Forum Discussion
Notify when available feature in NEW Teams app
11/28 update: please upvote this issue here in the feedback portal: Notify when available not in new teams? · Community (microsoft.com) The "Notify when available" feature doesn't appear to be av...
I'm counting the days until it's finally gone and there's no way to use the old Teams anymore. Thank you Microsoft for not bringing back this horrible stalking tool.
I think everyone who wants it back should take a deep breath and try to understand that the 90s are over. I think if you have to stalk your coworkers, you are part of the problem of modern work avoidance and definitely not part of the solution to a modern workplace.
Hopefully it really won't come back or if it does only as weak as read receipts for emails in Outlook.
I think everyone who wants it back should take a deep breath and try to understand that the 90s are over. I think if you have to stalk your coworkers, you are part of the problem of modern work avoidance and definitely not part of the solution to a modern workplace.
Hopefully it really won't come back or if it does only as weak as read receipts for emails in Outlook.
I do not agree with you at all. This has nothing to do with stalking. I do not know which world you're coming from but everywhere in many SoMe/Collaboration tools it is possible to see online status so what is different here? Actually it makes the collaboration even better to know when people are online and available.
Are you one of them not willing to collaborate then you can disable the feature and live on your own planet.
Happy Easter.
Are you one of them not willing to collaborate then you can disable the feature and live on your own planet.
Happy Easter.
- this is a terrible stalking tool. as long as you work in a small company it can be helpful under certain circumstances, but if you are contacted or called directly by 40 different people as soon as you have the status available, the fun simply stops.
If I would get a notification as soon as someone wants to monitor my status and I can prevent that, I'm in.
In the last iteration it wasn't like that and therefore terrible. I am convinced that good modern collaboration also requires good communication. Nobody dies if you simply write a message to the person you want to get in touch with saying "please contact me about topic xy as soon as you have time" - it can be that simple and collaboration at eye level is the result.
most people here just seem to want to monitor whether someone is working or not, which is a huge problem and stalking and also a very sensitive legal issue in terms of employee monitoring.- "If I would get a notification as soon as someone wants to monitor my status and I can prevent that, I'm in."
This is a fair point, I'd be happy with this!- I agree - So isn't that already a feature to hide the status ?
I don't know why you say 'most people here just seem to want to monitor whether someone is working or not' when a large number of people have explained that it's in fact the opposite, and people want to maximise their own time, rather than spending time checking and checking whether someone is available or not.
You're also not taking into account time differences for global companies, where I might be pinging someone in the middle of their night, rather than being reminded that it's now 9am in Hong Kong or Dallas, so they're on-line and I can catch them as their day starts. And of course, neurodivergences - one of the biggest things ND people were concerned about in my company, was 'bothering' people when they aren't available, and if they don't have a 'notify when available', they'll either keep checking - which ruins their ability to focus - and very probably go off and do something else and forget about it. I think you're making a big assumption, which may be based on your own experiences, and while I'm sure some want to monitor their employees, it's not 'most people' at all. Teams presence is not a valid metric for availability monitoring and I hope most companies know they'd be on shaky ground if they try to pursue such on that basis.
It's all a moot point really, because it doesn't look like it's coming back anyway. It's more frustrating how Microsoft can just ignore so many voices!
I admit that this is a bit too short-sighted and generalized, but from my point of view there are many ways to achieve the same thing without getting notifications as soon as someone is online, simply by communicating. There seems to be a lack of knowledge about the communication options that Teams offers.
from my point of view, there is simply no other use for such tools, as there are always better and, above all, nicer options than simple monitoring.
No one has to check if someone is available if you simply leave a message asking to be contacted. this way, they can decide and plan when they have time for your request.
I work with many colleagues across different time zones, in Teams it shows whether the people are before or after my time, so I can use scheduled messages to choose a time when my counterpart is sure not to be disturbed in the middle of the night (apart from the fact that something goes wrong if you don't have your notifications under control and are woken up by your teams in the middle of the night, but that's another topic).
- I agree the should be a balance between efficient communication and respecting individual boundaries.
Indeed, tools that track availability and status can be valuable for coordination and productivity, especially in small companies or fast-paced environments. However, as you rightly pointed out, misuse or overuse of such tools can lead to unintended consequences.
**Effective communication** remains a cornerstone of successful collaboration. A simple message like "please contact me about topic xy as soon as you have time" demonstrates respect for colleagues' schedules and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. It's a small gesture that can significantly enhance teamwork.
**Employee monitoring** is indeed a sensitive issue. Striking the right balance between accountability and privacy is crucial. Organizations should prioritize transparency, clear policies, and open dialogue to address concerns related to monitoring.
I agree that collaboration at eye level, built on trust and respectful communication, is essential for a healthy work environment. 🤝
