MC715271 – Interim DST guidance for Kazakhstan, Samoa, and Palestinian Authority (archived)

Product:

Office 365 general

Platform:

World tenant, Online

Status:

Change type:

Admin impact

Links:

Details:

Three Daylight Saving Time (DST) changes will be released as part of the March 2024 non-security preview update and the April 2024 security update. Samoa has abolished DST. Kazakhstan has switched to a single time zone. The Palestinian Authority has announced a delay in DST dates for 2024 and 2025. Microsoft recommends temporary workarounds for users affected by these changes. Read individual articles on the Daylight Saving Time & Time Zone Blog.

When will this happen:
Fixes to reflect these DST changes will be available starting with the March 2024 non-security preview update and the April 2024 security update. Changes have the following schedule:
Kazakhstan: On March 1, 2024, the cities of Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent, as well as the following regions will turn back the local time by one hour: Abai, Akmola, Almaty, Zhambyl, Zhetisu, Karagandy, Kostanai, Pavlodar, North Kazakhstan, Turkistan, Ulytau, and East Kazakhstan.
Palestinian Authority: Clocks will be set forward 1 hour on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 2:00 AM to 3:00 AM local time. Then on October 26, 2024, on 2:00 AM, clocks will be set back 1 hour on Saturday to 1:00 AM local time.
Samoa: Daylight Saving Time is not observed anymore in Samoa and has moved to the West Samoa Time (WST), 13 hours ahead of UTC (UTC+13).

Change Category:
XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

Scope:
XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

Release Phase:

Created:
2024-02-13

updated:
2024-02-13

Task Type

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

Docu to Check

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

MS How does it affect me

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

MS Preperations

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

MS Urgency

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

MS workload name

XXXXXXX ... free basic plan only

Direct effects for Operations**

- Direct Impact on IT Operations and Services
- Incorrect Time Display
- Users in Kazakhstan and the Palestinian Authority will experience incorrect time displays until the updates are applied.
- This can lead to scheduling conflicts, missed meetings, and general confusion regarding time-sensitive tasks.
- Roles impacted:
- End Users (employees relying on accurate time for meetings and deadlines)
- IT Support Staff (increased support tickets related to time discrepancies)
- Temporary Workarounds Required
- IT administrators may need to implement temporary workarounds, such as disabling automatic DST adjustments or changing time zones manually.
- This adds additional workload and complexity to IT operations, potentially leading to errors if not managed properly.
- Roles impacted:
- IT Administrators (responsible for implementing and managing workarounds)
- Project Managers (who may need to adjust timelines and deliverables based on time discrepancies)

- Dependencies and Interdependencies with Other IT Services
- Integration with Calendar and Scheduling Tools
- Many organizations use integrated calendar systems (e.g., Outlook, Teams) that rely on accurate time settings.
- Incorrect time settings can disrupt meeting invitations, reminders, and overall scheduling functionality.
- Roles impacted:
- Team Leaders (who rely on accurate scheduling for team coordination)
- HR Departments (for scheduling interviews and onboarding sessions)
- Impact on Automated Systems and Processes
- Automated processes that depend on accurate time stamps (e.g., reporting, logging, and data synchronization) may fail or produce incorrect results.
- This can lead to data integrity issues and operational inefficiencies.
- Roles impacted:
- Data Analysts (who rely on accurate data for reporting)
- Compliance Officers (who need to ensure that time-sensitive regulations are met)

References:
- Microsoft Tech Community: [Daylight Saving Time & Time Zone Blog](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/daylight-saving-time-time-zone/bg-p/DSTBlog)
- Interim guidance for Kazakhstan DST changes 2024: [Kazakhstan DST Changes](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/daylight-saving-time-time-zone/interim-guidance-for-kazakhstan-dst-changes-2024/ba-p/4048963)
- Interim guidance for Palestinian Authority DST changes: [Palestinian Authority DST Changes](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/daylight-saving-time-time-zone/interim-guidance-for-dst-changes-announced-by-palestinian/ba-p/4048966)