How to Keep Your Microsoft Teams Status Always Available

Microsoft Teams, a powerful communication and collaboration tool, often frustrates users with its auto status change feature. By default, your status can change to 'Away' after five minutes of inactivity, which can be an annoyance, especially for remote workers. But, is it possible to set a Microsoft Teams status as always available? This article explores the possibilities and provides a reliable workaround.

Understanding Microsoft Teams Status Settings

Moving from one status setting to another on Microsoft Teams is key to effective communication. Here are the primary options you have:

Manual Status Change: You have control over your status, allowing you to set it to reflect your current availability or mood. Status Duration: You can set a specific duration for which your status is maintained, but it'll revert to the default after that. Preventing Automatic Status Change: To maintain a consistent status, you can disable the auto change feature. Using Power Automate: For a more advanced approach, leveraging Power Automate to periodically set your status can be achieved but requires technical setup and knowledge.

Is There a Straightforward Solution?

Unfortunately, there isn't a straightforward way to completely disable the automatic status change in Microsoft Teams. Many users find the 'Away' status after five minutes of inactivity to be an obstacle, and some companies even use this feature to monitor the work habits of their remote employees.

Workaround to Maintain 'Always Available' Status

Here's a trick that can help you maintain a 'Busy' or 'Available' status:

Open your Microsoft Teams app. Click on 'Teams' from the left-hand menu. Select 'Join or Create a Team'. Create a new team with only yourself as a member. Proceed with the steps until the team is ready. Start a video call with yourself by clicking the camera icon in the upper right corner. Your status will now change to 'Busy'. Use the profile menu to change it to 'Available'. Leave the meeting and continue working in the background. Your status will not change.

While this workaround is effective in the short term, it is not a long-term solution. It requires constant vigilance and might be seen as unprofessional by others. Remote workers often face challenges such as stress related to their work status. Therefore, it's advisable to discuss this issue with your People Operations team to reduce the anxiety associated with being 'Away'.

Advantages of Microsoft Teams

Even with the auto status change feature, Microsoft Teams continues to be a beloved tool for many organizations. One of its benefits is the visibility it offers to management regarding employee activity. For instance, macro managers can use Teams to monitor and evaluate the work habits of their direct reports.

Using Microsoft Teams for Management Evaluations

As a manager, you can hover over an employee's name after the contact card appears. Look for 'Organization Reports' and check the hours they've worked today. This feature can provide valuable insights and ensure efficient work management.

Most of us, however, spend more time coding in Linux environments or working on complex projects in Windows. Microsoft Teams remains a useful tool for incidental collaboration and communication, especially for work conducted from home or while traveling.

By understanding the capabilities and limitations of Microsoft Teams, you can maximize its potential for effective communication and collaboration while managing the stress associated with remote work.

With the right approach and occasional workarounds, Microsoft Teams can be a valuable tool for both employees and managers alike.