On the lighter side somewhat: eating during zoom meetings.

33 Comments

1. Jessica MinterFebruary 15,2023 at 3:21PM UTC

   LOL - nice!! I agree...I rarely eat on camera. I have been known to take a few bites of yogurt as that is somewhat of a safer option, but only in 1-on-1, informal meetings.

2. Bonnie CoventryFebruary 15,2023 at 3:26PM UTC

   I think it's audience dependent, sometimes I have coffee & chats, Snack & chats with others. Never had an all department chat with watching someone licking their fingers from the bag of Lays chips they just downed, so yea. Know your audience and the reason for the meeting. Chomping is never all that fun to watch.

3. Lorna Rose, J.D., M.S.February 15,2023 at 5:42PM UTC

   If someone's on-camera behavior is bothering or distracting you, I think that a polite request to accommodate you by turning the camera off is completely reasonable.
   I know that it's "common knowledge" not to consume food during meetings, but I think that this is another adaptation to the socioeconomic times in which we're all living and working. Some people have to eat their only meal of the day during work meetings because that's the only time they can make sure nobody will bother them, and some people are really uncomfortable with having to stare at someone eating in a professional setting; we are all still adjusting and for that, we owe each other AND ourselves some grace! Rather than presume that the person eating is oblivious or being rude on purpose, just speak up for yourself and request that they finish eating with their camera off. They might be grateful for the "permission," so to speak, to go off-camera so they can finish eating without everybody staring at them, you never know!

4. Barb HansenFebruary 15,2023 at 6:09PM UTC

   If the zoom meeting is sales related, then no nom-nom-nom'ing.

   If the meeting is an internal staff meeting or a one-on-one with an external partner and everyone on the call is okay with it, then I'm fine with people grabbing lunch/snack during the call.

5. AnonymousFebruary 15,2023 at 8:30PM UTC

   Completely agree

6. Julie A. LaryFebruary 15,2023 at 8:52PM UTC

   I've worked remotely since 2017, and unless the meeting is specifically a lunch and learn, or held during the lunch "hour" for participants, I've found it's best to not eat or join via audio and not video.

7. AnonymousFebruary 16,2023 at 8:27AM UTC

   Eating is absolutely a NO during virtual meetings. Taking 1 or 2 sips of water quietly here and there is fine. Eating is excessive. I keep myself on mute until I am ready to contribute to the meeting.

8. Amy Carissa OliverFebruary 17,2023 at 1:22PM UTC

   No offense, but LOL. Yesterday, I was booked into Zoom meetings back-to-back from 6am-7pm and on four occasions had to excuse myself to go to the rest room. In the new world order of video meetings, the expectation of meeting behaviors has to change. If people want my time for 13 hours in a day, then a sandwich is going to appear in a meeting.

9. Cinzia IacovelliFebruary 17,2023 at 2:03PM UTC

   Totally agree with you on this :)

10. AnonymousFebruary 17,2023 at 3:05PM UTC

    Let them sandwiches in!

11. Meghan BFebruary 17,2023 at 3:27PM UTC

    I have to drink pretty much constantly during the day for medical reasons. So I LOL about "1-2 sips". However, I have tall cups with straws and always mute myself so as to be unobtrusive about it. I don't eat on camera, at my company they want our cameras on as much as possible, but given how many meetings we have, if we need a snack or it's not a good day for us no one berates us for having the camera off occasionally - as long as we're not presenting.

12. Paulla Fetzek, MSEdFebruary 16,2023 at 1:37PM UTC

    For me it depends on the nature of the meeting. Regardless though, unless the organizer states that it's ok to bring food or drink - neither should ever be present.

    When we have meetings at my company, people always bring things to drink. Because we've known for ages that this is perfectly ok. Even in formal meetings.

    If you find someone is always attending a scheduled meeting and eating - perhaps the meetings are being held when the person eats lunch? Not everyone goes at noon. Could the meeting be scheduled for another time?

13. April LineFebruary 16,2023 at 1:40PM UTC

    I turn the cam off in general, I find my mug to be distracting.

14. Paula Manczuk-HannayFebruary 16,2023 at 2:26PM UTC

    Having had the unfortunate experience of having so many back to back meetings without a break, I have to eat during meetings from time to time. I always turn the camera off and let the group know why. When this does happen, I try to find a meeting that is the internal team who will understand. Not eating all day is not an option for me.

15. Stephanie Malcom, MBAFebruary 16,2023 at 4:38PM UTC

    Ha! I try to eat before/after but if a must, yes, pause your camera. By pausing, you face is still there just frozen in time!

16. AnonymousFebruary 16,2023 at 5:50PM UTC

    I agree- no eating on camera. If you have to be on the meeting to listen, then mute your video and microphone. Nobody likes listening to chomping or slurping, either.

17. Amy Carissa OliverFebruary 17,2023 at 1:29PM UTC

    Zoom meetings have created unreasonable expectations of employees. Prior to the Zoombie lifestyle, you would have been walking between rooms or buildings, or driving across town to meetings, so they would never have been booked back-to-back for an entire day. Now, the expectation is that because your meeting is just a click away, you should be available at all hours and without having to stand or take a break in-between.

    I was scheduled into Zoom meetings back-to-back for 13 hours yesterday. One of my team members had back-to-back meetings that were split between in-person and on Zoom. She couldn't take her lunch to the in-person meeting with government officials, so she brought it to Zoom meeting we had (not an internal meeting), and there is zero way I was going to tell her that she couldn't eat that salad when I knew d*** well it was the first time she was eating that day and it was already 2:00pm.

    Camera off is a fine request, but don't listen to the commenters who have said that eating should never be allowed. People are human beings with the physical need to drink, eat, and go to the bathroom. That doesn't go away simply because video meetings are now the norm. Compassion first, then work.

18. Christen NgFebruary 17,2023 at 2:18PM UTC

    I thought I'd be the naysayer with many of the points you mentioned here but definitely articulated better than any attempt of mine. So I will leave this with a hearty: 100% I agree! :)

19. Rochelle CohenFebruary 17,2023 at 1:50PM UTC

    Agree!

20. Nicolette ThompsonFebruary 17,2023 at 2:59PM UTC

    Ugh I am 100% yes on this - turn the cam off.

    I had one client who required cameras on no matter what, including when they would have me in back to backs for hours. I had tried to just disconnect after introductions or put the cam on if I was speaking, but this woman wasn’t feeling it. Very annoying.

21. AnonymousFebruary 17,2023 at 3:11PM UTC

    Yes turn the cam off or move off camera while chewing not everyone can eat pretty

22. Allison BranenFebruary 17,2023 at 3:19PM UTC

    I turn my camera off and mute if I’m eating. I’ve only done it during a few internal calls. I sent a message in the chat saying I would be on camera when I finished my lunch.

    I don’t eat during client calls, although a few of them have, on occasion. I do usually have coffee or water next to me and will sip that during Zooms.

23. AnonymousFebruary 17,2023 at 5:48PM UTC

    My manager once ate an entire container of yogurt, on camera, during our 1:1. He was not a neat yogurt eater and it was so awful.

24. AnonymousFebruary 17,2023 at 5:59PM UTC

    My boss' boss devoured a whole burger during a 15 min call. It was disgusting.

25. AnonymousFebruary 17,2023 at 6:42PM UTC

    At 34, almost 35 weeks pregnant and with all day back-to-back zoom meetings, I barely have time for bathroom breaks let alone eating sooo you're out of your mind if you think I'm not going to eat on a zoom call. I have had to turn off my camera to go use the bathroom because meetings run over, people book spaces I've blocked between meetings, etc. If it were up to me I'd be off camera all day, everyday and we'd all be happier haha

26. AnonymousFebruary 17,2023 at 7:05PM UTC

    My organization once hosted a virtual holiday party with everything getting door dash at the same time. It was also mandatory for everyone to have their cameras on. Which meant that 200+ people were all eating in front of a camera together while various speakers would present....it was disgusting!!

27. Gail Buckley CraneFebruary 18,2023 at 10:45AM UTC

    On the other hand, I am AMAZED that a virtual holiday party with 200+ simultaneous door dash deliveries would be successful. Does your organization own control in DoorDash? (Granted I am in Albuquerque). My n-f-profit organization would have salads, sandwiches etc, delivered to our conference room for our monthly board meetings. Once COVID hit we set up an account with our preferred vendor to allow Board Members to order delivery to their location. Board members were very happy with this courtesy.

28. AnonymousFebruary 20,2023 at 7:15PM UTC

    Yes, logistically was a bold move. Everyone is remote and located throughout the US. They located 4-5 restaurants for the employee to select from and used Door Dash and other food deliver services for the drop off. I did enjoy the meal being delivered to the home, just wish they would have allowed the cameras off while eating. Many people, including myself, opted to just wait to wait until after the virtual event was over.

29. Anne Marie HFebruary 18,2023 at 3:07PM UTC

    Off cam only... if a newscaster wouldn't, then don't do it!

30. Christen NgFebruary 18,2023 at 9:34PM UTC

    Good thing I’m not a newscaster. I mean I’m not eating spaghetti but with back to backs, a human’s gotta human. I mute and I’d it’s a snack that isn’t all weird and drippy, I have no issue eating on cam. I don’t live for it but if the meeting coincides with hanger and I have no slots for lunch, people will continue to live on after seeing me eat a cracker.

31. AnonymousFebruary 20,2023 at 1:10PM UTC

    My boss’s boss holds meetings on Mondays and always requests everyone be in camera. It happens to be during the time I need food. He will make comments about how if you don’t turn your camera, it must be because you’re still in your pajamas or something similar. I piped up and said it could be because you’re eating breakfast or snack (global meeting). So, I just eat during that meeting. I spend most of that time watching myself to be sure I didn’t get food on my face and that my mouth is closed.

32. AnonymousFebruary 20,2023 at 6:29PM UTC

    Keep that camera off! Share in the chat or say at the start that you'll turn it on when you're done eating. Meetings are not a lunch/dinner where your colleagues have chosen to watch you eat. Besides being potentially gross, anyone could record a video or screenshot of you looking very unflattering, even if you're a careful eater. Would you want those visuals on someone else's device?

33. Liz MilneFebruary 20,2023 at 11:46PM UTC

    mute and turn off camera, but preferably eat outside of meeting? I don't know, I'm really self-conscious eating in front of others, and in a meeting, even if they can't see or hear me, I'd feel weird...

    I also have misophonia with squelchy, slurpy noises, so I try to control my exposure to others eating whenever possible and avoid scenarios where I can't have background music/ noise over the eating sounds of others.