How to Set Working Locations in Google Calendar

Want to make sure that your coworkers know the location you will be working from each day? Here's how to set working locations in Google Calendar.

Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to know where everyone in your company was working from, so you could more easily schedule meetings? Well, that's exactly what Google Calendar was thinking when they released working locations, and you can use it to get the entire team more organized.

Here's why you should consider adding working locations to your system and how to use it.

Why Set Working Locations?

Now that the working class has shifted to include more remote work, coordination within a company has become harder to achieve.

Managers no longer have the ability to know where their employees are and exactly how to connect with them. Google Calendar has implemented working locations as a solution to the absent employee problem.

With working locations, companies have a more efficient system to set up in-person meetings in a hybrid home and office setting. The working locations will be in the same area of Google Calendar as working hours.

Related: How to Set Working Hours in Google Calendar

A company of any size can take advantage of setting its own working locations, which allows employees or independent contractors working across the globe to let employers know where they are.

However, in order to use working locations, you need to have a specific Google account. Google Workspace Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus, Nonprofits, and G Suite Business all have access.

G Suite Basic customers, Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, and Education Fundamentals plans will not be able to access working locations.

How to Set Working Locations in Google Calendar

In order for your team to be able to see your working location, you'll want to make the person has free or busy visibility.

You'll have four main options to choose from when setting your working location; Office, Home, Unspecified, and Add a location. When selecting Add a location, you can enter any custom text to describe where you're working.

Related: How to Create a Work From Home Schedule Using Google Calendar

1. Open Google Calendar.
2. Click on the gear icon > Settings.
3. Click Working hours or scroll down.
4. Check the Enable working location checkbox.
5. Choose the days you work.
6. Select the working location for each day.

Turning off your locations is just as easy, uncheck the box next to Enable working location. All the working locations you previously set will be automatically removed from Google Calendar.

How to Show You're Out of Office

If you won't be able to work at all, you'll want to select “Out of office” to automatically deny any meeting requests you receive during that time. Here's how you can let employees know you'll be unavailable.

1. Open Google Calendar.
2. Select the date.
3. Select Out of office.
4. Choose the dates you are unavailable to work.
5. Click Save.

When selecting “Out of office”, you can provide your team with specific information about your situation.

You can also choose the Out of office selection to repeat so that you don't have to make manual adjustments every time. There's also an option to customize your own decline message and settings.

Since choosing out of office means you automatically deny meetings, you'll want to make sure the follow-up message captures your exact sentiment.

Working Locations in Google Calendar

As the world continues to push more into a hybridized work setting, Google Calendar is doing what it can to help you and your team stay organized. You're able to let everyone know exactly where you'll be every day you're “in the office”.

Once you get the hang of it, working locations is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Google features that help optimize your remote work.

About The Author