I have always used "punch up" in the context of reminding or prodding someone for something such as:
"I just punched up Jane that she needs to turn in her vacation schedule"
When I used this expression recently, my slightly younger colleague said he'd never heard it before...so I looked it up.
There is...
"punch out" for hitting someone
"punched" as in a time clock
"punched up" which refers to improving one's writing
"punch up, not punch down" as a reminder to not use comedy to be cruel to the oppressed
...but I can't find a single example online nor in Google Books for "punch up" or "punched up" as a reminder.
I'm in the US and have been in the workforce since 1978 - can the expression be completely extinct? Does anyone have any idea whether that expression was ever used by anyone other than me?