TechHR
ex
L&D
UNPLUGGED
Sphere
About Us • Contact Us
People Matters ANZ
People Matters Logo
Login / Signup
People Matters Logo
Login / Signup
  • Current
  • Top Stories
  • News
  • Magazine
  • Research
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Podcast

© Copyright People Matters Media Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

  • HotTopic
    HR Folk Talk FutureProofHR
  • Strategy
    Leadership Csuite StrategicHR EmployeeRelations BigInterview
  • Recruitment
    Employer Branding Appointments Permanent Hiring Recruitment
  • Performance
    Skilling PerformanceMgmt Compensation Benefits L&D Employee Engagement
  • Culture
    Culture Life@Work Diversity Watercooler SheMatters
  • Tech
    Technology HR Technology Funding & Investment Startups Metaverse
  • About Us
  • Advertise with us
  • Become a sponsor
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback
  • Write For Us

Follow us:

Privacy Policy • Terms of Use

© Copyright People Matters Media Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

People Matters Logo
  • Current
  • Top Stories
  • News
  • Magazine
  • Research
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Podcast
Login / Signup

Categories:

  • HotTopic
    HR Folk Talk FutureProofHR
  • Strategy
    Leadership Csuite StrategicHR EmployeeRelations BigInterview
  • Recruitment
    Employer Branding Appointments Permanent Hiring Recruitment
  • Performance
    Skilling PerformanceMgmt Compensation Benefits L&D Employee Engagement
  • Culture
    Culture Life@Work Diversity Watercooler SheMatters
  • Tech
    Technology HR Technology Funding & Investment Startups Metaverse
Watching coworkers pets curtails work stress for remote workers: Report

News • 2nd Mar 2022 • 2 Min Read

Watching coworkers pets curtails work stress for remote workers: Report

Culture#Wellbeing

Author: Bhavna Sarin Bhavna Sarin
8.1K Reads
As organisations identify ways to enhance workforce wellness, inviting pets and children to virtual meetings might be the solution to curtailing work-related stress, finds a new report.

About a quarter of remote workers in the US have admitted that Zoom fatigue is higher today than it has been in the last two years, found a new survey by Honest Paws.

The survey revealed that over half (55) of remote staff in the US have more meetings virtually than they did in person, with more than a third (35%) participating in a virtual meeting multiple times a week and one in five (17%) participating in a meeting multiple times a day.

Further, 35% of these remote workers have less than 30 minutes between meetings, contributing to the fatigue. The survey identified six key drivers of Zoom fatigue:

  • Meetings that run too long (56%)
  • Having to stare at a screen for long periods of time (52%)
  • Meetings that serve no purpose (49%)
  • Constantly seeing video feed of one’s self (38%)
  • Limited movement during meetings (36%)
  • Increased amount of eye contact during meetings (35%)

“So long as Zoom remains a part of the American home-based workforce, those who rely on its services will need to implement strategies to combat fatigue and burnout,” says Honest Paws.

“Switching to phone calls and emails, building in breaks between meetings, opting out of the occasional conference if needed, and yes: asking that one co-worker to give their four-legged friend some camera time for a much-needed serotonin boost.”

Another recent industry report found that almost half of remote workers feel more exhausted when asked to be on camera during meetings.

Interestingly, for nearly half of Americans, work-related stress is lessened whenever a co-worker’s dog (48%) or cat (46%) appears during a Zoom/virtual meeting.

In fact, seeing a co-worker’s dog (51%) or cat (42%) makes Zoom meetings more enjoyable for many..

“Studies have long shown that dogs increase our levels of oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that calms our nervous system while reducing anxiety,” says Honest Paws. “In fact, a research study published in 2015 reported that simply gazing into a dog's eyes could cause a tremendous spike in a person's oxytocin levels — a 300% increase, to be exact. No wonder remote workers enjoy seeing their canine colleagues in the Zoom video grid!”

Other opportunities to contain work-related include:

  • Talking about non-work-related subjects
  • Sharing a funny story or a joke  
  • Colleague’s children making an appearance 
  • Making meetings last less than 15 minutes

With hybrid and remote working here to stay, virtual calls are certainly here to stay. To ensure organisations avoid overindulgence in virtual meetings that contribute to fatigue and hurt productivity and experience, it would be worth it to experiment with some of the recommendations from the study while also tailoring practices to provide what employees truly seek.

Read More

Did you find this article helpful?


You Might Also Like

Pay gap data shows men outearning women by $28K

NEWS • 4th Mar 2025 • 4 Min Read

Pay gap data shows men outearning women by $28K

Compensation & BenefitsCulture#HRTech#HRCommunity
Top talent need flexibility, not competition

NEWS • 10th Feb 2025 • 2 Min Read

Top talent need flexibility, not competition

Culture#HRTech#HRCommunity#Flexibility
Tokyo moves to boost fertility with 4-day workweek

NEWS • 13th Dec 2024 • 2 Min Read

Tokyo moves to boost fertility with 4-day workweek

Culture#HRTech#HRCommunity#Wellbeing
NEXT STORY: Aussie women weekly earn $261.50 less than men: Report

Trending Stories

  • design-thinking-hr

    New tech incoming: how do you get people to accept it?

  • design-thinking-hr

    Why people metrics matter more than ever

  • design-thinking-hr

    ChatGPT Walks It Back — AI Giants Race Ahead

  • design-thinking-hr

    Skype is dead: Did Microsoft's leadership let a billion-doll...

People Matters Logo

Follow us:

Join our mailing list:

By clicking “Subscribe” button above, you are accepting our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Company:

  • About Us
  • Advertise with us
  • Become a sponsor
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Contact:

  • Contact Us
  • Feedback
  • Write For Us

© Copyright People Matters Media Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Get the latest Articles, Insight, News & Trends from the world of Talent & Work. Subscribe now!
People Matters Logo

Welcome Back!

or

Enter your registered email address to login

Not a user yet? Lets get you signed up!

A 5 digit OTP has been sent to your email address.

This is so we know it's you. Haven't received it yet? Resend the email or then change your email ID.

People Matters Logo

Welcome! Let's get you signed up...

Starting with the absolulte basics.

Already a user? Go ahead and login!

A 5 digit OTP has been sent to your email address.

This is so we know it's you. Haven't received it yet? Resend the email or then change your email ID.

Let's get to know you better

We'll never share your details with anyone, pinky swear.

And lastly...

Your official designation and company name.