Update messaging and work schedule expectations

[Copilot]

Updates communication guidelines to clarify response time expectations, vacation protocols, work-life balance practices, and collaboration tools based on DOCX review feedback.

Response Time Expectations

• Removed specific time requirement for Teams mentions (now "as quickly as possible")
• Changed email response to "within a work day" with timezone clarification
• Added vacation exception: responses not expected until end of first work day back (or longer if significant backlog)
• Added context about working across time zones with no set working hours

New Section: Managing Notifications and Work-Life Balance

• Lab members should block notifications outside work hours for healthy R&R time
• No expectation to send or schedule-send messages only during work hours
• Recipients manage their own notification schedules

New Section: Setting Away Status and Autoresponse

• Mark Outlook calendar as away for planned absences
• Set autoresponse indicating expected return date
• Update Teams status when away

Task Management Updates

• Changed "Microsoft To-Do" to "Microsoft Teams & Planner"
• Added expectations for setting up Teams pages for important degree requirements (QE) and projects
• Specified 2 weeks' notice appreciated for letters and larger review projects

Shared Documents Section

• Renamed from "Google Drive" to "Shared Documents"
• Updated to reflect using Microsoft 365 for internal collaboration and GoogleDocs for external collaborators

Original prompt

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This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>add details on messaging and work schedule expectations</issue_title>
<issue_description>for all forms of communication (email, Teams chat, etc) you should respond to mentions and direct messages within one work day (instead of within 24 hours). if you're on vacation, not expected to respond until the end of your first work day back (or possibly longer, if you've been out for a while and have a backlog).

When away, we should set autoresponse and mark away on your outlook calendar. your autoresponse should indicate when you expect to be back at work.

lab members should manage their notification schedules, especially if they receive work email or Teams notifications on their phones. It's important to block notifications outside of work hours; we all need uninterrupted R&R time in order to stay healthy and productive in the medium and long-terms.

That said, there's no expectation to only send emails/messages during normal work hours. Nor is there an expectation to schedule-send emails/messages that were composed outside of work hours; just send them immediately, and let the recipients manage their own notification schedules. Maybe they are working different hours, and maybe they will want the information in your message sooner! We also don't want to spend effort overthinking schedule-sending.</issue_description>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

• Fixes add details on messaging and work schedule expectations #167

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[github-actions]

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[kaiemjoy]

@copilot please incorporate my edits in the track changes version of the lab manual attached here.
UCD-SeRG-Lab-Manual_KA.docx

[Copilot]

@copilot please incorporate my edits in the track changes version of the lab manual attached here.
[UCD-SeRG-Lab-Manual_KA.docx](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/24892615/UCD-SeRG-Lab-Manua...

I've incorporated the tracked changes from your DOCX file (commit d3c42da).

Changes made:

• Added new paragraph about working across time zones and no set working hours
• Updated Microsoft Teams response expectations (removed specific time constraint)
• Changed unusually busy example to "preparing for QE/grant deadline, taking two exams"
• Updated Email section to "within a work day" with timezone clarification
• Changed "Microsoft To-Do" to "Microsoft Teams & Planner" with detailed expectations for setting up Teams pages and review timelines
• Renamed "Google Drive" section to "Shared Documents" with updated content about using Microsoft 365 internally and GoogleDocs with external collaborators

All changes have been tested and the book renders successfully.

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

This PR updates the communication guidelines in the lab manual to provide clearer expectations around response times, work-life balance, and vacation protocols. The changes reflect a more nuanced understanding of asynchronous work across time zones while emphasizing the importance of healthy boundaries.

Changes:

• Clarified response time expectations to be timezone-aware ("within a work day" in your timezone) with explicit vacation exceptions
• Added new section on managing notifications and work-life balance, encouraging members to block notifications outside work hours while removing pressure to schedule-send messages
• Added new checklist section for setting away status across multiple platforms (Outlook, Teams, autoresponse)
• Updated task management tools from "Microsoft To-Do" to "Microsoft Teams & Planner" with expectations for project tracking
• Renamed "Google Drive" section to "Shared Documents" to reflect Microsoft 365 for internal collaboration