Control your comms calendar with blackout dates
Why blackout dates matter
With Workshop’s blackout dates, you can confidently plan your internal communications and reduce the risk of sending messages at the wrong time. And with the added benefit of the “set it & forget it” feature, you can set blackout periods and know that your communications will be automatically adjusted to fit your calendar!
- Avoid disruptions on sensitive days: Whether it’s a holiday or a company event, blackout dates ensure that no work-related updates interrupt important downtime.
- Support employee well-being: You’ll be reinforcing the company’s commitment to work-life balance by preventing communications during vacation days, off-hours, or high-stress events.
- Tackle crisis communications: In a crisis, timing is critical! Blackout dates can help make sure that no other automated or scheduled emails are going out during a major event.
Practical ways to use blackout dates
Blackout dates seamlessly fit into your communication planning process, giving you the flexibility to plan in advance while respecting employees’ time. Here are a few common scenarios:
- Holidays: Block out recognized company holidays or religious observances to make sure no messages go out during those times.
- Geographic or political events: Stay considerate of global events and local holidays to ensure your messages don’t clash with sensitive moments.
- Company events: Block out company-wide events (like retreats, all-hands meetings, or team-building activities) to avoid overwhelming employees with communication during these busy days.
How blackout dates work:
Blackout dates are a natural extension of Workshop’s unique communications calendar, which gives you a bird’s-eye view of all of the emails being sent to employees: past, present, and future. Here’s the nitty-gritty on how blackout dates function within our platform!
Create single or multi-day blackout periods: You can easily mark dates on your communications calendar as blackout periods, whether it’s for a single day or spanning multiple days. This allows you to proactively prevent messages from being sent out during critical events.
Draft mode for scheduled messages: If a communication is scheduled for a blackout date, it will automatically be moved back to a draft, and the email owner will receive a notification to adjust the timing.
Prevent scheduling errors: When an email is about to be scheduled on a blackout date, your team will be notified that they can’t proceed. This eliminates any accidental sends and ensures that all communications are perfectly timed!
Flexible management:: You can edit or delete blackout dates as or if needed.
Getting started with blackout dates is easy! Simply navigate to your communications calendar in Workshop, select the date(s) you want to block, and mark them as blackout periods. From there, you can feel confident that your internal communications will be more thoughtful, timely, and aligned with your team’s needs.
Not a Workshop customer yet? Schedule a short demo today to see how blackout dates, along with our drag-and-drop editor and analytics tools, can help streamline your internal communications planning.
We’re here to help every step of the way, so don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or feedback.
Happy planning! ✨
