Set a custom status message

I need today’s custom status set so teammates know my availability while I finish the quarterly reports. Set my status message to “Heads down on Q2 reports — reply by email if urgent” and schedule it to clear at 5:00 PM Friday. Confirm it displays on my profile and appears in chat hovercards so project members see it immediately.

Before I set this status for the project team, make it clear and actionable for reviewers: put the exact return time up front, use plain words rather than jargon, and avoid ambiguous phrases like 'away.' Suggest two shorter alternatives that fit a 140-character limit and one that signals critical-only contact.

I changed my status to 'In heads-down reporting until 5pm Friday' and two people still DM'd me. I don't know whether the status didn't save, whether it's not visible to them, or whether they ignore statuses. What's the most likely cause and what should I check or do next to prevent interruptions?

This keeps happening: I set clear statuses to block deep work, but teammates still message me. Where am I losing credibility or enforcement? Recommend one habit change for me and one small team norm to set so my blocked time is respected regularly.