Survey Reveals Fatigue and Anxiety from Pressure To Meet on Camera
Virtira Consulting, a company focused on increasing remote productivity for companies, has released the results of its latest workplace study – “The Webcam Survey: Exhausted or Engaged?” The 22-page report reveals the negative impact on employees as they navigate excessive time in front of webcams in an effort to continue business as usual during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Among the revelations is that nearly half of professionals working remotely (49%), which translates to 32 million individuals, reported a high degree of exhaustion as a direct result of numerous daily video calls. Referred to as “Zoom fatigue”, the exhaustion stems from a combination of increased meetings and the pressure to have webcams on for all of them.
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“Our research demonstrates how remote work has impacted the way managers are meeting with their teams,” said Virtira CEO Cynthia Watson. “In my conversations with business leaders throughout the pandemic, the majority said engaging with employees on webcams has increased engagement and productivity. Unfortunately, our study indicates the opposite.”
The study found that 63% of remote workers are participating in more meetings online than they would have in the office, with 30% spending 2-3 hours daily meeting on camera. The increased time in front of webcams has been compounded by well-meaning employers attempting to raise morale by hosting online happy hours, pizza parties, and more – thereby adding to their “Zoom time”.
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