The remote worker's checklist to e-meetings: Background, body language, distractions, and more

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You should try to avoid eating – you don’t want people to focus on the contents of your lunch rather than what you’re saying.

Offices are places where we chat and gossip, make friends, build teams, enjoy lunches as much as after-work drinks and karaoke sessions. They are also the ideal spaces for spontaneous meetings, overheard insights or ad hoc brainstorming sessions.

But today's offices aren't confined to a physical space. With more employees having the option to work remotely or in a hybrid format, Poly and Debrett have created a guide for virtual meetings' etiquette in the hybrid workplace. 

The guide offers insight into everything from how to behave on video calls and how to dress yourself and your background, to body language tips and the importance of eliminating distractions. Key takeaways include:

• Avoid video motion sickness: Stay in a fixed position during video calls. Carrying your device while you answer the door or wander around the office during video calls risks giving your colleagues a bad dose of motion sickness.
• No meeting munchies: You should try to avoid eating – you don’t want people to focus on the contents of your lunch rather than what you’re saying. It’s preferable to eat before you join a meeting, or turn off your video if the meeting participants might be comfortable with that.
• Beware the danger of diversions: Your home is full of diversions. Be it domestic chores, the garden or visits to the fridge – it’s all too easy to wander around doing jobs or making snacks, which ultimately distracts you from your job and impacts your productivity.
• Eliminate virtual background clutter: Indulge in a little set-dressing before your call. Evaluate your video background. Try to eliminate chaotic bookshelves, discarded clothing, empty take-away containers and distracting artwork. You want your colleagues to focus on you, not your background.
• Say no to stoic sickness syndrome: Do not struggle into the office if you have got a cough or cold or anything contagious. Nobody will applaud your stoicism.
• No meeting multitasking: It’s inappropriate to multitask during meetings – for example looking at your phone. It is also very bad form to carry on working while on a call; everybody will realise your mind is elsewhere and hear the incriminating clatter of your keyboard or see your eyes focused on reading & replying to emails.
• Mute your work mates: Noise in the office can be distracting when joining calls. It’s quite acceptable to politely ask your colleagues to keep their voices down and to turn down their radio or music.
• Dress for success: People will choose to wear more relaxed, comfortable clothing when working from home, but it’s important to be aware of the psychological impact of truly letting yourself go. Aim to dress as if you are in the room with other meeting attendees.
• Embrace long pauses: Don’t be alarmed by long pauses during meetings and scramble to fill them with chatter; they are an invaluable way of giving people space to interject or expound.
• Give a royal wave: Ending a video call can sometimes feel a bit awkward. To make calls feel more friendly and inclusive, you can soften the abrupt finality of pressing ‘End call’ by giving colleagues a wave goodbye.

Liz Wyse, Etiquette Advisor at Debrett’s, mentioned: “It is clear that hybrid working offers many benefits, including greater flexibility and a better work-life balance. However, that’s not an excuse to let etiquette slip, and standards should stay the same regardless of where you’re working from." 

Finally, some words of advice for hybrid workers who spend more time in the office than outside of it - the guide points out that, in this era, employees may well find themselves asked to hot desk — employers may not want to dedicate permanent office space to those who only come in once or twice a week. As such, they should not assume that the loss of their desk means that they are being undervalued. Ideally, it should be recognised as a practical decision and to make the best of it.

"You may find yourself assigned to a new part of the office, with an opportunity to meet different people and exchange new ideas," states the guide. In this case, remote workers can make note of the following:

• Employ good hot desk etiquette: leave everything exactly as you found it; give the computer and screen a quick wipe; check that you have not left coffee mug rings or food debris in any hidden nooks or crannies; remove all your personal possessions and don’t swipe the Post-Its or pens.
• If the COVID era has taught us anything, it is that we should take sickness seriously. Don’t struggle into the office if you’ve got a cough or cold or anything contagious. Nobody will applaud your stoicism.

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