Open My Profile, select Edit Profile & Settings, then the Availability tab, switch on Enable Office Hours, write your Away Message, tick the days you work and set a From and To time for each, then select Save. When someone @mentions you in a group chat outside those hours, Equip posts your away message in that group on your behalf. Messages are still delivered and nothing is blocked. Team members with office hours enabled can also be shown as availability blocks on the calendar.
Who can do this, and where
Web only, on the Availability tab. The tab exists for team members, not participants.
Every team member can set their own. Administrators and roles that can edit team members can also set someone else's from that person's profile.
Steps
Select your profile photo or initials in the top-right corner, then My Profile.
Select Edit Profile & Settings, then Availability in the left-hand menu.
Switch on Enable Office Hours.
Under Away Message, type what people should see when they mention you outside your hours. Links, phone numbers and emergency instructions are fine. The box starts with the default text "I am currently unable to respond."
Under Office Hours, tick each day you are available. Each ticked day gets a From and To range, defaulting to 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Select + Add Time Range on a day to add a second range, for example a morning and an afternoon block. Use the remove button next to a range to delete it.
Select Save. The page shows "Availability saved successfully!".
Times are in the time zone on your General tab. Untick a day to remove its hours; switching Enable Office Hours off keeps your hours saved but stops the away message.
What office hours do
Group chat: when a message @mentions you outside your hours, Equip immediately posts your away message in that group as a message from you. Mentions inside your hours, and messages that do not mention you, post nothing.
Calendar: on the Calendar, switch on Show Availability to see blocks titled "[Name]: Available" for team members with office hours enabled. Pick specific people under Available Team Members, or switch on Availability Only to hide events. Team members with office hours switched off, or who are inactive, are not listed.
Nothing is blocked or delayed. Participants and team members can still message you at any time, and you still receive the notification.
Limits and what the errors mean
"Failed to save availability. Please check the errors below." with a range highlighted: the To time is not after the From time. Equip labels the field error "End time must be before start time.", which reads backwards; fix it by making the To time later than the From time.
No Availability tab: you are looking at a participant's profile. Only team members have office hours.
The away message posts more than once: it posts every time you are mentioned outside your hours, once per mention.
Wrong hours on the calendar: office hours follow the time zone on your General tab, so check it if you have moved.
Office hours are per person. There is no account-wide schedule; each team member sets their own.
FAQ
Does Equip stop messages outside my office hours?
No. Every message is delivered as usual. Office hours only add an automatic away message when someone @mentions you in a group chat outside your hours.
What message do people see when I am away?
The text in your Away Message box, posted in the group as a message from you. Until you change it, that is "I am currently unable to respond."
Can I set different hours on different days, or two blocks in one day?
Yes. Each ticked day has its own From and To times, and + Add Time Range adds another block to that day.
Can an administrator set office hours for someone else?
Yes. Anyone who can edit a team member can open that person's profile, select Edit Profile & Settings, then Availability, and save hours and an away message for them.
How do I turn office hours off temporarily?
Switch off Enable Office Hours and select Save. Your days and times are kept, so switching it back on restores them.
Why does my availability not show on the calendar?
Show Availability only lists active team members who have Enable Office Hours switched on. Check the toggle is on and saved, and that the viewer picked you (or left Available Team Members empty to show everyone).
Do office hours apply to participants?
No. Participants have no Availability tab and are always treated as available.
Related
Introduction to Groups
Edit a team member's profile, role and settings
Managing Your Calendar