Calendar dos and don'ts
If we all follow the guidelines below than collaboration at the University will be enabled. However, remember that your workmates will not be able to collaborate with you unless you have set up the
correct access and scheduling settings.
The University's expected access settings
Please note: the only acceptable reason for viewing someone else's agenda is to determine their availability.
| Access level |
Acceptable/ non-acceptable practice |
| View entries (Normal) |
- The normal level of access for meetings or blocked off time during working hours should be 'View Entries'. This clearly shows colleagues your availability or non-availability for meetings.
|
| View times only (Confidential) |
- If you need to keep details of a meeting secret (eg disciplinary hearing) then set the meeting as 'View times only' so that others can see that you are busy. See also the yellow box below.
- If you have a doctor's or dentist's appointment - or similar - during working hours, you can use 'View times only'. This at least shows colleagues that you are unavailable, but without giving away personal details.
|
| No viewing rights (Personal) |
- It is not acceptable to set up a meeting or to block off time with an access level of 'No viewing rights' during working hours.
- 'No viewing rights' should only be used for personal agenda entries outside of working hours.
|
For some staff the above may be impracticable due to the sensitive nature of their work, though they should still adhere to the University's minimum expected level of 'View times only' for all times at which they are unavailable to be invited to meetings.
Valid reasons for blocking out time
You should block out all times within working hours when you are unavailable to be invited to meetings. You do this by creating a meeting marked as Keep Free or with the name of the work task you are undertaking. The following tables show reasons for which you can and cannot legitimately block out time during working hours.
Block out time for the following
| Reason |
| Unavailable for meetings because of prior work engagement |
- Meetings (if not already booked via Calendar) and other events, such as lectures, seminars and conferences.
- Duty times, such as invigilating or staffing a service desk.
|
| Travel |
- Significant time required to get to and from meetings or other events, such as external events or between physically disparate parts of the University precinct.
|
| Annual leave |
- Block off with the title Annual Leave or AL with viewing access of 'Normal'.
- Do not to include details about your whereabouts for security reasons.
|
| Non work days |
- Part-timers should block out well in advance all days that are not worked - Calendar lets you automate this process.
|
| Personal commitments during working hours |
- This is only acceptable for such events as doctor's or dental appointments or similar.
- All personal commitments during working hours should be set to 'Confidential' and not to 'Personal' (if set to 'Personal', colleagues will not be able to see that you are unavailable).
|
| Specific tasks as agreed by your manager or department |
- It is advisable to discuss with your manager the types of activities that can be blocked out - it is not appropriate to block out time simply because you are 'at work'.
|
Do not block out time for the following
| Reason |
| Sick leave |
- Departments should never record sick leave in Calendar, nor ask staff to do so - ethical issues apart, this may contravene the Data Protection Act.
|
| Being at work |
- It is advisable to discuss with your manager the types of activities that can be blocked out - it is not appropriate to block out time simply because you are 'at work'.
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Proposing, accepting and declining meetings
| Issue |
Dos and don'ts |
| Scheduling a meeting |
- Make sure that all details are comprehensible to all invitees and define the location in terms that all invitees will understand.
- Use clear, formal language, such as 'Team meeting to discuss courses for Autumn term'.
- Ideally, all details should be completed at the time the meeting is created.
- If a proposed invitee does not have a Calendar account, or if rooms or equipment need to be separately booked, do not propose the meeting until you have confirmed their availability.
- Don't book back-to-back meetings in someone's agenda - give people a 'comfort' break at the very least!
- Always send the automated email to invitees - even Calendar users may not look at their agenda every day, so this might be the only notice of invite they see.
|
| Partial details when setting up a meeting |
- Make sure that you update the meeting (and send the automated email) as soon as full details are known.
|
| If meeting details change |
- Update details as soon as you know about the change - if you created the meeting, only you can change it.
- Always send the automated email so that all invitees know about the changes.
|
| If a meeting is cancelled |
- Delete meetings as soon as you know they are cancelled - if you created the meeting, only you can delete it.
- Always send the automated email so that all invitees know about the changes.
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| Scheduling 'sensitive' meetings |
- Maintain colleagues' right of privacy and set 'sensitive' meetings as 'Confidential'.
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| Accepting and declining meetings |
- Accept or decline the meeting as soon as you know whether you can/ cannot attend.
- A meeting proposal is not a 'summons' - invitees are free to decline or to request that another time is proposed.
|
| If you decline a meeting |
- Contact the person who arranged the meeting to say that you cannot attend.
- They may not be in a position to track every single response to every single meeting and the first they may know that you have declined the meeting is when you don't turn up.
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| A colleague's settings prevent invitations |
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| A colleague does not use Calendar |
- If they have a Calendar account but do not use Calendar, then (tactfully again!) suggest that they start using it.
- Perhaps point out how much extra work is caused to yourself and other colleagues by their not using Calendar.
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