diff --git a/.transpire.py b/.transpire.py
index af8b7e7..d331160 100644
--- a/.transpire.py
+++ b/.transpire.py
@@ -407,6 +407,9 @@ def objects():
             "check.py": Path(__file__)
             .parent.joinpath("sopel", "plugins", "check.py")
             .read_text(),
+            "lab.py": Path(__file__)
+            .parent.joinpath("sopel", "plugins", "lab.py")
+            .read_text(),
         },
     }
 
diff --git a/sopel/plugins/README.md b/sopel/plugins/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6dc406
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sopel/plugins/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# plugins
+
+To port things from ircbot...
+
+- replace `msg.match` with `trigger`
+- replace `msg.respond` with `bot.reply`
+  - if `ping=False` in the `msg.respond` replace it with `bot.say`
+- add any extra python packages needed to the dockerfile (`pipx inject`)
+- add the plugin to `.transpire.py` along with the others
diff --git a/sopel/plugins/check.py b/sopel/plugins/check.py
index 29bcda5..3417ea3 100644
--- a/sopel/plugins/check.py
+++ b/sopel/plugins/check.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def check(bot, trigger):
         else:
             created = "unknown"
 
-        bot.reply(
+        bot.say(
             "{user} ({uid}) | {name} | created {created} | groups: {groups}".format(
                 user=user,
                 uid=attrs["uidNumber"],
@@ -49,10 +49,9 @@ def check(bot, trigger):
                 created=created,
                 groups=", ".join(groups),
             ),
-            ping=False,
         )
     else:
-        bot.reply(f"{user} does not exist", ping=False)
+        bot.say(f"{user} does not exist")
 
 
 def alphanum(word):
diff --git a/sopel/plugins/lab.py b/sopel/plugins/lab.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7860718
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sopel/plugins/lab.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+"""Get information about the lab."""
+
+from ocflib.lab.stats import staff_in_lab
+from ocflib.lab.stats import users_in_lab_count
+
+from sopel import plugin
+
+
+@plugin.rule(r"is ([a-z]+) in the lab")
+def in_lab(bot, trigger):
+    """Check if a staffer is in the lab."""
+    username = trigger.group(1).strip()
+    for session in staff_in_lab():
+        if username == session.user:
+            bot.reply(f"{username} is in the lab")
+            break
+    else:
+        bot.reply(f"{username} is not in the lab")
+
+
+def _prevent_ping(staffer):
+    """Hack to prevent pinging the person by inserting a zero-width no-break space in their name."""
+    return staffer[0] + "\u2060" + staffer[1:]
+
+
+@plugin.rule(r"(who is|who's) in the lab", r"(?i)w+i+t+l+")
+def who_is_in_lab(bot, trigger):
+    """Report on who is currently in the lab."""
+    staff = {session.user for session in staff_in_lab()}
+    total = users_in_lab_count()
+
+    if total != 1:
+        are_number_people = f"are {total} people"
+    else:
+        are_number_people = "is 1 person"
+
+    if staff:
+        staff_list = ": {}".format(
+            ", ".join(sorted(_prevent_ping(staffer) for staffer in staff))
+        )
+    else:
+        staff_list = ""
+
+    bot.reply(
+        "there {} in the lab, including {} staff{}".format(
+            are_number_people,
+            len(staff),
+            staff_list,
+        ),
+    )