Disastrous Teams meeting - is it as bad as I think?

[BoringSilentHill]

Name changed as work related.

important teams meeting. I’m sat on couch, suddenly my dog jumps up and rams her nose into my eye, my mic is off . I try to push dog away and she thinks I’m playing so starts wrestling with me. Big dog. I notice the talking has stopped and colleagues are half way between amused and horrified.

I manage to sort this one out and everything is back on track until DH suddenly starts belting out Rule Britannia - this time my mic is on and in his defence, he didn’t know I was on teams. It was because we watched the choir.

this is a new job / one week in. How bad is it really or am I overthinking it?

That is SO funny!!!!

It is bad.

If I were your manager I'd be thinking that you do not have the set-up to work from home; and that you and your family do not have the mind-set for you to be able to work from home.

If you are on a work call - you tell everyone in the house to shut up and keep out of the way, and you make sure that the children and the dog cannot intrude. basic work-from-home 101, and you blew it.

I think if I'd been one week into a new job, I'd have sat at a table, locked the dog out, told husband to keep quiet

It's a bit hmmm but as long as it was an internal meeting .......not the end of the world

If you did this in the first week of the new job when I wfh you’d have been sacked, as part of the contract was having a private room and desk to work at.

A general team meeting after 6 months+ would be less problematic but it still doesn’t come across as professional and I’m not sure how easy it must be to write notes when on your bed.

I personally take pride in coming across as professional, whether that’s in the office or wfh.

Sitting on a sofa doesn’t give the right impression, I am reminded of the online speed awareness course I did where one of the participants was lying in bed. The trainer was not amused.

have a sign on the door to stop your dog
😂

If it makes you feel any better, we were in a meeting and someone accidentally turned on his mic and had obviously fallen asleep as he was snoring, for ages. It was hilarious! He was lucky it was our last day before our contracts finished 😆

People are still writing notes on paper in 2026? 😂 Due to my work I always have 3 laptops on and sitting on my bed is the best way to work with them all at once.

I've been with my organisation for 6 years, most of it WFH and managed not only to do my job but also do it well enough to be promoted multiple times, so clearly a desk is not the essential tool many people seem to think it is.

I'm very glad I don't work with most of these posters but then my organisation didn't exist in the 70s where most of these ideas seem to have originated and should have stayed.

Yep. Sacked here too. Same workplace protocol as @Uhghg

Not a good start.

Make sure your manager knows you are sorting it out, then arrange for headset (buy yourself unless work provides) and lock self in a room you can keep all pets and people out of. Even a bedroom is better - but sort a proper office chair / desk.

Some partners struggle to accept working from home not the same as being available. They need to keep out and keep quiet. Don't be afraid to tell them your boss has threatened to fire you , because even if they haven't put it in words they will do.

Otherwise just go into the office and incur and costs.

You'd have immediately become a legend at my workplace we'd have loved this 😂😂😂

This sounds like one of those "...and then everybody clapped" stories

I would think you don't have the set-up to work from home.
Sat on the sofa with the rest of household passing by. How productive would you be at your job?

I think in the early days of lockdown it was understandable because it was so new and people hadn't got around to fitting their houses out as workspaces.

We're six years into this now and anyone who works at home for any length of time should be ready for it.

Sorry but this is utter bollocks.

I work ten plus hour days and there's no way I could get my work done if I had to squeeze it all into eight hours and have a pointless commute each way just so I can sit around chatting shit about TV and trying to find headphones and keyboards that work properly. I'm able to work seamlessly and very professionally and productively from home.

Because some people aren't able to manage working from home without looking like they're horsing around in a sixth form common room doesn't mean we are all like this.

😂😂😂 my brain is not in gear today!! Either that or there are some very clever dogs around!!

No this is why managers need to be more aware and check their staff have suitable working set ups when at home. I am shut away in a room with a desk and chair, I have a professional set up and I'm sure many others do. Those who can't be trusted to make the necessary arrangements should probably be in the office. We do hybrid working where I am and to have everyone in the office at once would be bedlam.

100% to the headphones. If you don't live alone these are a non negotiable. Not only because of background noise your end but also to ensure confidentiality/GDPR for the company. The people in your home shouldn't be able to hear work meetings.

Rubbish. How ? No one can demand you build an extra room on your home.

No one else lives in my home. I can work from the kitchen if I want to. I can sit on my sofa if I choose. Many of our staff wfh, work from site and the office. Many choose kitchen, home office, the sofa - where ever they are comfortable. Our office requires hot-desking - there is not a desk for all staff at all times - like many workplaces. We have DSE etc requirements but it’s hardly a breach to decide to sit in on the sofa once in a while to take a teams call.

Its also not a breach of any H&S requirement for someone to decide to take a seat on their sofa for half an hour while working. If someone has a permanently unsuitable set up that’s quite different.

That said for the first week in a new job I would be very careful until it’s clear what the values of the company are - and it’s rarely appropriate for other family members to be in earshot unless they also work there.

I’m sure you won’t get into trouble, but this has really made me giggle!

Of course no one can demand you build an extra room. I did say 'or other space that can be used similarly'. If someone only has access to a non-private area, that's a problem. In your case, as you live alone, you've met the requirement of having a private space even if it is your kitchen, but many households would need a different solution.

I agree there is a big difference between someone taking the odd call from their sofa while generally having a proper workspace, and someone permanently based on the sofa. Unfortunately in OP's case it won't be clear to the manager/ team if there is a suitable workspace available.

And it wouldn't generally be appropriate for other family members to be in earshot even if they did work at the same place!

I always sit up at the table when I’m on teams otherwise my dogs wouldn’t be ale to resist getting involved. Likewise I close the door when I’m on teams and my husband knows if the lounge door is closed not to come in - likewise he works upstairs in the spare room and if he closes that I know he’s on a call.

Why were you on the couch?

I personally would have found that hilarious.