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.

This is normal at my company and someone complaining about it would be out of step. (This was true before Covid/WFH)

So the practicalities... you either duck out of a meeting early or join the next one late. If it’s a passive meeting for me where I need to listen and or have light participation, but not actively participate, then I switch over to my IPad and use that time to make lunch. Once you have some closer coworkers you can just msg them and let them know you are stepping away and ask them to cover for you. You can still do that now, but just chat to the whole meeting ‘sorry, brb’/‘back’

It’s actually been easier on me since WFH, because my bathroom is closer and unoccupied and I can grab something quick on my way through the kitchen vs. needing to go out.

My company hasn’t really embraced video calls, so that helps.

@GeminiMoon I don't work in the public sector and I'm not sure how your workplace operates, but do you need to be so formal about this in the first instance? I would venture that if this is affecting you, it must be affecting others, including your manager. Do you have the opportunity just to have a chat about it and then you can work together to make a change?

@Georgyporky

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?

They’re meetings with different people - I’m in project management so working with different managers and providers. But I’m not sure how my manager does survive, really, her schedule is like this every day! Having said that, she doesn’t have to take notes so can chip in and check out more easily.

[quote TTCat39]@GeminiMoon I don't work in the public sector and I'm not sure how your workplace operates, but do you need to be so formal about this in the first instance? I would venture that if this is affecting you, it must be affecting others, including your manager. Do you have the opportunity just to have a chat about it and then you can work together to make a change? [/quote]
Some people seem resigned to accepting it as there is so much work to do. For me, I’ve consciously chosen not to climb the career ladder for greater balance in my life.

I’m definitely going to take the softly-softly approach though and start by putting lunch breaks in my diary and if asked to join a meeting that conflicts with that, breezily explain that I’ll need some time to eat between meetings. Feeling more confident about it since most responses agree it’s not an unreasonable ask.

When I send meeting invites, I try to remember to adjust the times so they start at 5 past, not on the hour - and ideally finish 5 mins before. That builds in breaks between meetings.

Where I work, this is recognised as an issue and senior managers are supportive of everyone blocking out time in their diaries to not be back-to-back (some senior managers have sent out invites for 2 hours at lunchtime to discourage meetings then). I would definitely raise it as it will be an issue for others, and it's not sustainable, so is a people risk for the organisation.