Google Calendar now has an "off-desk" option

Google has announced a new option on Google Calendar that will allow users to create events marked as "out of the office" and personalize them with a rejection message and visibility settings.

To use the new feature, create an event in Google Calendar on the web and select the "Away" option. You will then be able to adapt things like the decline message and choose who is able to see the title of your office absence event. Once created, it will be different from a classic Google Calendar event, appearing at the beginning of each selected day with a small calendar icon. On days that you have marked off the desktop, Google Calendar automatically rejects the requested meetings and replies with the absence message you have chosen.

There is also a new option to further customize working hours in Google Calendar. Previously, the hours of work could only be defined for a given period, replicated for all days of the week. Now, once activated, you can customize each day with the hours you are available to work. If someone is trying to organize a meeting with you outside of these hours, Google Calendar will tell them that you are not available. Google Calendar tries to guess what your working hours are based on your planning history, but you can change the suggestions if they are a little off topic.

Google indicates that absence and hours of work will be available in all G Suite editions in the coming days.