Has everyone gotten used to having work meetings on Zoom and Skype? Because so many companies are encouraging their employees to work from home, many more meetings are now being conducted on line.
In many ways this is convenient. In Britain at least, some fashion companies have focussed on selling very casual pyjama-style bottoms along with a smarter shirt, since people can’t see your legs in a Zoom call.
In other ways, an increase in on line meetings is bothersome. For example, lots of people seem to be forgetting that Zoom calls and Skype calls can be easily recorded. One of your colleagues can just click a button and they will have a record of everything you have said. So you had better not say anything too controversial.
For instance, the UK head of a big accounting firm, KPMG, had to resign recently, when his recorded comments were made public. Bill Michael criticised his colleagues for raising problems caused by the effects of the coronavirus. He said, “You can’t play the role of victim unless you’re sick,” and, “If you’re not [sick], take control of your life, don't sit there and moan about it."
I’m not sure quite how the comments of Yoshihiro Mori, who was the head of the Tokyo Olympics organising committee, were recorded. But it is becoming easier for such silly comments to become public knowledge. Mr. Mori was forced to resign after he said that, “Women talk too much,” and, “If we increase the number of female board members, we have to make sure that their speaking time is restricted somewhat; they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying.”
Zoom and Skype also have a mute button. Perhaps Mr. Michael and Mr. Mori should practice using it.
Vocabulary:
to conduct (a meeting) – to carry out (a meeting)
to be bothersome –to be annoying or troublesome
to moan about something – to complain about something in a way which seems weak or annoying to others
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