Bookings ignore the timetable

People still book at 9:07, on a public holiday, or after the building is locked — because the diary is a free timeline and the estate's real hours live in someone's head.

Content reviewed: September 2026

Room booking cover showing a schedule and time picker for workplace rooms

Why this happens

The form stays open after the building closes

Building locked at six — form still offers 7pm.

Open hours on the schedule grey out closed time.

How business hours work

Holidays still look like weekdays

Holiday looks like Tuesday — someone books a dark room.

Public holidays close like weekends.

How public holidays work

Anyone can start at 9:07

Free timeline — bookings start at 9:07 and break the grid.

Fixed start steps turn the timeline into slots.

How fixed time slots work

Hints do not make a grid

Suggested times hint — they do not refuse bad slots.

Restricted rooms keep enforced slots, not company defaults.

How suggested times work

Impact

Who pays for this today

The same problem costs each group something different — and they rarely compare notes.

Impact

Employees and students

They book after hours or on a holiday, then arrive to a locked floor.

Professional portrait of a workplace team leader with arms crossed, wearing a navy pinstripe blazer on a white background.

Impact

Campus and workplace admins

They chase odd starts that break changeover, cleaning and interview grids.

Professional portrait of an employee with arms crossed, wearing a light pink shirt and glasses on a white background.

Impact

IT

They own Outlook sync tickets when the diary accepts times the site grid forbids.

Professional portrait of an IT team member in a navy pinstripe suit holding a laptop that shows a code editor and utilization dashboard on a white background.

Common questions

Do business hours live on the booking policy?

No. Hours, holidays and fixed steps live on the schedule. Assign that schedule to the room's Business hour field.

Can fixed slots and suggested times run together?

No. They are alternatives. Turning on fixed steps turns suggestions off for that schedule. Restricted rooms do not fall back to the company-wide hint list.

What happens to Outlook meetings that miss the grid?

You choose: allow them as they stand, or decline if they are not aligned with the step — use decline when cleaning or teaching depends on the grid.

Smiling workplace professional in front of an office floor plan schematic

Next step

See it against your own rooms

Walk through your estate, your booking rules and your calendar setup with our team — or start free and try it on one floor.

Book a demo Start for free

(+852) 5538 3410

Offision is a leading platform for creating connected workspaces, empowering businesses with innovative solutions for digital signage, room booking, visitor management, and more. Our mission is to streamline office workflows, enhance productivity, and foster collaboration through intuitive design and seamless integrations.

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