“Seriously, red means ‘I’m unavailable.’”

Did you know that colors can create tension across the generations?

The reality is that if you have implemented new technology during this transition to WFH, then the different generations across your team are most likely experiencing it in varying ways.
Imagine that as a Millennial, you set your status to red. To you, this communicates that you are busy & do not want to be interrupted. In fact, you feel good about letting your team know that you are really focused. You have communicated honestly.
Now imagine as a Boomer or an Xer, you have a quick question for the Millennial on your team. So, you do what you would normally do & shoot them a quick IM.
What happens next is often the root of some unresolved tension across the generations. The Boomer/Xer is simply asking a question & believes that the Millennial will answer when they have time.
The Millennial feels disrespected as if there was an intrusion across the boundary that they established. They also feel like they have to respond right away. It is their boss after all.
One small piece of advice, take a few minutes to discuss the way your team communicates through the different mediums you are using. Don’t assume that everyone is playing by the same rules.