Ugh eating during an online meeting.

[digimumworld]

Is it rude to eat during an online meeting?

I work for an organisation that’s global but remote. We meet for an hour every day at the same time. It’s the only time we are really committed to be in one virtual room. Apart from our individual meetings or client meetings or the odd in person meeting.

I got so annoyed at a colleague that decided to have their breakfast during the call. And a few seniors pointed out the chewing sarcastically.

There are less than 10 of us on the screen so you can see everyone. They are taking spoonfuls, licking teeth, chewing, and when they have to turn the mic
on to speak, you can hear them clearing their teeth, it’s all salivary etc because.

I mean is it so hard to eat before or after the meeting - with the knowledge that this is the one time we meet every single day?

You wouldn’t do this in an in person meeting.

Is this a GenZ thing?

Sorry I find it rude. And annoying.

Or maybe this is the decline in social skills we talk about.

AIBU?

Ugh I hate hearing people chew, or talk with their mouth full. It's definitely bad manners imo.

I don't mind the eating during a meeting, as long as it's not a client meeting or a presentation - I'd rather my team found time to eat than rushing through back to back meetings starving. I'd address the noisy chewing though - "Geoff please can you mute, we can hear you chewing" etc.

It’s not a Gen Z thing - my boss eats biscuits and snacks during my Team’s 1-2-1 and she’s 62. It’s disgusting and rude.

I mean, when a company doesnt give enough time for people to eat during their working day; then people need to get sustenance where they can but there's a mute button for a reason, and grab something appropriate that doesnt need so much teeth cleaning and noise.

In the situation you describe, presuming there is ample time to eat throughout the day, I would expect people only to eat through necessity such as medical need.

On occasions when it can't be helped, people should mute and move out of camera shot as far as possible. I did my pgce distance learning for example and webinars were always 4.30-6pm and often I hadn't eaten all day. I would be exhausted, hungry and thirsty so would politely send a quick message that I was eating a sandwich and would mute and tilt my laptop for a few minutes during an appropriate lull. Most people did it and the course leader was thoroughly encouraging of it.

The odd biscuit, abit of tea. I can understand that, it’s snacking.

But spending half an hour taking massive spoonfuls of what looks like porridge. And then not being able to say your bit when it’s your turn to contribute. Or speaking to us with your mouth full because it’s one of those meetings where everyone chips in.

It’s not like this is a sit down presentation, or webinar where there is one speaker - I can understand eating through those. It’s the one time we all get to ask questions and say what we are up to.

Plus it’s not first thing. So you can easily have breakfast at 9am or later. You have the whole day to eat! And you’re at home.

Maybe this has triggered me for some reason today. But it did annoy the rest of the team.

Our local guidance say no eating on teams meetings, and cameras on. Tea/coffee/water fine.

We are working from home. And it is our most quiet season.

Then again they barley turns up to most of the meetings. We never know why, because the boss usually asks “where is X” and we never know.

@ShowOfHands we have had colleagues that are maybe onsite or have back to back meetings, so they will say “hey, I haven’t had a chance to eat so I’m having lunch, or // my camera is off because I’m having lunch” - that is fine and it is polite.

Also it’s so distracting. I’m trying to focus on what is being said and all I can focus on is mouth moving.

I just think it’s rude.

Definitely not GenZ. I'm a millennial and my 'boss' (she was such a dolt) ate at her desk, my 'colleague' behind me ate at her desk and it was so annoying having to smell golden syrup porridge every damn morning. I have PTSD from working with them and having to smell their breakfast and hear them chew.

So glad I'm out of 'corporate' and doing my own thing.

Adults don't even need breakfast and I don't need to be subjected to this time in their day! So, I agree with you that it's unprofessional and annoying, to say the least!

The OP said 'breakfast'.

This should be eaten before work surely?

Not on company time.

I presume there were more problems with your boss and you're not actually suggesting you got PTSD from having to smell golden syrup? 😳

I said what I said!

If I've got back to back meetings I have no choice but to eat in the meeting otherwise I'm 8-2 or something with no food.

If you're sure this person is free before or after the meeting and could just choose to eat at a different time but doesn't, then I think that's rude.

What time is this meeting at? Is it always landing over a breakfast time for them, considering the global team? Without knowing their individual calendars, maybe they are hopping between back to back calls and have had to decide that the internal team meeting is the least bad one to eat during?

I agree that it isn't pleasant but there are also some days that if I don't eat during calls, I could go from 9-6 without eating or drinking (or peeing!). I am definitely not Gen Z.

It’s disgusting.

At least turn their camera and mikes off.

Our remote policy basically says if you wouldn’t do it in-person, don’t do it online.

so dress appropriately, don’t eat or smoke or vape etc

we also expect people to schedule their diaries to include breaks and lunch etc.

Not a Gen Z thing. I have a Millenial colleague who does this. Disgusting.

urgh no I hate eating during work calls, don’t even like drinking and will mute myself if I need to so nobody hears my gulping!
I will only eat during a meeting if it’s a very large one where I am not required to have my camera on and know i won’t need to speak, and only if i otherwise wouldn’t be able to have lunch at all!

You said it a global company.

Is this person in the same timezone as you?

Not if its a sunset company - OP said Global; if you have people on different timezones, your breakfast could be there dinner/tea.

If its a 1 off and she had no other possible time to eat for whatever reason id let it go. But if she chooses to eat during the meeting, maybe to make it less boring? And makes a habit out of it then un reasonable.

I find it bizarre it’s not been addressed. It’s rude. It’s unprofessional. I certainly wouldn’t tolerate it from my team.

Well it sounds like them eating on calls is the least of your problems, sounds like you have a management issue if they aren't turning up to calls and no one knows what they are doing.

Yanbu my dh does this and I've told him off so many times! He doesn't listen to me and claims no one minds. I'm like yes they do!

Mixed- we have people do this inc me on odd occasion when they have all day meetings and no time to eat- we’ll say we are turning our camera off to eat lunch and it probably happens a couple of times a month ime.

the thing is though, it’s poor management because if they’re not told how would they know? The company has to take that on and have a word- maybe the stern word from senior stakeholders will land but they wouldn’t be doing this if they’d been told formally not to

I would hate it, it’s so off putting. Hearing people eat on the phone used to drive me mad.