Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be feeling totally drained by long meetings every single morning?

77 replies

Maria53 · 03/04/2020 07:19

Hi everyone. Before remote working, we would have one staff meeting per week. Useful to catch up and brainstorm etc.

But now that we are remote working we are required to have a meeting every morning for up to an hour some days. These meetings have no agenda and mainly consist of 'do we have anything to cover? No? Yes? No? Funny story btw...' or most of us sit in silence because we're fed up waiting to be released.

I am now regularly finishing work 30-45 mins late to get those tasks done that I don't have time for in the morning. I thought it was just me until my colleague messaged me during yesterday's meeting saying 'is this really necessary? This starting my day off in the wrong foot every day'. Another colleague said they like them as it is 'better than looking at four walls' which is valid for them.

This morning I woke at 6 with debilitating pain due to suspected endometriosis. I'm going to have to sit on the couch with a hit water bottle so I'm not attending this time. But it won't spare me other days!

Do people think I can bring this up or not?

OP posts:
forrasee · 03/04/2020 08:13

Why not just say hello, mute your microphone and crack on with work?

EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 03/04/2020 08:14

we have two daily, morning & afternoon; I don't mind them, they're limited to twenty minutes and optional. (and well chaired, so do end on twenty minutes) TBH in a fast moving environment I feel better informed than when at work sometimes.
First week I asked if we needed the regular weekly staff meeting - response was "yes of course" - that has now been reduced to fortnightly, and I've been off this week, but I think the daily meetings may be going down to once daily.

If you're sick, I think you need to ask yourself whether you'd have gone in to work or not if you hadn't been working from home. You may feel up to doing some work across the day, but call or email your line manager & explain.

hope that you feel better soon.

Original poster
Maria53 · 03/04/2020 08:15

@Gwenhwyfar I can reply to emails and do some admin style tasks which I am doing. Other colleagues are emailing during them and clearly doing the same.

But main part of my job is writing in depth well researched articles and I really can't do that with people droning on/a distraction. We have never been asked how we feel the new systems are going after 2 weeks of remote working.

OP posts:
justanotherneighinparadise · 03/04/2020 08:15

My DP is also stuck to the sofa everyday with countless video conferences where he says nothing important is discussed, because no one can get on with the work they need to be doing! Crazy.

LakieLady · 03/04/2020 08:15

Why do you need to be dressed and sat up at a desk in order to be ready to work?

Quite! I've done some of my best work from my bed, with my laptop on my knees.

I have to work from the sofa, anyway. DP has a camping table set up in the spare room and an "office" type chair. He needs it more than I do, he uses a separate monitor and keyboard (and struggles with just one monitor, he has 2 in the office) and is full time, whereas I use a laptop and only do 17 hours.

I've tried sitting at the kitchen table, but it's too high or the chairs are too low or something, but it kills my neck and shoulders, so I work from my sofa. Mind you, that's not doing my back any good either!

blackteaplease · 03/04/2020 08:15

@Maria53 mute your microphone and multitask during the meeting. It's not as productive but you will get stuff done.

Gastropod · 03/04/2020 08:16

I'm head of a close knit team, and we connect for 15 minutes every morning for a very short check-in and then on with the day. Anybody who doesn't want to join can opt out, but so far everybody has connected. It's a quick round the table of who is where with their tasks and any questions.
For me as their manager it's very useful as I am totally up to speed on what's going on. By email it would be much harder for me to follow up, especially if decisions need to be made and people sit and wait for me to reply before getting on with things.
However, in light of your post, I might ask straight out if people want to maintain the schedule or if they'd rather reduce the frequency.

Original poster
Maria53 · 03/04/2020 08:17

I don't know if I had would have gone in. I don't get paid if I am off work sick, so I have actually dragged myself in apart from 1 sick day when I have been unwell. I know it will take me longer to do my tasks due to how I feel.

OP posts:
EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 03/04/2020 08:19

Why not just say hello, mute your microphone and crack on with work?
good idea - we use zoom, and you can just display a photo of yourself too, so that you just hear what's going on, and no one will know if you're working, listening to the meeting with rapt attention or feeding the cat.
I often use that in the office where I don't need to attend a meeting but useful to listen in while I get on with something else.

Lordfrontpaw · 03/04/2020 08:19

We have one too. It’s ok - I know the boss is trying to keep everyone motivated and feel valuable... but it is ‘so hows everyone feeling? What’s the shops like near you? How’s the cabin fever?’

Original poster
Maria53 · 03/04/2020 08:22

Same sort of tone Lordfrontpaws. In reality no one is going to own up to how they are really feeling in a mass staff meeting.

A social chat would be great, at another time, but it is frustrating when you have important things to get on with.

OP posts:
Original poster
Maria53 · 03/04/2020 08:23

Zoom - we all have to use our videos during a call Sad everyone complains if they cant see a person!

OP posts:
EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 03/04/2020 08:25

If you're only working 17 hours, and a lot of that is research and writing rather than interactive stuff with the team, can you not work flexible hours and avoid some of the team meetings

thewinkingprawn · 03/04/2020 08:28

We run a small business - we have an optional 11-11.30 every morning. The reality is that it ends up being a how is everyone, what did everyone watch last night etc. Everyone joins and I’m sure not everyone loves them but these are difficult times, it’s hard to know what to do as a business owner and manager to keep the heart of the business together (the people!). So much of a company is in the general chit chat etc. It isn’t perfect but right at this moment and whilst people are trying to do their best I would just suck it up. Say hello, put it on mute and get on with your work as a PP has suggested.

Original poster
Maria53 · 03/04/2020 08:35

Thewinkingprawn - it's good to get your perspective as a business owner. I am sure it is not easy to know what to do during this time.

But I don't agree that people should suck it up if it is affecting their mental health. It is affecting mine, my colleague said it is affecting hers, a couple on here have said the same. Someone above said they will be asking staff their feelings on the way things are working after reading f this thread and I would be so grateful ir our MD would do similar.

OP posts:
bathorshower · 03/04/2020 08:36

Even with your video on, if you've got a two screen setup (my laptop is connected to a monitor), then you can keep zoom on one screen while you work on the other. Careful angling of the camera would make this pretty difficult to detect. Would this be possible for you?

dontdisturbmenow · 03/04/2020 08:40

I think it's perfectly reasonable. Things are not as they usually are, people have to work differently, and most have less work to do. It is the right thing to do to have a check in every morning for the manager to have sight of who will be doing what that day.

That and insuring that staff don't take this as an opportunity to sleep until 10am. One hour -although you say sometimes up to one hour, so that's not the case every day- might be over the top and you can suggest reducing them to 1/2 hour.

It's very easy to have the laptop to only show your top half or even face.

Thesnacklady · 03/04/2020 08:41

I find this really frustrating too! Since this lockdown I could in theory spend about 30% of my time in zoom or teams meetings.

It was so bad at the start it really put me off so I said outright to one of the groups that wanted a daily “catch up” I’m not joining you daily, I have too much to do I’ll join in once a week. Can you,
Outline your to do list to your line manager and explain that the meetings detract you from focused work?

And if you need to check in just drop an e-mail first thing to your boss. Otherwise what someone else suggested of popping your face in saying hello and then muting and cracking on with work.

It’s a fine balance and it can leave employees feeling like they are not trusted to get in with it at home but also for some it’s more a case of checking if everyone is ok, so sometimes is more a friendly thing.

I’m with you though - I HATE meetings that are not productive.

Makeitgoaway · 03/04/2020 08:43

Two hours I was on one yesterday. I spoke to my boss separately afterwards and she said they take so long because only one person can speak at a time, which says a lot about our usual meetings Grin

StealthPolarBear · 03/04/2020 08:49

Just having to remember to log on stops me working at times, I can't get stuck into anything as I know im going to have to stop and join the meeting.

ChipsAreLife · 03/04/2020 08:49

If it doesn't already suggest having an agenda. It gets sent round the afternoon before and keeps the call on track.

I hate meetings for the sake of meetings!

JudyCoolibar · 03/04/2020 08:54

I've taken to having something I can read out of sight of the camera for some of these meetings.

CliveyBaby · 03/04/2020 08:57

My research group has "virtual lunch" on Mondays and Fridays, and we have meetings about our project on a Wednesday. I think this works quite well - lunchtime is for casual chat and is optional, project meetings are obviously about the project.
I think the important thing is to separate out what meetings are for, and stick to it.

happinessischocolate · 03/04/2020 09:03

Just plonk your laptop next to the tv, have tv on mute with subtitles and just sit there with a cup of tea, one eye on the laptop one on the tv 😂

Lovely way to start the working day, I sometimes even have toast too

AwkwardPaws27 · 03/04/2020 09:06

I suspect there's probably an extrovert / introvert split here.
The extroverts will leave those morning meetings feeling energised, whereas the introverts will feel drained.
I'm finding there's a lot of meetings where an email would do - and I'd rather have an email as I'm much better at processing written text than auditory (and people tend to get more to the point in an email!)