With hybrid working becoming the norm for many of us, wouldn’t it be brilliant if our computers could automatically let colleagues know where we’re working? Well, if you’re using New Outlook with an enterprise or business account, you’re in luck. I’ll show you exactly how to set work location in New Outlook. In just a few simple steps.
Let’s be clear:
- Hybrid working means you work from the ‘office’ and other locations, which often means a home office.
- Remote working, means that you basically never work from the ‘office’ but doesn’t limit the locations that you can work from.
- Office worker means that you work pretty much 100% from the office maintained by your employer.
I’m a hybrid worker as I work on average 4 days from home and one in the office.
Why Set Your Work Location in Outlook?
As someone who works hybrid, I know how frustrating it can be when colleagues book in-person meetings without knowing whether you’ll actually be in the office. This Outlook feature solves that problem by automatically displaying your work location on your calendar, helping teammates make better decisions about meeting formats.
This doesn’t mean that your location can’t occasionally change – because you can. But shares your normal or regular locations.
Getting Started with Outlook Location Settings
First, let me walk you through accessing these settings.
In Outlook, you’ll need to navigate to the settings menu, which you’ll find in the top-right corner under the cog icon.
From there, jump straight to the Calendar section.
As you look down the sub-list, you’ll spot “Work Hours and Location” as the very last option in the middle column – that’s where the magic happens.
Setting Up Your Work Hours and Location
Important note: This feature is specifically designed for business or enterprise Microsoft 365 licences. Personal accounts won’t have access to these options.
Once you’ve clicked into the Work Hours and Location settings, you’ll see your regular working hours displayed. You can adjust these as needed – for instance, I’ve set mine to 8:30 AM rather than the default 9:00 AM. There’s no 15 min alternatives, only half hours.
But here’s where it gets interesting: you’ll now see location options next to your work hours. Whilst the choices aren’t extensive, they’re perfectly adequate for most hybrid working arrangements.
Configuring Your Weekly Location Pattern
I work remotely on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, but I’m in the office on Thursday. Setting this pattern is straightforward – simply select the appropriate location for each day of the week.
You’ll also notice an option to “Show work location on my calendar” – make sure this is ticked if you want the feature to work properly.
Getting Clever with Your Patterns
For anyone who needs to know, you can also get really clever if your pattern covers part of the day, not a whole day.
Looking at the days and time, you’ll see a + (plus sign), you can add blocks of time.
Say you work remotely Monday and Tuesday.
Wednesday morning, you’re at home.
Thursday you’re in the office.
Friday morning in the office, but in the afternoon you’re at home.
You can set that whole pattern up by adding an extra line in for Friday.
Clever – eh!
Managing Location Privacy Settings
Just like standard calendar sharing options, you can control how much location information colleagues can see. The privacy levels include:
- View all details – Shows buildings and specific location information
- Can’t view any location – Completely private
- Can view general location – Shows whether you’re in the office or remote
I recommend selecting “Can view general location, office or remote” as this provides the right balance of transparency and privacy for most people.
Making Your Settings Live
Once you’re happy that everything is configured correctly, simply click save.
The changes will appear on your calendar view but only if you have split out the views or the business account is your default. Anyone with access to your calendar or attempting to arrange meetings through Microsoft Teams or Outlook will be able to see where you’re working.
The Benefits for Your Team
This feature is particularly valuable because it helps prevent those awkward situations where someone books a face-to-face meeting without realising you’re working from home. It’s a small change that can make a significant difference to your team’s communication and meeting planning.
Of course this does assume that colleagues look at this information. We all know someone who doesn’t. 😄
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If you can’t find these settings, double-check that you’re signed into your business or enterprise account rather than a personal Microsoft account. The feature simply isn’t available for personal users.
Viewing Location in Calendar
After setting up my location, I wanted to see where it appeared in my calendar. Disappointed to see nothing.
It was only after recording another video that I discovered the truth.
Watch New Outlook: Stop Your Calendars Overlapping – Split View Tutorial (live 17th Jul) to see what I found.
Wrap-Up
Setting up your work location in Outlook is a simple process that can significantly improve your hybrid working experience. By taking just a few minutes to add these settings, you’ll (hopefully) help your colleagues make better decisions about meeting formats and timing.
Give this feature a try and see how it helps your hybrid working arrangements. Your future self (and your colleagues) will thank you.
Written with the help of Claude AI from an original transcription.
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