Work Hours, Locations, and Time Off: New Microsoft Graph Calendar Resources Reshape Entra User Settings

WHAT JUST CHANGED

Microsoft has released several new Microsoft Graph resources and methods for managing work hours, locations, and time off within Entra ID user settings. These changes are General Availability (GA) as of June 2024 (source: documentation). The rollout affects all Entra ID tenants with Microsoft 365 or Azure AD licensing, including enterprise and education SKUs.

• workHoursAndLocationsSetting resource and methods
• workPlanRecurrence, workPlanOccurrence resources
• timeOffDetails resource
• New enumeration types: workLocationType, maxWorkLocationDetails, workLocationUpdateScope
• workHoursAndLocations relationship added to userSettings
• New methods: occurrencesView (workHoursAndLocationsSetting) and setCurrentLocation (workPlanOccurrence)

These features are now available in production tenants. No admin opt-in is required—changes are live and accessible via Microsoft Graph.

WHO’S AFFECTED

• All Entra ID tenants (Microsoft 365/Azure AD enabled)
• Admins with permissions to manage user settings and calendar-related automation
• Users whose work hours, work locations, and time-off need more granular tracking
• Developers integrating HR, scheduling, or resource booking solutions

Tenant configurations using custom scheduling, legacy calendar integrations, or relying on manual processes for work location and hours management will need to migrate to these new resources for full feature parity.

WHY THIS DIRECTION IS BETTER

• Granular and Consistent Data: The new resources standardize work hours, recurrence, locations, and time-off tracking directly on user objects—no need for external custom attributes or manual tracking.
• Automation Ready: Admins can now automate reporting, scheduling, and compliance workflows with accurate, queryable calendar data via Microsoft Graph.
• Rich Relationships: The workHoursAndLocations linkage to userSettings enables direct correlation between user preferences and scheduling policies.
• Improved Security and Delegation: With granular work location types and update scopes, organizations can better enforce policies (e.g., hybrid work, desk booking) without ambiguous custom fields.
• Competing Solutions: Unlike Google Workspace or legacy Exchange approaches, Entra ID now offers first-class API support for recurring work patterns, time-off, and location management.

Microsoft’s approach reduces technical debt, minimizes custom development, and streamlines calendar-driven workflows.

WHAT’S NEXT ON THE ROADMAP

• Graph-based Delegation: Expect Microsoft to further extend API support for manager-driven scheduling, role-based calendar updates, and automated reminders (see recent Ignite announcements).
• B2B/B2C External Calendars: Preview features will allow guests/external users to set work hours and locations, improving cross-org scheduling and resource sharing.
• Conditional Access Integration: Upcoming (preview) policy controls may use work location and hours as context for enforcing access rules (e.g., only allow login during business hours or from designated locations).
• Reporting & Analytics: Enhanced audit and analytics APIs will arrive, supporting HR and compliance teams in monitoring actual vs. scheduled work patterns.

Admins should monitor feature previews and roadmap updates at Microsoft Graph changelog and Entra ID blogs.

WHAT TO DO: STEP-BY-STEP ADMIN ACTIONS

1. Review Current User Settings: Audit existing user calendar data and custom attributes for work hours/location/time-off.
2. Update Automation Scripts: Switch to new Microsoft.Graph endpoints for workHoursAndLocationsSetting, workPlanRecurrence, and timeOffDetails.
3. Test Data Quality: Validate that user calendar data is correctly mapped and accessible via the new API endpoints.
4. Train Helpdesk and HR Teams: Provide updated documentation for user-facing calendar, location, and time-off requests.
5. Monitor Usage: Use reporting scripts (below) to identify users missing critical settings or with inconsistent data.

CHECK IT YOURSELF: POWERSHELL REPORTING AND AUDIT

Use the Microsoft.Graph PowerShell module to audit user calendar settings. This script reports user work hours and locations, handling errors and pagination. No changes are made—report-only.

# Requires Microsoft.Graph.Users module
Import-Module Microsoft.Graph.Users

# Authenticate
Connect-MgGraph -Scopes 'User.Read.All'

# Paginated retrieval of users and their settings
$skip = 0
$limit = 50
$users = @()

try {
    do {
        $response = Get-MgUser -Top $limit -Skip $skip -ErrorAction Stop
        $users += $response
        $skip += $limit
    } while ($response.Count -gt 0)
} catch {
    Write-Warning "Error retrieving users: $_"
    return
}

# For each user, query calendar settings
foreach ($user in $users) {
    try {
        $settings = Get-MgUserSetting -UserId $user.Id -ErrorAction Stop
        if ($settings.workHoursAndLocations) {
            Write-Output "User: $($user.UserPrincipalName)"
            Write-Output "Work Hours: $($settings.workHoursAndLocations.workHours)"
            Write-Output "Locations: $($settings.workHoursAndLocations.workLocations)"
            Write-Output "Time Off: $($settings.workHoursAndLocations.timeOffDetails)"
        } else {
            Write-Output "User: $($user.UserPrincipalName) - No workHoursAndLocations data."
        }
    } catch {
        Write-Warning "Could not retrieve settings for $($user.UserPrincipalName): $_"
    }
}

This script supports dry-run audit, handles pagination, and provides clear error messaging. It can be extended to report on workPlanRecurrence and workPlanOccurrence when needed.

PORTAL PATH

• Entra Admin Center: Identity > Users > Select user > Settings > Calendar & Work Hours
• Microsoft Graph Explorer: GET /users/{id}/settings/workHoursAndLocations

Admins can view and manage these settings directly for each user, or use bulk automation via Graph API endpoints.

BOTTOM LINE

• Prioritize migration to new calendar resources for accurate, automated work hour/location/time-off tracking.
• Update your PowerShell and API scripts—legacy and custom calendar fields will soon be deprecated.
• Monitor roadmap for conditional access and B2B calendar integration, and prepare to leverage richer scheduling context in your access policies.

These changes offer immediate operational benefits and are foundational for upcoming access, reporting, and hybrid work features. Act now to future-proof your Entra ID calendar workflows.