      = get_user_meta( $user_id, 'mbu_lunch_start',   true );
    $user_lunch_out     = get_user_meta( $user_id, 'mbu_lunch_finish',  true );

    // set times if not set in user settings
    $user_start         = ( empty($user_start)      ? $default_start        : $user_start       );
    $user_finish        = ( empty($user_finish)     ? $default_finish       : $user_finish      );
    $user_lunch_in      = ( empty($user_lunch_in)   ? $default_lunch_in     : $user_lunch_in    );
    $user_lunch_out     = ( empty($user_lunch_out)  ? $default_lunch_out    : $user_lunch_out   );


    // set user to: away
    if( ($current_time < $user_start) && ($current_time > $user_finish) ) {
        update_user_meta( $user_id, 'mblocation', 'away' );
    }

    // set user to: lunch
    if( ($current_time > $user_lunch_in) && ($current_time < $user_lunch_out) ) {
        update_user_meta( $user_id, 'mblocation', 'lunch' );
    }

    // set user to: weekend
    if( $tomorrow_wknd >= 6 ) {
        update_user_meta( $user_id, 'mblocation', 'weekend' );
    }

}

// generate the intervals
function mb_task_intervals( $schedules ) {
    $schedules[ 'every_60_seconds' ] = array(
        'interval'  => ( 60 * 1 ),
        'display'   => 'Every 60 seconds',
    );  

    return $schedules;
}



// set the task schedule
function mb_task_start() {

    // when are operating hours
    $task_start_time    = strtotime( "Today 6:00am"  );
    $task_stop_time     = strtotime( "Today 10:00pm" );

    // check if in operation time
    if( $task_start_time < time() && time() > $task_stop_time ) {
        if( ! wp_next_scheduled( 'mb_user_location_automater' )) {
            wp_schedule_event( time(), 'every_60_seconds', 'mb_user_location_automater' );
        }
    } else {
        // run the stop function
        if( ! wp_next_scheduled( 'mb_task_stop' )) {
            wp_schedule_single_event( time(), 'mb_task_stop' );
        }
    }
}

Answer 1

It seems you are comparing GMT time with the local time before you update the user meta.

Try WP function current_time( $type, $gmt = 0 );

$current_time = current_time('timestamp', 0) // local time
$current_time = current_time('timestamp', 1) // GMT time

I think you need

$current_time = current_time('timestamp', 0) // local time

instead of

$current_time       = time();

Also take a look at current_time function

Edit:

Also i noticed your code where:

if( ($current_time < $user_start) && ($current_time > $user_finish) ) {
        update_user_meta( $user_id, 'mblocation', 'away' );
    }

$current_time is in Unix timestamp format and the $user_start or $user_finish is in formatted date, you should convert $user_start and $user_finish to timestamp as well. You need to do the same with other code where it is applicable.