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How to Schedule Microsoft Planner Tasks Around Staff Leave and Holidays

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to schedule tasks in Microsoft Planner while accounting for staff leave and statutory holidays, noting the absence of advanced scheduling controls.

Product: Microsoft Planner
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Managing team task assignments and deadlines when staff members are on leave or during statutory holidays.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Planner does not provide Microsoft Project's advanced working-time calendars or Fixed Units, Fixed Work, and Fixed Duration scheduling controls to automatically block out leave.

Before you start

Since Microsoft Planner doesn't automatically block out dates for staff leave, ensure you have your team's leave schedule available or integrated with Dynamics before adjusting tasks.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Power Automate to Handle Scheduling Conflicts

Since Planner lacks automated holiday blocking, you can set up a Power Automate flow to flag conflicts and sync leave data.

Microsoft Planner does not natively support advanced working-time calendars. However, you can bridge this gap by integrating Planner with Power Automate to check task assignments against external leave data.

Set up Leave Data

Maintain a central list of staff leave and statutory holidays in a platform like SharePoint or Dynamics.

Create a Flow in Power Automate

Set up a custom flow that triggers whenever a new task is created or reassigned in Microsoft Planner.

Check for Conflicts

Add a condition step to compare the assigned task's start and due dates against the assigned user's recorded leave dates.

Notify and Reschedule

Configure the flow to send an automated Teams message or email to the task creator if a conflict exists, prompting them to manually adjust the due date or assign a different staff member.

Solution 2

Manually Adjust Task Dates and Assignments

If automation through Power Automate is not feasible, manually update task timelines when team members go on leave.

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Manage Your Team's Projects Better with WPS Office

While Microsoft Planner lacks advanced scheduling without complex Power Automate workflows, managing project timelines and staff leave can often be done effectively using customized spreadsheets. WPS Office offers a lightweight, free alternative to Microsoft Office, complete with highly compatible tools to build your own leave trackers and task management systems.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), Word (.docx), and PowerPoint (.pptx) formats.Easily create customized staff leave trackers and project Gantt charts using built-in spreadsheet templates.Lightweight, fast, and completely free to download and use.Familiar user interface makes migrating from Microsoft Office seamless for your whole team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Microsoft Planner support Fixed Duration or Fixed Work scheduling?

No, unlike Microsoft Project, Planner does not offer Fixed Units, Fixed Work, or Fixed Duration scheduling controls natively.

Can Planner automatically change task dates based on holidays?

No, Planner cannot automatically block staff leave or statutory holidays. You must adjust task dates manually or use a tool like Power Automate to manage notifications and rescheduling.

Does Dynamics integration help with leave management in Planner?

If you enter leave and statutory holidays in Dynamics, Planner will not automatically change task due dates, but it can adjust the calculated task effort based on the staff member's available time.

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