Since COVID-19, workplace video calls are commonplace, saving time and enabling virtual meetings. However, they unveil colleagues' home lives. We explore acceptable and unacceptable behavior among 2,076 Brits using YouGov survey data.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, video calls in the workplace have become a normal part of life. They offer numerous benefits, including saving companies time as they can hold meetings virtually instead of travelling to meet with third parties.
In addition to all the benefits of video calls, they have also introduced the workplace to a world in which we see into our colleagues’ homes and the habits they may have whilst working from home. This made us curious as to what Brits deem as acceptable working-from-home conduct, so we looked into YouGov survey data with 2,076 Brits to find out the behaviours they deem acceptable and unacceptable…
Can you smoke or vape in a virtual meeting, according to Brits?
YouGov recently published the results of a survey in which 2076 Brits were asked for their opinions on different behaviours that they might encounter whilst on a virtual call, so we took a look at the results.
If you’re a smoker who frequently joins virtual meetings as part of your job, you may want to put down the cigarettes and lighter as the survey reveals that this habit is not appreciated whilst you’re in a virtual meeting. 67% of men and 84% of women surveyed said that they found this behaviour unacceptable in any kind of meeting, whether informal or formal.
| Smoking/ vaping in virtual meetings | Male | Female |
| It is acceptable in any meeting | 5% | 1% |
| It is only acceptable in informal/ internal meetings | 16% | 10% |
| It is not acceptable in any meeting | 67% | 84% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 4% |
What do Brits think about colleagues with children at home during virtual calls?
Finding childcare, especially during the school holidays, can be difficult for parents due to logistics and costs among other reasons. Working from home provides a little more flexibility as parents can keep an eye on them during the working day where possible. When it comes to virtual meetings, however, Brits have some unfortunate opinions out there for people who are juggling childcare and being present on work calls…
59% of people surveyed said it is not acceptable in any kind of meeting to have your children sit on your lap, but 27% said it was only acceptable in informal/ internal meetings. 54% of Brits who were surveyed said it was unacceptable in any meeting to even have children in the room when on a virtual call.
For parents of neurodivergent children at home, for example, it is not always possible to be in a different room from them whilst on a work call. We suspect the opinion that children shouldn’t be in the room during work calls comes from the fact that they usually create a lot of background noise for other people on the call.
| Having children sit on your lap during virtual meetings | Male | Female |
| It is acceptable in any meeting | 6% | 3% |
| It is only acceptable in informal/ internal meetings | 28% | 27% |
| It is not acceptable in any meeting | 54% | 64% |
| Don’t know | 13% | 6% |
| Having children present in the room whilst in virtual meetings | Male | Female |
| It is acceptable in any meeting | 7% | 4% |
| It is only acceptable in informal/ internal meetings | 32% | 32% |
| It is not acceptable in any meeting | 50% | 57% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 7% |
What’s the opinion on pets making an appearance during virtual calls?
The survey asked the same questions about whether it’s acceptable to have children in the room or sat on your lap, but this time they asked it in relation to pets. Let’s take a look to see if Brits are more forgiving of their colleagues’ furry companions joining in on virtual meetings.
The results were fairly evenly tied with 41% of Brits declaring it is unacceptable in any meeting to have a pet sat on your lap during a virtual call, and 40% said it was only acceptable during informal/ internal meetings. In terms of having pets in the room itself, 43% said this was only acceptable in internal calls. It looks like Brits are much more tolerant of colleagues’ pets than they are of their children…
| Having pets sit on your lap during virtual meetings | Male | Female |
| It is acceptable in any meeting | 10% | 11% |
| It is only acceptable in informal/ internal meetings | 37% | 41% |
| It is not acceptable in any meeting | 42% | 43% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 6% |
| Having pets in the room during virtual meetings | Male | Female |
| It is acceptable in any meeting | 22% | 27% |
| It is only acceptable in informal/ internal meetings | 41% | 46% |
| It is not acceptable in any meeting | 26% | 21% |
| Don’t know | 12% | 7% |
Can you eat during a virtual call? Brits have their say
We’ve all had a stomach rumble during a virtual meeting and have looked forward to it ending so you can head to the fridge for a snack, but can you eat during a virtual meeting? Here’s what Brits had to say about the matter.
The survey asked two questions regarding whether it was acceptable to eat during a virtual meeting: one asked about snacks (presumably small foods like biscuits) and the other asked about meals (hot dinner food). In regards to snacks, 45% of survey respondents said it was unacceptable to eat them in any kind of meeting and 68% said the same about eating meals. 39% did think it was acceptable to eat a snack whilst in a virtual meeting but only if it was an informal/ internal call. Just 21% thought this of eating a meal in a virtual meeting.
| Eating a snack during a virtual meeting | Male | Female |
| It is acceptable in any meeting | 10% | 8% |
| It is only acceptable in informal/ internal meetings | 37% | 40% |
| It is not acceptable in any meeting | 42% | 47% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 5% |
| Eating a meal during a virtual meeting | Male | Female |
| It is acceptable in any meeting | 4% | 3% |
| It is only acceptable in informal/ internal meetings | 23% | 20% |
| It is not acceptable in any meeting | 62% | 73% |
| Don’t know | 11% | 4% |
These opinions may be due to eating being a distraction during a virtual meeting. If someone is eating, their body language may across as though they aren’t paying attention to whoever is speaking. We can assume that snacks refer to foods such as crisps or biscuits, but as far as Brits are concerned, full meals during virtual meetings are a big no-no.
Here at MiniTool, we’re big fans of video!
From the survey, we understand that remaining professional whilst on a virtual call or video is a priority for many companies. At Minitool, we have several video tools to help you achieve this. Our Moviemaker software can create slick and professional-looking videos in minutes and our Video Converter allows you to effortlessly download, convert and record videos for whatever your use.
To see the full YouGov survey results, click here.
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