Teams/Slack etc

[10ThousandSpoons]

Are you expected to be logged onto your teams/slack at all times? I'm tempted to not log on to mine but realised that EVERYONE is online when they are working. It's just assumed we'll be logged on.

I am. I need to be contactable by clients, my team and senior mgmt during my working hours. We're fairly flexible though so I don't necessarily have to sit at my desk all the time; I can go to the supermarket or school run during the day (obviously within reason) and respond on my phone for anything urgent.

We use Teams and it logs us on automatically when you log on in the morning - I lead a large team and expect people to be online during working hours the same way I’d expect them at their desk most of the time when in the office. We work hybrid some at home some in office.

I'm expected to be logged in during business hours, yes. Not least because I'm on Teams calls most of the day. But also, I need to be available for my team. In reality, I'm logged in all the time because I have the app on my phone.

Yes, either Teams or Slack has been my main communication tool within my team for years, since at least 2018 I'd say. We only use email for important communications where you might need a record of it in the future, or with our customers if they're not accessible on Teams. People who send 'chat' style emails drive me insane these days!

I expect my team to be logged in when they are “at work” unless they’ve said they are stepping away to concentrate on something, in a meeting, or at lunch. I also
expect them to answer their phone if rung! I don’t expect them to reply to slacks right away if they are not urgent, but I do expect them to generally know what has been said in there.

Yes, I need to be contactable all day. I'm also logged in automatically when I sign in, in the morning. Sometimes I put do not disturb on if I want to eat my lunch in peace 🤣

My phone has the app too so I can pop to the shop or something without worrying about missing a call.

Yes, if my online calendar doesn't indicate I am on a visit / driving / at lunch or whatever.
I mean, there is no pressure if I've gone to put the kettle on or not put 'lunch break' on my calendar - people just try a bit later. I presume questions would be asked if you never answered.

I preferred my team to leave it on, however I did not expect them to drop everything and respond to me there and then. I did not want them spending time context switching. I tried not to use email as, no matter how many times I asked them not to, they always cc'd too many people.

We are logged in automatically.
Adds extra time to login in and start doing actual work.
We get all these notifications from discussions we only need to slightly glance at once a week .....zzzzz....
So annoying & distracting from getitng actual work done.
We are quite feral & nobody notices if we're available or not or tracks what we're up to.

You expect people to send a message to say that they are stepping away to concentrate on something? 😕

My (thankfully!!) former micromanaging line manager would question if I happened to be yellow on Teams for any length of time! I was told I was expected to answer any calls within 2 rings.... I said, "toilet?"!! TG my new manager trusts us.

It's not "in writing" required where I work, but I can't imagine why you wouldn't stay logged into it if you are sitting there working.

I sometimes see other people working and not logged in to it I think either they are technically incompetent, hiding something or sulking about something.

I'm always logged in but I often set it to Busy or Do Not Disturb. I hate getting notifications for messages I don't need to look at right away - you can't ignore it as easily as email.

If someone's Teams shows as offline I would assume they're not working that day (unless it was lunchtime). Very flexible job, but you can't take the piss and be invisible. If I need to run an errand or step away for a while I'll put an internal message on to say when I'll be back (no need to tell my manager in advance).

If it’s for a substantial amount of time, yes. Like “the afternoon” not like 20 mins! Or put up a status or something. Just so we know what to expect from each other. I’m not keen on mystery absences. We are all part time too, so someone missing a message on the only day they overlap can cost a week of wasted time.

Yeah, on it at all times

Get the app on your phone too and set it to green - that way it looks like you're always online

Ah good tip but then won't people try and contact me at random times

Ah I might that and say I'm just going off teams for a bit. It does my head in

Expected to be logged in, but can set status to away or do not disturb. It's not unreasonable for people not to respond immediately if they're in a meeting, at lunch, focussed on a problem.

Yes - I'm not on the same site as most people I work with, so it's pretty much essential. 'Do not disturb' is the status you need to set if you have to focus on something without interruptions.

Yes - you risk them thinking you are ignoring them. Use your statuses accurately - there is nothing wrong with 'do not disturb' if you have an urgent task to complete or you are in a face to face meeting; there is nothing wrong with 'away' if you are at lunch etc.

Ex-manager did not allow me to be on 'Do not disturb' unless I asked permission first.... yes, she was a micromanaging dose!

FFS - unless you'd been spending entire days on DND, that is ridiculous.

BaroqueInterlude · Today 00:27

Runnerinthenight · Today 00:25

Ex-manager did not allow me to be on 'Do not disturb' unless I asked permission first.... yes, she was a micromanaging dose!
FFS - unless you'd been spending entire days on DND, that is ridiculous.

I rarely did, which makes it even more unreasonable. Same manager insisted we put travel time on our calendar. It was obvious that if we were going to certain locations, we would spend time on the road!! But oh no, it had to be scheduled on our calendar!!

Interestingly, since same manager moved elsewhere, a plethora of cases she should have dealt with, she hasn't.... DH said he didn't know how she got any work done because she was so busy managing me (and my colleague) - well now we know, she didn't!!

During my work time I am, not once I finished though

It begs the question why you're "tempted" not to log on. If you're being paid to work, why are you tempted not to be contactable. Strange mindset.