User events scheduled during a user absence period are managed by identifying a user absence period and a buffer period on a user calendar. At least one calendaring repository is searched to determine whether there are user events with a due date coming due during the user absence period that were scheduled prior to a user defining the user absence period and a response is made to each located user event. Moreover, at least one calendaring repository is searched to determine whether there are user events with a due date coming due during the buffer period that were scheduled prior to the user defining the buffer period and a response is made to each located user event in a manner differently from responding to user events coming due during the user absence period.