Google Calendar introduced a new feature in which users will be able to add a weekly working location, routine and, update their location as plans change.
Google Calendar: you can now indicate where you’re from
Starting from 18 August 2021 admins will be able to control how the feature is used in their organisation and it will be available to everyone else starting from 30 August 2021.
Google says that this feature will make it easier to plan in-person collaborations, meetings, or set expectations in a hybrid workplace. This will be helpful to many organisations that are not ready to send all of their employees back to the office due to COVID-19.
Anyone who has free access to your calendar will be able to view your working locations. This feature will be ON by default for admins. However, admins can still turn it off if they wish to and they have to do that before the rollout date.
For end-users, the feature will be disabled, unless turned on by the admin.
Who is the feature available to?
Google says that this feature is available to Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Business customers.
It is not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Education Fundamentals, Frontline customers as well as G Suite Basic customers.
How to enable the feature?
To let people know you’re unavailable when they try to schedule a meeting with you, turn on working hours. You can do that using the following instructions:
- On your computer, open Google Calendar
- In the top right, click Settings
- At the left, under “General,” click Working hours.
- In the “Working hours” section, click Enable working hours.
- Select the days you work.
- Select the times you work. You can split the hours you work based on when you’re available
After that, you have to turn on your location using the following instructions:
- On your computer, open Google Calendar
- At the top right, click Settings
- On the left, under “General,” click Working hours & location
- Check the box next to “Enable working location.”
- Select the days you work. Working hours are already selected if your calendar shows working hours
- Next to each day, enter your working location