Workers admit to vaping while on work video calls amid call for 'action'
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Etiquette expert Jo Hayes believes workers are getting 'far too comfortable with unprofessional beahviour' when working from home – and claims it's turning the UK workforce into slobs. Her comments come off the back of new research from Riot Labs which has revealed 62% of those who vape have admitted to puffing away whilst on work zoom calls amongst clients, colleagues and even bosses.
45% confess to not performing basic hygiene before work calls and 14% take calls whilst on the toilet. Jo, founder of EttiquetteExpert.Org, Hayes, said over half of workers in a survey thought vaping omn a call was 'unprofessional", 'distracting' and worthy of 'disciplinary action'.
Jo said: 'Even if the boss can't see, vaping on a work call is slobbish, unprofessional behaviour. Working from home lulls workers into a false sense of security as to what is, and is not, ok, in a professional setting. Vaping in full view of colleagues on video calls pushes the limit and bosses or clients could put a red strike through your professional name.'
45% of people say they don't brush their teeth before work, 14% admit to taking client calls whilst on the toilet. 11% said they'd burped on a work Zoom call from home, while 42% claimed to have shouted at other members of their household while on work calls.
Riot Labs spokesperson, David Donaghy, said: 'The appropriateness of vaping on a work Zoom call came up in a recent meeting so we wanted to delve a little deeper into people's work from home habits. Vaping is the most effective tool for quitting smoking and while its tempting to vape in the home office, we recommend adopting a 'vape break' in the fresh air, which is far more appropriate.'
The number of people working from home more than doubled between December 2019, shortly before the start of the pandemic, and March 2022 from 4.7 million to 9.9 million, according to official figures. Almost half of UK workers engage in remote work at least part of the week, with 28% adopting a hybrid model and 13% working from home full-time.
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