New Outlook vs Classic Outlook Work Hours and Location: Where to Find It

You need to set your work hours and location in Outlook so colleagues know when you are available and where you are working. Classic Outlook and New Outlook store these settings in different places with different menu names. This article explains exactly where to find and change work hours and location in both versions of Outlook.

How Work Hours and Location Work in Outlook

Work hours are the days and times you are normally available. Outlook shades non‑working hours in the calendar grid so you can see at a glance when others are free. Your work location tells colleagues whether you are in the office, working remotely, or out of the office.

In Classic Outlook, work hours are stored in the Calendar Options dialog. In New Outlook, they are part of the Calendar settings pane accessed through the main Settings icon. Both versions read the same Microsoft 365 mailbox calendar settings, but the user interface differs significantly.

No additional software or add‑in is required. You need a Microsoft 365 work or school account to sync work hours and location across devices.

Where to Find Work Hours in Classic Outlook

Classic Outlook stores work hours in the Calendar Options dialog. Follow these steps to change them.

1. Open Calendar Options
   Select File > Options > Calendar. The Calendar Options dialog opens.
2. Set your work week
   In the Work time section, check the days you work. Clear the days you do not work. The default is Monday through Friday.
3. Set your start and end times
   Use the Start time and End time drop‑down lists. Select your typical start and end hours. The default is 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
4. Set the first day of the week
   Use the First day of week drop‑down. Most users select Sunday or Monday.
5. Set the first week of the year
   Use the First week of year drop‑down. Select Starts on Jan 1 or First four‑day week.
6. Apply the changes
   Click OK to close Calendar Options. Click OK again to close the Outlook Options dialog.

You can also toggle the work hours shading directly on the calendar. In the Calendar view, go to the View tab and check or uncheck Work Hours in the Layout group.

Where to Find Work Hours in New Outlook

New Outlook uses a simpler settings pane accessed from the main window. Follow these steps.

1. Open Settings
   Click the gear icon in the upper‑right corner of the Outlook window. Select Calendar from the left navigation pane.
2. Enable working hours
   Locate the Working hours section. Toggle the Show working hours switch to On. When on, non‑working hours appear shaded in the calendar grid.
3. Set your schedule
   Click the pencil icon next to your current schedule. A panel opens where you can set start and end times for each day of the week. You can set different times for different days.
4. Save the schedule
   Click Save in the panel. The new schedule appears in the Working hours section.

To quickly show or hide work hours without opening settings, right‑click the calendar grid and select Working hours.

Where to Set Work Location in Classic Outlook

Classic Outlook does not have a dedicated work location field in the Options dialog. Work location is set per appointment or meeting. However, you can use the Free/Busy Options to indicate your general availability.

1. Open Free/Busy Options
   Select File > Options > Calendar. In the Calendar Options dialog, click Free/Busy Options.
2. Set your default free/busy status
   In the Free/Busy Options dialog, set the Default free/busy status to Free, Busy, Tentative, or Out of Office. This status is used when you do not have an appointment.
3. Publish your free/busy information
   Click Publish at My Location to share your free/busy data with others on the same Exchange server.
4. Apply the changes
   Click OK twice to close both dialogs.

For a more detailed location, create a recurring appointment with the location name. For example, create a recurring appointment titled Work from Home and set the location field to Home.

Where to Set Work Location in New Outlook

New Outlook has a built‑in Work location field that syncs with Microsoft 365. Follow these steps.

1. Open Settings
   Click the gear icon and select Calendar.
2. Locate Work location
   Scroll down to the Work location section. This section appears only if your admin has enabled location sharing in your organization.
3. Set your default location
   Click the drop‑down list and select Office, Remote, or Out of office. You can also type a custom location name.
4. Save the change
   Click Save. Your work location appears in your calendar and is visible to colleagues who view your free/busy details.

You can also set your location directly from the calendar. Click the date at the top of the calendar and select a location from the drop‑down list that appears.

Common Mistakes and Limitations

Work hours do not appear shaded on the calendar

In Classic Outlook, verify that the Work Hours option is checked on the View tab > Layout group. In New Outlook, ensure the Show working hours switch is set to On in Calendar settings.

Work location option is missing in New Outlook

The Work location feature requires a Microsoft 365 work or school account. It is not available for personal accounts. Your admin must also enable the location sharing policy in the Exchange admin center.

Classic Outlook work hours do not sync to New Outlook

Work hours set in Classic Outlook using File > Options > Calendar do not automatically appear in New Outlook. New Outlook reads the schedule from Microsoft 365 calendar settings. To sync, set your work hours in the Microsoft 365 calendar settings at outlook.office.com.

Changed work hours do not affect existing appointments

Work hours only affect the shading of non‑working time on the calendar grid. They do not change the time of existing appointments. You must reschedule appointments manually if you want them to fall within the new work hours.

Classic Outlook vs New Outlook: Work Hours and Location Features

Feature	Classic Outlook	New Outlook
Work hours location	File > Options > Calendar > Work time	Settings > Calendar > Working hours
Quick toggle on calendar	View tab > Layout > Work Hours checkbox	Right‑click calendar grid > Working hours
Per‑day schedule	Not supported. All days use the same start and end time	Supported. Different times per day
Work location field	Not built‑in. Use recurring appointments with location	Built‑in. Settings > Calendar > Work location
Sync with Microsoft 365	Partial. Free/busy status syncs; work location does not	Full. Work hours and location sync across devices
Available for personal accounts	Yes	Work location requires work or school account

Use the table to decide which version suits your needs. If you need per‑day schedules or a built‑in work location field, New Outlook is the better choice. If you prefer the classic menu structure and do not need per‑day schedules, Classic Outlook works fine.

You can now find and set work hours and location in both Classic Outlook and New Outlook. Try setting a different schedule for each day of the week in New Outlook to match your hybrid work pattern. For advanced scheduling, use the Scheduling Assistant in both versions to see colleagues work hours and locations before booking a meeting.