Is anyone else finding that they can mute themselves in team meetings and they're not missed?!

[Impiz]

My company (public sector) LOVE a good meeting. We even have meetings to plan meetings. It's ridiculous and I resent the amount of time we have to waste on them.

Anyway over the last few weeks these meetings have gone on to Microsoft Teams. I'm finding that I can mute my microphone and switch off my video and get on with some other work for 1.5-2 hours. Albeit with one ear on the meeting on the off-chance that I'm spoken to by name, but I haven't been yet.

It's brilliant!

Am I the only one who's doing this?!

We zoom so have to be seen. Muting is handy when you need to bark orders at kids by casually leaning out of shot to "reach your coffee mug "

I worked somewhere like that. I had to leave. But I would absolutely do the same if I were in the position now.

I think a lot of school kids have found the same thing OP.

Oh no I thought you could turn your camera off on Zoom as well @StirCrazy2020?!

My micro manager is making us have daily team round table catch ups. We literally have to say what we’ve done each day. One day aI had the daily round table catch up, a sub meeting catchup also with her about one workstrean AND a 121.

It feels ridiculous- is everyone else expected to check in this often? It’s at least 3hrs of team meetings a week.

Also public sector.

Yes I keep camera turned off and listen and only speak if asked

Yes and if anyone questions it, claim your wifi/internet has been iffy so you are limiting bandwidth.

Yes this is acceptable at my workplace if you are on a long call but your input is only required sporadically.

I've noticed that lots of my colleagues have had 'problems with their connection' especially at the 8:30 am meetings. 🤔😂

I'm the only person from my team that hasn't been furloughed so I'm being invited to lots of bullshit meetings in place of my manager. I turn the camera off now and just crack on with what I'm doing.

We have meetings about meetings, it's bollocks.

I’ve had a great time knitting during teams meetings! Internal meetings we have to use the camera but some of our clients ask that we don’t use video because of their bandwidth. It’s great! I get so much done in 2 hours

Yes that's exactly what I do too. It's one of the benefits of working from home!

I've worked from home for years. Not many meetings (good managers!) , but in any case (a) we never use video, someone is always sharing screen with something more informative than peoples faces (b) it's generally considered good form to mute when you're not talking.

Wearywithteens That made me laugh out loud!

Turning camera and microphone off makes Teams work better. I just crack on with my work!

@Pogmella My manager has also turned into some bizarre micromanaging version of herself as well. She wants breakdowns of every little thing I'm doing every day - the thing is that I regularly WFH and she's never been like this before! It's exhausting, frustrating and a bit insulting at the same time.

claim your wifi/internet has been iffy so you are limiting bandwidth.

LOVE this @OokSaidTheLibrarian

We are asked to mute ours. I keep the video on for small meetings (5-6 people) but turn it off for meetings with 50-60 people in.

I did the same when our Zoom church service went on for nearly 2 sodding hours yesterday - I’m used to 1 hour max but sitting staring at a laptop watching your own fat hungover face trying to be pious was just too much!

2 Hours! Ours have gone down to about 25 minutes, they whizz through now there is no congregation to fumble through the responses!

I did several hours work in a meeting last week (camera was on). My manager has been great and is there if you need her but doesn't ask what we are up to all the time. My husband is a manager and he has daily meetings but they do this in person anyway so not really any different. I would hate it but I work in a different type of industry where it's not so tasked based.

@Impiz mine has always had tendencies but this is crazy. One week I had a catch up at 4pm on Friday and another 10am Monday. DP works at the same place and he is just sat at the other side of the room rolling his eyes at the continual questions. ‘What exactly will that output look like’ ‘when will it be finished’. I’ve been in the role nearly 10 years and am well regarded (if I do say so myself) but I feel like she must think I’m on the skive...

I do have poor internet so never turned my camera on so they all thought it was broken they were never going to get to see me with no Male on and hair still in overnight plaits!!!

I only put the video on occasionally. I am "saving bandwidth" by just having a voice connection

Same here.

I generally find I don't need to be at many of the in person meetings I'm called to, I'm only there because the client wants me in case something comes up that I need to answer. I'd consider it a waste of time but it's part of what they pay me for. Thankfully e-meetings mean I can get other stuff done.