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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To snack during zoom meetings?

204 replies

Fiep · 02/07/2021 09:45

Every day I have to log onto a meeting which is largely not applicable to me. We have a camera on, microphone off culture which I am fine with. However this interminable meeting coincides with my snack time so I’m often having my mid morning snack while listening / multitasking.

DD gets me up at 5:30am so I definitely need morning snacks to make it to lunch. Nobody else ever eats in meetings though so I just wondered whether I’m breaking the etiquette.

AIBU to snack?

YABU: control yourself, woman, and stop eating ion screen, nobody wants to see this

YANBU: nobody cares what you’re doing if you’re just a lurker, munch away.

OP posts:
Skysblue · 02/07/2021 12:15

If you just have one zoom meeting a day, then it's a bit weird.

If (like DH) you're on zoom dawn til dusk without a break then, like DH, you need to eat during the meetings.

So it depends what your deal is... Who you're meeting etc. If it's a performance review with your boss, probably best not to snack. If it's a presentation to a client, don't do it. If is just brainstorming with colleagues then snacks are cool brain food.

SamW98 · 02/07/2021 12:15

Personally I think Zoom/Teams meetings should be treated the same as other meetings and personally I wouldn't dream of eating during a meeting. Having a coffee or a glass of water yes, chomping away - no

Though I was on a teams meeting once and one of the women lit up a cigarette and sat puffing away.
I know the argument might be 'well she's in her own home' but I just think meeting etiquette should apply whether in person or online

Bellasblankexpression · 02/07/2021 12:22

I didn’t realise adults have snack time, I have been missing out. I’m going to promptly adopt this.
Although all the time is snack time for me

Camera on - etiquette is no eating unless informal meeting

WaterBottle123 · 02/07/2021 12:22

I'd snack away. But then I'm a normal pragmatic human who understands that other ppl snacking affects fuck all.

But then I also don't wash my towels daily.

KeepSmiling89 · 02/07/2021 12:22

Wow! I can't believe the number of people who don't believe adults should have snacks!

I have a routine for eating snacks between meals (currently pregnant, but did so before I was pregnant). My routine is to have a banana at around 10-10.30 and then maybe a cereal bar or something similar in the afternoon between 2.30 and 3pm.

There is nothing wrong with having a set time for meals and snacks. OP, I wouldn't be too bothered as long as your microphone was turned off. If it's a meeting of about 20 people and someone's getting distracted by 1 or 2 people munching (silently) on a snack, they should be focussing on the presenter (they can change their screen so they can only see the person speaking as well. Wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

SamW98 · 02/07/2021 12:22

@NoSquirrels
I think the thing is that then it’s a communal experience. A meeting where there’s a plate of biscuits and coffee for all is not the same as the weird experience of watching a colleague eat on camera.

Totally agree. If there is food served at a meeting there normally a short break to allow people to have something to eat and its a shared experience. Mostly the reason for having food served at meetings is due to it being an early/lunchtime/all day meeting and its using the company time to share some hospitality

Hallyup6 · 02/07/2021 12:22

This thread is hilarious. Snack time, ffs? You're not a toddler.

Thank God you're not an NHS nurse.

MagicSummer · 02/07/2021 12:24

I'm up around 5.30, have breakfast at 8ish and then nothing until lunch. If you have breakfast, why on earth do you need to 'snack' as well?

pooonastick · 02/07/2021 12:25

Definitely try not to eat on Zoom calls. I often work from 7 am trough till 5 ish without any food at all. . Cant start munching on snacks during an operation.... I just have to suck it up and get on with it.

motogogo · 02/07/2021 12:27

Unless you have a medical condition, who has a specific snack time???

Just eat before the meeting, if it's really long (over 2 hours) you should get a break anyway

Peaplant20 · 02/07/2021 12:29

Move your camera up so it’s just on your nose upwards while you eat 😂 that’s what I’d do, loads of people have their cameras positioned like that in meeting I’ve been in just because if you move around or move the screen to see better or whatever it happens, or maybe because some people aren’t very tech savvy I don’t know but I’ve seen it a lot so don’t think anyone would realise you were eating. I feel for you I am a snacker!

Weirdlynormal · 02/07/2021 12:32

Have people never heard of elevenses? What's that if not the official British snack time?!

BiBabbles · 02/07/2021 12:40

I've had a few regular meetings around meal times, and it's generally been considered normal for the first 5-10 minutes for people to have their cameras off to finish eating to the point that when welcomed in, there are occasional reminders to mute mics and turn on cameras 'unless finishing up your ', which I've appreciated having needed to do that a couple times and I'd feel weird eating from a plate while on camera.

I agree with pp about putting an image so it isn't the black void box, but yeah, go off camera.

Mpsister · 02/07/2021 12:47

Unless you have a medical condition which necessities you eating at a certain time, YABVVU

CheerfulBunny · 02/07/2021 12:51

There's a difference between nibbling a handful of almonds and hoofing in a couple of rounds of toast and jam. If you're muted and you can be discrete then it's probably OK, ostentatiously licking the lid on a yoghurt, no.
Anecdotally, I was in a large induction meeting at our head office once and the twenty-something girl in front of me put her feet up on the seat in front of her and started to eat an apple, quite loudly and unselfconsciously. It was mid afternoon and someone was giving a presentation in full view of her. Not OK!

OchonAgusOchonOh · 02/07/2021 12:52

@NoSquirrels - I think the thing is that then it’s a communal experience. A meeting where there’s a plate of biscuits and coffee for all is not the same as the weird experience of watching a colleague eat on camera.

You obviously work for a more generous employer than I do Grin

In person meetings where I work usually involves most people having tea/coffee/water and a number of people having a scone/croissant/similar. Occasionally, people will have a sandwich.

I would have no problems eating something like a scone or biscuit when on a call. Mostly, I would turn off the mic but if it's a very small meeting, I wouldn't. Colleagues are the same.

I think what it boils down to is whether it would be considered acceptable to turn up at a physical meeting with a scone or similar and to eat it at the meeting. If the answer is yes, then eating on zoom is fine. If the answer is no, then eating on zoom is not fine.

CafetiereOrEspressino · 02/07/2021 12:56

just say you are going to eat and noone needs to see that and turn off your camera. Even if your camera culture is on; as is ours, there are people frequently turning it on and off due to privacy (e.g. toddler running into the room, eating, wanting to go to the loo etc.) all of which is very human.

kindaclassy · 02/07/2021 12:58

How can you possibly think it's ok to be munching during a meeting?

HeronLanyon · 02/07/2021 13:00

I definitely don’t have a ‘snack time’. If I’ve got anything online and I’m hungry I’ll just eat something beforehand.
I have had champagne from a mug during a comers on meeting before when it was on a leave day and do
And I had had lunch with champagne.
I’ve also definitely had camera off (where fine and not speaking or running the meeting) and transferred meeting to iPhone and wandered Into kitchen for something or other.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 02/07/2021 13:00

@kindaclassy

How can you possibly think it's ok to be munching during a meeting?
Depends on company culture. It's perfectly ok in my company for internal meetings.
ThunderBitch · 02/07/2021 13:01

No, it's rude. You're not at the cinema/watching tv. I hate it when I'm talking on zoom and people are eating, makes me feel like the hired entertainment.

(And no, snacking is not healthy. If you eat all the time, you are keeping your insulin levels high all the time which leads to weight gain and insulin resistance.)

CafetiereOrEspressino · 02/07/2021 13:04

@kindaclassy

How can you possibly think it's ok to be munching during a meeting?
perfectly ok where i work ...
Wishimaywishimight · 02/07/2021 13:06

For some reason the word 'snack' really grates on me. Would nevet use it in real life!

Menora · 02/07/2021 13:07

I turn my camera off when I am not really needing to participate for certain points and would eat and drink then
Unless it was my direct team (all managers) as we all eat/drink in person too as it’s informal

HeronLanyon · 02/07/2021 13:07

Work cultures are different. Meetings I’m on range from absolutely unacceptable to eat (meetings with judges and fellow lawyers) to absolutely no problem - advocates meetings after work hours etc. Have seen young children being given dinner much prefer that than my opponent saying they’re not available to sort something out for upcoming hearing. I’m absolutely not fussed if someone eats In Front of me on screen in very different way than irl.