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Setting an Away/Out of Office status for a User as an Admin

Anonymous
2024-05-22T13:50:08+00:00

Hey, I noticed people asked this question before and Microsoft, in its infinite wisdom, doesn't have an option to do so (Inshallah, they add this feature).

The workaround I use is to log into the Exchange Admin Center, and go to their mailbox; click the "Other" tab; and "Manage Automatic Replies".

This will set an Out of Office status for the user.

Props to my co-worker, Ray, for teaching me this.

Peace out, y'all ✌🏾

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Other

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-05-22T14:21:49+00:00

    Hi Emanuel,

    Thank you for reaching out. My name is Furkaan, a user just like you. I’d be happy to help you with your concerns. You're absolutely right! While Microsoft Teams itself doesn't allow admins to directly set a user's status message, your workaround using the Exchange Admin Centre (EAC) is a clever solution. It leverages the fact that Teams presence is often synced with Outlook status, including automatic replies.

    Here's a quick breakdown of your workaround:

    Log in to the Exchange Admin Centre (EAC). Navigate to the mailbox of the user who needs an out-of-office message. Click on the "Mailbox features" tab (may vary slightly depending on version). Locate the "Automatic Replies" section and click "Manage." This opens a window where you can create a custom out-of-office message, set the duration it remains active, and configure who receives the reply (internal or external senders). Once saved, the message will appear when someone tries to contact the user in Teams as well as Outlook.

    Here are some additional points to consider:

    While this method works, it's important to communicate with the user before setting an out-of-office message on their behalf. If the user already has a custom Teams presence message set, it might override the automatic reply message.

    If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Give back to the Community. Help the next person who has this issue by indicating if this reply solved your problem. Click Yes or No below. Best Regards, Furkaan

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
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