LITMIR.BIZ

       Take advantage of email out-of-office messages, better known by its acronym, OOO. After you set up the OOO in your email app, whenever someone sends you a message, the email app sends the OOO message automatically. That OOO message can also include a link to the person handling your work while you’re out.

       Create an OOO voicemail greeting that will tell people you’ll get back to them when you can and whom to contact in case of an urgent matter.

       Use your online calendar to block off time to work. If someone tries to set up a meeting with you in your calendar app, they’ll see that you’re busy.

       A shared calendar app can also set days and times for your normal work schedule when you’re available to chat.

       In a shared messaging app like Microsoft Teams, you can create and publish an Away message so that people will know you’re unavailable when they try to reach you.

       If someone tells you (or demands) something that crosses your boundaries, simply say, “That doesn’t work for me.” The best case scenario is that the other person will get the message and will work with you to find a solution. (Worst case? You may need to find a new job or a new employee, depending on your position.) Mister Rogers always said, “Look for the helpers.” If you know you won’t be available ahead of time, you should talk with one or more people you know who could help a person needing something from you. Be aware that anyone you approach with your request will likely want you to do the same for them when they’re not available.

       In your online employee collaboration app, you may want to include any notes specifying that that you’ll be out of contact for a few hours during the day and invite people to find time outside that window to connect.

       If you’ll be out for longer than a few hours during the day, you should write an OOO email message.

       You may need to set boundaries around projects as well. For example, in your company's email or employee collaboration app, you may need to write a message saying that you won’t be able to work on a project until a specific date — usually, after your current project ends.

       Objective: State what the purpose of the policy is, such as the need to strictly limit the criteria for off-hours communication because employees deserve time away from work to be their best selves at work.

       Nature of work: This section talks about the criteria required to call an employee outside of work.

       Expectations: The expectations about when employees should be contacted, such as whether they’re for all employees or just those employees who aren’t formally on leave.

       Communication: This section should include the employees who need to be contacted about a critical business issue. You need to list how you should communicate with each of those employees, such as by way of text, email, or phone call. And the policy needs to tell people what to say during the call, including the issue or problem at hand, what needs to be done, the timeframe, and the preferred ending.

       Employee responsibility: This section needs to explain what the employee is responsible for, such asNot contacting other employees unless absolutely necessaryCommunicating when they will be unavailable, such as in a family emergencyProviding regular feedback during the crisis

       The HR manager’s responsibility: This section lists what the human resources (HR) department is responsible for, includingCommunicating the policy parameters to employees — especially new employeesManaging any concerns and grievances about the policyDetermining whether employees who are unable to respond to work-related matters after-hours should be reprimanded

       Testing: Once the policy is in place, have a limited-time test — such as a few months — and then have a company-wide review of the policy to see whether any changes need to be made.