Can Out of Office rules be linked to specific JIRA issue types or does it apply to all issues?

Out of Office rules by default trigger for any issue assigned to the rule owner. They can be restricted to specific issues by project or by using a JQL filter.

Further information: JQL based rules

What is the process for deactivating an Out of Office rule before the planned end date?

Any Out of Office rule can be manually deactivated before its end date by navigating to the rule, clicking the three dots icon, and selecting “deactivate rule”.

Further information: The List of Out of Office Rules

How are Out of Office rule reassignments resolved when multiple users are designated as coverers?

When multiple coverers are designated, the app assigns the issue to the user with the lower number of reassignments, working similarly to a round robin.

Further information: User Walkthrough

Raise a feature request: If interested in other methods, please raise a ticket with our support team here with the summary “Please add a reassignment method”.

Can users configure Out of Office rules to only be active during certain hours of the day?

Out of Office rules are active for the entire day by default. However, through Tempo integration, it’s possible to connect Out of Office to plans scheduled only during specific times.

Further information: Tempo Integration

Raise a feature request: Time-based rules are on our roadmap and we expect to release them in Q2 2024. If beneficial for your team, please raise a ticket here with the summary “Please add time-based rules”, as this will allow us to gather more feedback and design the feature with your use case in mind.

Can users set up Out of Office rules that automatically recur annually for events like bank holidays?

Currently, it’s not possible to create recurring bank holiday events.

Raise a feature request: If this feature would benefit your team, please raise a ticket here with the summary “Please add bank holidays”.

How do I configure a Rule to notify my team when I'm about to go on leave?

Out of Office rules don’t currently notify about upcoming absences. However, the assistant can add tags to mentions of users soon going on leave.

Further information: Adding Tags to Mentions and Using JQL for Out of Office Status. 

Raise a feature request: For this feature, please raise a ticket here with the summary “Notify of upcoming leaves”.  Keep reading on 

Is it possible to have multiple active Out of Office rules for a single user simultaneously?

Yes, a single user can have multiple active Out of Office rules simultaneously, as long as each rule has a different scope.

Further information: User Walkthrough

Is there a maximum number of coverers I can assign in one Out of Office Rule?

There is no limit to the number of coverers in a single rule.

Further information: User Walkthrough

Can Rules be configured based on team or group membership within JIRA?

Out of Office currently doesn’t support groups or JIRA teams, but all members of a group or team can be added as coverers for one rule.

Further information: User Walkthrough

Raise a feature request: For group configuration, please raise a ticket here with the summary “Group configuration”.

Can we set up Out of Office rules to exclude specific JIRA projects?

Yes, Out of Office rules can be configured to exclude specific JIRA projects either by selecting only one project or using a JQL filter.

Further information: User Walkthrough

If a user's leave is extended, do existing Rules need to be manually updated?

Yes! If a user’s leave is extended, the rules in Out of Office should be manually updated unless there is an external integration, such as Google Calendar through Zapier.

Further information: Integration with Google Calendar

How are Rules triggered for unplanned absences like sickness?

For unplanned absences like sickness, Out of Office rules can be created or activated by Project Admins or Jira Admins.

Further information: Admin Walkthrough

How does the Out of Office Rule configuration differ for administrators versus regular users?

Regular users can manage their own rules, while Jira admins can manage rules for any user. Project Admins can manage rules for team members in the projects they manage.

Further information: Admin Walkthrough, Project Admin Walkthrough

Can Rules be applied or suggested automatically based on historical absence patterns?

Currently, the app does not suggest rules based on historical patterns, but suggestions for AI functions are welcome.

Raise a feature request: Please send your suggestions here.

Can Out of Office Rules interact with approval workflows for leave requests within JIRA?

No, it’s not currently possible to trigger Out of Office rules as a result of approving a leave request in Jira.

Raise a feature request: For this feature, please raise a ticket here with the summary “leave requests”.

How granular can Rule conditions be, such as specific issue statuses or assignee groups?

Rule conditions can be as specific as needed, thanks to the support of JQL.

Further information: JQL based rules

Can Rules be linked to external systems, such as HR software, for leave management?

Yes, Out of Office Assistant for Jira can be linked to external systems thanks to its full REST API.

Further information: Access the API documentation here.

Can Rules prevent existing issue assignments or just deal with new ones?

Out of Office rules deal with new issue assignments and allow manual bulk reassignments of open issues.

Further information: Keep reading on Assigning Open Issues to Coverers.

Can users override their Out of Office Rules in cases where they return early from leave?

Yes, Out of Office rules can be deactivated manually at any time.

Further information: User Walkthrough