How does an EA set time zones on new Outlook calendar invites?

Question

THE ISSUE? TIME ZONES.

New Outlook does not clearly indicate the "home" time zone of a shared mailbox/calendar when you're viewing it.

I support multiple executives across multiple time zones. Classic Outlook had the delightful feature of drop-down options to choose from every time zone on the planet. Now? Nothing. Even Copilot is no use on this question.

Side question: WHY DOESN'T MICROSOFT COLLABORATE WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE COMMUNITY BEFORE MAKING "UPGRADES" TO OUTLOOK? (Yes, I'm shouting, because the features we've used for years are GONE or MOVED or "upgraded" to make it seem special...but it isn't).

Answer 1

Hi Tanner, 

Sorry for the inconvenience this may has caused. I truly appreciate you taking the time to explain how this change is affecting your day-to-day work, especially as someone supporting multiple executives across different time zones. 

The behavior you described is not simply related to changing your personal Outlook time zone. Rather, the challenge is that New Outlook does not clearly indicate the “home” time zone of a shared mailbox or shared calendar when you are viewing it. 

I also recognize your point about Classic Outlook. The ability to easily view and work with multiple time zones was a valuable feature, particularly for administrative users and executive assistants who manage calendars across different regions. I agree that improving time zone visibility in New Outlook would be beneficial, as it could help minimize scheduling confusion, reduce the risk of booking meetings in the wrong time zone, and support more efficient calendar management for teams working with multiple executives. 

New Outlook is still continuing to evolve, and Microsoft is actively improving the experience based on user feedback. In the meantime, if Classic Outlook better supports your current workflow, especially for shared calendar and multi-time-zone scheduling, you may continue using Classic Outlook where available and convenient for your work. 

As a forum user, I hope you understand that I don’t have the ability to modify or escalate product issues directly. However, I strongly recommend submitting your feedback through the Outlook (new) · Community. This is the most effective way to ensure your voice reaches the product team and can be considered for future improvements.         

Once you've submitted your feedback, feel free to share the link here in the comments. I’ll be happy to upvote it to help bring more visibility.        

If you are unable to submit feedback from your side, please let me know and I will be happy to submit it on your behalf.

Additionally, since many other users have expressed similar concerns but may not know where to submit feedback, if my response has helped you better understand the situation and guided you toward a possible next step, please mark it as 'Yes'. Your action will help pin this post to the top, making it easier for others in the community who are experiencing the same issue to find your feedback and support it.         

I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to share them in the comment below. I'm very happy to help.    

Thank you again for your patience and understanding.  

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