Working Virtually Causes Greater Fatigue, but it Also Provides More Flexibility

Feeling like video conferences are taking more out of you than in-person meetings? Turns out you’re right. According to a new set of studies released by Microsoft, virtual meetings cause more stress and fatigue than similar in-person meetings. Microsoft began their studies prior to Covid-19 as a way of analyzing the effects of their own video conferencing software (Microsoft Teams), but the results have become particularly relevant in the current working climate.

According to Microsoft’s research, the extra stress caused by video meetings comes from several different factors including having to focus continuously on a screen and reduced non-verbal cues that would usually help you ‘read the room’ in an in-person meeting. These stressors are specific to virtual meetings and would not otherwise be felt in in-person meetings. On days with back to back virtual meetings, stress and fatigue usually set in about 2 hours into the workday.

Thankfully, for those using Teams, Microsoft is nothing if not solution-oriented. To help combat the extra stress of meeting virtually on their platform, they have released a set of updates that helps users feel more like they are together in the same space.  The two main updates are ‘Together mode’ and ‘Dynamic view’. Together mode uses AI to place meeting participants within the same shared background while Dynamic view is meant to optimize shared content within the virtual meeting space. Also, for those not using Teams, Microsoft offers the general advice to take breaks every two hours and try to limit virtual meetings to about 30 minutes when possible.

Aside from the Microsoft specific efforts to combat virtual meeting fatigue, there are also other bright spots contained within the research for virtual workers overall. While several of Microsoft’s studies began prior to Covid-19, others were specifically designed to study what is happening to the workforce during the pandemic. What they found was that, while most people wanted to get back into the office eventually, people also expected their managers/company to allow them to more frequently work from home.

This same set of studies also found that people were able to have a more flexible workday working from home. Employees were able to work on projects when needed but were also able to take care of personal matters during times when they would normally be in the office. According to Microsoft, “…people are working more frequently in the morning and evening hours, but also on the weekends” suggesting that they are taking (at least part of) the middle of the day for non-work-related activities. With this newfound freedom in office hours, it appears that employees are still able to get required work completed on time but on a schedule that better fits their needs.

Overall, the results of Microsoft’s studies, both pre and during Covid-19, appear to point to the same conclusion: the nature of office work is in the middle of a metamorphosis that has now been accelerated by the pandemic. Over the last ten years, more and more companies have touted their flexible work from home policies as an extra perk, but post-pandemic it’s looking more likely that employees will expect most companies to have more accommodating work from home policies in general.

Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash

How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce
General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Alexis Schumacher
Accounting + Finance General Interest Green Key News Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Alexis Schumacher

Women in Leadership at GKR
General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

Women in Leadership at GKR

Spain Becomes First European Country to Offer Paid Menstrual Leave
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Worklife

Spain Becomes First European Country to Offer Paid Menstrual Leave

Green Key Unlocked: Benefits of Travel Nursing
General Interest Green Key News Healthcare Worklife

Green Key Unlocked: Benefits of Travel Nursing

How to Maintain Culture in Remote Environments
Architecture + Engineering General Interest Green Key News Worklife

How to Maintain Culture in Remote Environments

Tips to Strengthen Time Management
General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

Tips to Strengthen Time Management

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Katie Kressel
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Professional Support Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Katie Kressel

Workplace Trends 2023
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Worklife

Workplace Trends 2023

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Jason Kien
Accounting + Finance General Interest Green Key News Leadership + Management Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Jason Kien

How to Use ChatGPT to Build a Resume
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Marketing Technology Worklife

How to Use ChatGPT to Build a Resume

Green Key Unlocked: Data Roles in IT
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Worklife

Green Key Unlocked: Data Roles in IT

The New Marketing & Sales Team
Marketing Technology

The New Marketing & Sales Team

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Matt Schirano
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Leadership + Management Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Matt Schirano

Green Key Unlocked: The Effect of Tech Layoffs
General Interest Green Key News Information Technology Leadership + Management Worklife

Green Key Unlocked: The Effect of Tech Layoffs

How to Prepare for a Recruiter Interview with a Staffing Agency
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Worklife

How to Prepare for a Recruiter Interview with a Staffing Agency

5 Ways to Make Your Job More Meaningful
General Interest Green Key News Worklife

5 Ways to Make Your Job More Meaningful

Minimum Wage Increases in 2023
Accounting + Finance Architecture + Engineering Financial Services General Interest Green Key News Healthcare Human Resources Information Technology Leadership + Management Legal Support Marketing Technology Pharma Professional Support Worklife

Minimum Wage Increases in 2023

2023 Recruitment Trends
General Interest Green Key News Human Resources Leadership + Management Worklife

2023 Recruitment Trends

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Carissa Iacona
General Interest Green Key News Marketing Technology Worklife

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Carissa Iacona

Latest Blog Posts
View All Posts
How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce

How Wellness Initiatives Can Strengthen Your Workforce

Establishing an inclusive culture and focusing on employee health can boost productivity, encourage teamwork, and increase better communication.
Read More
#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Alexis Schumacher

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Alexis Schumacher

Her natural ability to communicate, along with some professional experience in public relations and outreach, has allowed her to flourish...
Read More
Women in Leadership at GKR

Women in Leadership at GKR

Although being a woman in a leadership role comes with its challenges, those at Green Key also note the feelings...
Read More