Zoom meetings for 6 hours straight

[GeminiMoon]

I know there have been a few gripes about virtual meetings but not sure if I’m being unreasonable here. I love WFH but this is extremely stressful...

I’ve started a new job in the same organisation and have found myself in Zoom
meetings every Monday 10.30 - 2, back to back, no chance to go the loo or grab a drink without being a couple of minutes late for the next meeting. I’m taking notes so need to actively listen throughout and often contributing too. I can deal with this, although hate it, because at least I get a break at 2 and can have some lunch.

The rest of the week I tend to have about 3 or 4 hour-long meetings but spread out throughout the day - ideally I’d have fewer meetings but it’s fine.

Recently I’ve found myself being asked to attend more meetings and last Monday I found my diary filled from 10.30 - 4.30, again with no opportunity to go to the loo or get a drink, let alone have lunch. In the end, I didn’t have to go to one of the meetings so got my break but I really wanted to make the point that I don’t think this is a reasonable timetable. I’m not very senior - a grade 5 in local authority.

What do you think - and if I’m not being unreasonable, how do I appropriately broach that with my new manager? I don’t have a predecessor so it’s not like there was someone else who was willingly and successfully able to work like this.

I've put lunch times in as busy/unavailable times, have you tried that yet?

And then mention it with to manager in a friendly and confident way - don't be overly apologetic or nervous. They probably don't realise.

Block out breaks, lunch and other time for doing actual work and decline the meetings. For meetings you have to attend say you'll do 25 or 50 minutes rather than 30 or 60. You have to take control. Others will be grateful for your proactive and firm stance and follow suit

You do have to put in some boundaries when WFH. Sounds like it is time.

There are a lot of assumptions made about people being 100% available all day every day, and it can really wear you down unless you put your foot down

Is it lots of different people putting the meetings in and you are one of many attendees or are some of them 121s with your boss or other colleagues.
I definitely recommend blocking out an hour for lunch for starters, and declining any you can that are sent for that period. Obviously there are certain people where you probably wouldn't decline but if you move your lunch slot on those days, it might still work.

Be proactive and say you’ll attend for 25 /50 minutes. Then be strict and stick to it. We had this and have introduced this protocol for the exact same problem. It’s just not feasible to go all that time without a break for eating / drinking / using the loo.

I sometimes have to nip to the loo and mute/turn camera off during one meeting, let alone hours worth!

I think you need to be firm about having scheduled breaks between meetings. If you were in an office you would at least have time to walk between meeting rooms and grab a drink/go to the toilet, so you should at least get the same while WFH.

• Block time off for lunch
• Ask at the beginning of the meeting if you can keep it to, eg, 40 minutes rather than 1h
• Only attend meetings you really have to
• bring it up with your manager but don't expect much to change

It’s easy to get carried away over scheduling when WFH. I got to a point a month in when I realised I didn’t have much time to actually do the things I was meeting about.

A former colleague used to schedule his diary with slots to catch up if he had back to back meetings, So if someone was looking at his diary to schedule a meeting it would show as busy. He was incredibly disciplined about this and would push back on anyone encroaching on his ‘free’ times.

Appreciate that might be harder to do when you’re new though.

How are you getting any actual work done with all the meetings! It’s ridiculous, speak to your manager.

I excuse myself 5 minutes before the end of a meeting if I have a back to back day so I can go to the loo and stretch. However we have a new corporate policy that hour meetings should be scheduled to start 5 minutes past the hour and try to finish 5 mins before so that people do get breaks - the starting 5 mins past does work much better than finishing early though!
Personally, on 'bad' days I make a flask and have a chilly bottle of water so that I can refill my cup at my desk. I also implemented blocking a lunch break in my calendar so that I could eat/move/catch up on emails. This has helped a lot, and I also block any personal commitments outside of normal working hours out so that no one tries to put in 7am meetings or 6.30-7pm when I want to be cooking dinner

As said, block your breaks as busy in your calendar.
If you need a loo break between meetings, then just type a message into the chat at five or ten to the hour, to say that you need to drop off now and to email any action items left to you (no need to wait for a break in the discussion).
If I set up a meeting I make it 25 or 50 mins long, and stick to that, but it's harder to impose that on someone elses meeting.

Its the same for us in the judiciary. Usually 0930-1300 then 1330- at least 1630

As PP say. Block out lunch. Excuse yourself at the end or start of a meeting to get a snack/cuppa/loo break. Push back on meetings you really aren't needed at.

If you use Microsoft 365 you can set it to automatically book you lunch and focus blocks, and also to make meetings automatically 25 or 50 mins rather than 30/60.

We've recently started doing 45 or 50 minute meetings for this very reason, to give people 5 mins when in back to backs, and it works well, no noticeable drop in productivity. It's difficult if you aren't the organiser but set an example where you are and others may follow. Similarly if you are chairing then do start putting in quick 5 minute mini breaks halfway which can really help.

Obviously I can't speak to your organisation but where I work (also public sector), while we are meeting heavy and etiquette isn't perfect, no-one has ever objected or got into trouble for either turning up a few minutes late to run to the loo or grab a glass of water if they were previously on a back to back (drop a quick note in the chat to say you'll be there in a sec if they are waiting for you to start) - or asking for a brief pause in the middle of a long meeting. Obviously pick your moments/contexts to do this - super formal contentious meeting with very senior management, probably best to be on time and let the chair set breaks, team meeting/catch up with your boss or colleagues, absolutely fine!

For myself I would say try and take some measures to address this yourself first rather than going to your manager with the expectation they sort it out for you - if you have a team meeting or other appropriate forum you could suggest a useful item would be to develop a 'team charter' or similar around meetings - not a moaning or tell off session (all too easy for this to happen!) but a general laying down of some basic ground rules, we used to call it the 'it's OK to... list' so things like 'it's OK to block out lunchtimes for no meetings', 'it's OK to propose another time if you can't make it', 'it's OK to turn off your camera and go on mute if you need to sort out your kids/dog', 'it's OK to briefly turn 'yellow' on Teams', 'It's OK to IM your colleague rather than call' (this one was controversial as some people really hated the IM system)....

I often have meetings back to back all day long. Sometimes from 8-6. I work across government and its often people booking meetings in that suit them. I also go on mute and turn off my camera and go to the loo (although I did have a colleague who forgot to turn their mute on which was embarrassing for all!).

I just turn up late to my next meeting if I have to. I am also much better at deciding I don't need to go to a meeting if I'm not doing much, or I just dial in on my phone and do things like make lunch. My PA is also very good at blocking out time for me nowadays if she sees my diary going mad.

It's crazy though. In normal times if not be doing this. I've no idea where all the meetings are coming from.

As a manager I am very good at ensuring my team have breaaks, but terrible at doing it for myself.

I occasionally have a single meeting from 9.30-17.00 (no, it doesn't need to be that long - don't ask). We are kind to each other though. There are a couple of "formal" breaks, plus an understanding that it's ok to request a 5 minute drink/wee/stretch at any time.

If your meetings are with lots of different people I would block off lunch for a full hour (to allow for a proper break in the event of over running). I would also state at the start of a meeting that I have back-to-backs, and so will need to finish 10mins early for a break and to get organised for the next one.

Like @CMOTDibbler we now have a company policy about 25 and 50 minute meetings as standard.

You need to be proactive: blocking out time, and saying that you are unavailable, and talking to your manager.

Just ask for the start of each of the consecutive meetings to be delayed by 5 minutes for a “Bio-break”, and for the agenda to be maintained by a moderator (think Jackie Weaver😆)...

Block gaps in your calendar for breaks. If you get caught then ping a message to the host of the next meeting informing them that you’ll be running 5 minutes later due to the need for a “bio break”. I have to do this on busy days and lots of people do similar.

Thank you for the tips everyone, these are great!

I really needed a sense check that I wasn’t being unreasonable as there is a tendency for some of my colleagues to have a schedule as packed as this - although they are much more senior than I am. On the other hand, there are more senior people doing far fewer meetings so seniority doesn’t seem to necessarily have a bearing on it.

I’m inclined toward people pleasing and having a sense of imposter syndrome so I tend to believe I’m being lazy/unrealistic rather than the problem being external! I think legally you can work for 6 hours without a break as well.

I’ll book some lunch breaks in and protect my time as suggested - and I’m not going to feel bad about it!!!

Surely you are all in the same boat & need tea & pee breaks?
Why can't the manager call a universal break - or is s/he sitting on a commode?

We have multiple offices and some of the meetings are absolutely pointless, meetings for meeting sake. There's a weekly catch up for people in similar positions as me in other offices, lots of the people who I've not met especially the people abroad must think im a miserable bitch, but I just have no interest.

Make your excuses if you need to leave, or camera off mute your self and take the laptop to the toilet with you.

Legally, you should be given time to have a break after 5 hours of work. Otherwise, welcome to the world of a lot of us. I will sit down at 7:30am and rarely get up before 6pm.

COVID seems to have left the legacy of overwork for some, and no work for some.

Same here - large government department - it needs to come from top down, I put protected time in to prepare for a meeting with my very senior managers this morning as I've been on annual leave, opened my laptop and found a team meeting had been dropped on my protected time in my absence.

My lunchtimes are blocked out in my diary and I decline any invites sent which overlap them.

I pretty much have back to back meetings all day everyday so 5 minutes before the end I just say "apologies I need to dip out to grab a drink/use the bathroom/a n other reason before my next meeting".