Change your work hours in Outlook Calendar settings

You can set your work hours in Outlook so that your calendar shows when you are and are not available. When you set work hours, Outlook displays them as a shaded area on your calendar view, and other people can see this information when they check your availability before scheduling a meeting with you.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Outlook on the web, Outlook on Windows, or Outlook on Mac. All three let you set a start time, an end time, and which days of the week count as your working days.

Key Takeaways

  • Work hours in Outlook appear as a shaded block on your calendar and tell other people when you are typically available.
  • On Outlook on the web, go to Settings, then Calendar, then find the Work Hours section to enter your times.
  • On Outlook for Windows, open File, then Options, then Calendar to set your work hours in the Display section.
  • Your work hours setting does not prevent people from booking you outside those times — it is informational only.
  • You can set different work hours for different days of the week, or turn off work hours for specific days entirely.

Set work hours in Outlook on the web

Open Outlook in your web browser and sign in. In the top right corner, click the gear icon to open Settings. From the menu that appears, select View all Outlook settings.

On the left side of the settings page, click Calendar. Scroll down until you see the Work hours section. You will see fields for your start time, end time, and a list of days. Enter the time you start work and the time you end work. By default, Monday through Friday are marked as work days. If you work on weekends or have a different schedule, check or uncheck the days as needed.

After you have entered your times and selected your days, scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save. Your work hours will now appear on your calendar.

Set work hours in Outlook for Windows

Open Outlook on your computer. In the top left, click File. From the menu, select Options. In the Outlook Options window, click Calendar on the left side.

In the Calendar section, look for the Display options area. You will see fields labeled Start time and End time. Enter the hour and minute you start and end work. Below those fields, you will see checkboxes for each day of the week. Check the days you work and uncheck the days you do not. Click OK at the bottom of the window to save your changes.

Set work hours in Outlook for Mac

Open Outlook on your Mac. In the menu bar at the top, click Outlook, then select Preferences. In the Preferences window, click Calendar.

Look for the Work hours section. You will see a toggle switch to turn work hours on or off. Turn the toggle on. Then enter your start time and end time in the fields provided. Check the boxes next to the days you work. Click the red close button in the top left corner of the window to save and exit.

What happens after you set work hours

Once you set your work hours, Outlook will shade those hours in a light color on your calendar view. When someone else looks at your calendar to find a time to meet, they will see this shaded area and know when you are typically available. This helps people avoid scheduling meetings outside your normal working time.

Your work hours setting is informational only. It does not block people from booking you outside those hours, and it does not automatically decline meeting requests that fall outside your work hours. If you want to prevent meetings during certain times, you need to block those times on your calendar separately or use the Focus time feature in Outlook, which reserves time for your own work.

Change your work hours later

You can change your work hours at any time by going back to the same settings location where you first entered them. If your schedule changes seasonally or you switch to a different shift, simply update the times and days, then save your changes. The new work hours will appear on your calendar immediately.

If you need to turn off work hours entirely, go back to the same settings and either delete the times you entered or toggle off the work hours feature if your version of Outlook has that option. Your calendar will return to showing no shaded work hours area.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set different work hours for different weeks?

Outlook does not support different work hours for different weeks. Your work hours setting applies to every week going forward. If your schedule changes, you will need to manually update your work hours in settings.

Do work hours prevent people from booking meetings with me?

No. Work hours are informational only. They show other people when you typically work, but they do not block calendar invitations or prevent meetings from being scheduled outside those times. To actually block time, use the Focus time feature or manually block time on your calendar.

Will my work hours show to everyone who views my calendar?

Yes, anyone who has permission to view your calendar will see your work hours displayed as a shaded area. If you share your calendar with coworkers or your organization, they will see when your work hours are set.

What if I work a night shift or weekend schedule?

You can set any start and end time you want, and you can choose any combination of days. If you work nights, enter your evening start time and early morning end time. If you work weekends, uncheck Monday through Friday and check Saturday and Sunday instead.

Does Outlook automatically detect my work hours from my calendar?

No. Outlook does not scan your calendar to figure out when you work. You must manually enter your work hours in the settings. Once you set them, Outlook will display them on your calendar view.