Member-only story
It’s Time to End Zoom Call Tyranny
Stop treating employees like robots
Remember when Zoom calls were a mildly cool novelty? People got to see each other’s homes and pets. We made some lame jokes about wearing pants, and we shared a sense of camaraderie during lockdown. We got a bit of warmth out of these interactions when we really needed it.
The magic is long dead by now. Zoom meetings are not only as boring as in-person meetings used to be — they’re worse.
I never thought I’d say this, but I miss my office job sometimes. My boss at the time was a control freak, but at least we got to relieve some pressure during meetings. We’d show up five minutes in advance and have idle chats with the people already there. Or we’d be five minutes late, and that was fine too.
That’s not a thing in the era of Zoom. You shouldn’t sign in early, even though you’d like to talk to your coworkers. But if you’re 60 seconds late? Too bad, sucker, the meeting’s underway already. Shame on you for interrupting.
It’s weird and unnatural — an empty gesture of respect, insincere and pointless.
What you’re supposed to do is sit in front of your computer, nervously staring at the clock and counting down to the exact second your meeting starts. But make sure there’s nothing offensive in the…
