The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many companies to implement remote work options for all or a large portion of their teams, and many plan to keep workers at home. In fact, a recent Challenger survey found 73% of companies plan to keep their teams working from home (WFH) post-COVID-19, with 30% of those respondents reporting they would do so after testing WFH capabilities specifically because of the pandemic. However, the video meetings that have now taken over how people work and socialize are causing additional burnout to workers already anxious due to a global pandemic, according to one workplace authority.
“As we do our work remotely and keep our distance from our closest friends and family, meetings are occurring throughout the workday and into the night, but the phenomenon known as ‘Zoom fatigue’ is a reality,” said Andrew Challenger, Senior Vice President of global outplacement and business and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.
The slang term refers to the videoconferencing app Zoom, which has been around since 2011, but whose business has grown exponentially this year. The exhaustion being experienced by people participating in virtual meetings – whether for business conferences, family get-togethers, or friendly cocktail hours – can also be seen in those on FaceTime, Skype, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, RingCentral, or any similar platform.
