To join MS Teams meetings one minute late to avoid awkward small talk?

[AdeptEagle]

I’ve started deliberately joining Teams meetings a minute or so late to dodge the awkward “how’s the weather?” chat while waiting for others to join. I get that it’s polite to engage but sometimes it just feels forced.

AIBU to think this is a harmless life hack or does it come across as rude?

Several people have said this...but don't people then directly talk to you?

If I was the first to join a meeting I know the second person would say "oh hi X, how are you?" when they saw I'd already joined and then I'd have to participate. Would be unbelievably awkward to just ignore them.

Well if you are enjoying yourself …

someone has to …

How hard is it to exchange a few pleasantries?

For all they know you are quickly going to the loo or getting tea before the meeting starts. I certainly do that. Maybe people are taking to me? But no need to answer. As long as you are warm once you're in the meeting, no-one seems to have ever minded or presumed I was just straight up ignoring them.

For Fuck's Sake!!!

Just join as the clock turns 10 or whatever time it starts. Why a minute late?! Leave camera off and turn on when you need to.

Rookie behaviour, I join 59 minutes late and pretend I thought it was just starting and I got my calendar times mixed up.

I don’t know what industry you work in OP, but if I was seen to lack basic social skills in my profession I’d be first out the door during redundancies.

Does 'sorry it wanted an update ' not work for teams?

I think it's courteous to be ready when the meeting is due to start and if the person chairing it is efficient people get down to business straight away.

I don’t join late but will check who else is already on the call to avoid small talk when not in the mood

this

Tbf it's harder in a virtual meeting than it is f2f (well, I find it harder anyway), as it can be quite difficult to avoid talking at the same time as other people. Especially if there are a lot of people in the meeting.

I didn't know so many socially awkward people existed until I came on MN.

I just join with camera and microphone turned off until meeting starts

It’s rude (as others have said) and if you do it every time then people do notice.

I had to reprimand someone I was managing for this; he was late for every single meeting and the chairman of the company asked me to find out if this reportee thought he was the most important person in the company, so that he could always be late. The chairman wanted to see all my team online on time every time after that and this one guy just kept waltzing late even when he was already in trouble for it.

If you’re going to be late then you send a message to the organiser of the meeting to apologise and let them know.

Basic etiquette says to turn up on time, ideally up to 2 minutes early. Just as with a face to face meeting where you should turn up 10-15 minutes early (definitely no more than 15; but definitely not pushing the actual time either).

YABU. I join Teams meetings dead on time to avoid the dull and usually repetitive small talk. If someone delays for another minute then I have to hear it and, worse, potentially get roped in. One colleague in particular is like Groundhog Day in human form and having to listen to him literally makes me want to cry.

I always join about five to ten minutes early, same as you would arrive early at an in person meeting. Grab a seat then go to the loo and make a drink. Camera and mic on bang on time and if I am hosting we start at 30 seconds past.

I join exactly on time (when my calendar reminds me) rather than when some eager beaver starts the call at 2 mins before. Always join on mute with camera off in the hope that the chit chat is in full swing so it'd be rude to interrupt......

Our Teams meetings always start 2 mins late to give everyone a chance to log on. I think it's management policy as they all say 'we'll.just wait a couple of minutes for everyone to join'.

My boss really enjoys online team meetings. We have 3 bloody online Teams meetings a week, despite all being back in the office 3 days a week. They are painful and as nothing much changes because we have so many of them, plus discussing work in the office, about 50% of the meeting is small talk. I still join exactly on the minute they start though.