Law360 is providing free access to its coronavirus coverage to make sure all members of the legal community have accurate information in this time of uncertainty and change. Use the form below to sign up for any of our weekly newsletters. Signing up for any of our section newsletters will opt you in to the weekly Coronavirus briefing.
Sign up for our Legal Industry newsletter
You must correct or enter the following before you can sign up:
Thank You!
Law360 (December 10, 2020, 10:11 PM EST ) Attorneys and staff at Baker McKenzie's United Kingdom offices will have a weekly reprieve from company meetings, including by video conference, starting next year as part of the firm's effort to promote mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, the firm announced Thursday.
Starting in January, the U.K. offices in London and Belfast will observe "Well Being Wednesday," a day with no internal meetings on the schedule, a spokesperson said in an email to Law360.
"This is designed to combat Zoom fatigue and free up employees' time during the week," writes Emily Franca, communications manager for Baker McKenzie UK. "All employees in the London office are encouraged not to schedule any internal meetings a) on Wednesday and b) between 1 p.m.-2 p.m. daily."
A representative from Baker McKenzie was unavailable to provide further details.
The pandemic has forced businesses and law firms worldwide to close offices and keep their workers at home. Workers forced out of the office have also been forced into the virtual world, conducting meetings via video conference. The most prolific of the services, Zoom, at one point boasted 300 million daily participants, up from 10 million daily participants in December 2019, according to Zoom's first-quarter investors presentation in April.
More than eight months after the pandemic and quarantines took firm hold in the U.S. and beyond, people have grown weary of staring at their screens.
A survey of more than 1,000 U.S. office workers released in November by consulting firm Robert Half found that 76% of respondents participate in virtual meetings and spend about 30% of their time on camera with colleagues.
The online survey also showed about 38% of respondents have experienced video-call fatigue since the start of the pandemic and 24% find virtual meetings inefficient and exhausting. They prefer to speak via email or phone call.
"Video calls became the go-to way for professionals to connect, collaborate and build rapport at the start of the pandemic," said Paul McDonald, senior executive director of Robert Half, in a statement coinciding with the study. "While effective in some instances, they can be draining in others and are best used in moderation."
--Editing by Michael Watanabe.
For a reprint of this article, please contact reprints@law360.com.
