Microsoft 365 How-To

There are two types of calendars you'll work with in Outlook:

• Group calendars (On Call Schedule, Time Off Schedule) -- shared with the entire group. Every member can see these events. Managers create events here; drivers view them. Think of these as the official company schedule boards.
• Your personal calendar -- only you can see it unless you invite someone. Use this for one-on-one meetings, reminders, or anything that doesn't need to be on the shared schedule.

When you create an event on a group calendar, every group member can see it automatically -- you don't need to invite them individually. When you create a personal event and add attendees, only those specific people receive the invite.

The On Call Schedule and Time Off Schedule group calendars are locked down. Only managers (group owners) can create, edit, or delete events on those calendars. Drivers can view the schedule but cannot make changes. This prevents accidental edits to the official schedule.

Use the toolbar to switch between Day, Work Week, Week, and Month views. Right-click any group calendar to change its display color.

On desktop, group calendars usually show automatically once you're a member. If events aren't appearing:

In Outlook on the web, group calendars typically show events with no extra setup required -- just check the box next to the group calendar in the left panel. The subscribe/follow option is mainly useful for getting email notifications about new events.

Each group has a shared conversation thread -- like a group email chain that everyone can see. Use it for announcements, schedule questions, or anything the whole group should know about.

When creating any event, you'll see an All day event checkbox:

• Checked (All day) -- the event spans the full day (or multiple days). It shows as a banner at the top of the calendar. Best for: PTO, holidays, multi-day coverage, training days.
• Unchecked (Timed) -- you set specific start/end times. It shows as a time block on the calendar. Best for: on-call shifts with specific hours, meetings, calls.

For a 12-hour on-call shift, leave the checkbox unchecked and set the exact hours (e.g., 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM). For a full day off, check the All day event box.

When a manager sends you a personal meeting invite (not a group calendar event), you'll get a notification and the event will appear on your calendar.

Note: Group calendar events (like your on-call blocks) do NOT require an RSVP -- they're just on the schedule for everyone to see. Only personal meeting invites have accept/decline.