Add a resource's vacation time

Applies To
Project Online Desktop Client Project Standard 2024 Project Professional 2021 Project Standard 2021 Project Professional 2019 Project Standard 2019 Project Professional 2016 Project Standard 2016

If a resource is taking vacation time that you'd like to account for in your scheduling, you can add it to the resource's calendar.

Tip

Don't overdo it! Accounting for every vacation day can make scheduling more challenging than it needs to be. A best practice is to only account for vacation time that will significantly impact your project's schedule. If a resource is just taking a day or two off, don't worry about it!

  1. Click Project > Properties > Change Working Time.
    Change Working Time

  2. Choose a resource from the For calendar list.
    Resources in the For calendar list

    Tip

    Need to change the resource's full schedule? You can use the Change Working Time dialog box to adjust the resource's working and nonworking time.

  3. Select the vacation day(s) on the calendar.
    Vacation days selected on calendar

  4. On the Exceptions tab, type a Name for the vacation day(s), and then press Enter.
    Exceptions tab
    The Start and Finish dates are populated with what you had selected on the calendar, and the vacation is marked as nonworking.

  5. Click OK.

Any tasks that this resource is assigned to will now be scheduled around the vacation by, typically, lengthening the number of days it will take to complete the task.

Set up repeating vacation days

Some resources may have vacation time that regularly repeats during the project. For example, they may want every other Friday off.

  1. On the Change Working Time dialog box, select the vacation day you want to make recurring, and then click Details.
    Details button

  2. Under Recurrence pattern, set how often the vacation day will repeat.
    Recurrence pattern

    Tip

    You can also set a Range of recurrence if the vacation happens repeatedly and then stops. For example, if the resource is taking every other Friday off over the summer, but will resume a normal schedule in the fall.

  3. Click OK to return to the Change Working Time dialog box, and then click OK again.

What else can I do with calendars?

Project enables you to fine-tune scheduling using multiple calendars. If you understand how they all work together, it's easier to plan for how your project's dates will be impacted. Here are a few more articles you might find helpful in building a more accurate picture of the working and nonworking days in your organization.

PROJECTS
        Set the general working days and times for a project
        Create a new base calendar
        Add a holiday to the project calendar

TASKS
        Create a calendar for a task

RESOURCES
        Set a unique schedule for a specific resource
        Change resource availability without using a calendar

If you don't need a calendar anymore, delete it!