UMSON Meeting-Free Wednesdays and Telework Tips
May 15, 2020- As Dean Kirschling announced at the May 8 Faculty/Staff Town Hall, beginning Wednesday, May 20, UMSON will move to meeting-free Wednesdays in an effort to reduce virtual meeting fatigue. Please avoid scheduling meetings (web, phone, or otherwise) with your UMSON colleagues on Wednesdays to allow faculty and staff to focus on completing other work and resting their screen-weary eyes. As indicated, this applies only to UMSON meetings. If you have meetings with groups or individuals beyond UMSON, including meeting with UMB colleagues or external entities, Wednesday meetings may be unavoidable. In addition, faculty should continue to meet with students, as necessary, on Wednesdays.
- “Zoom” fatigue, or in our case WebEx fatigue, is an emerging phenomenon. Learn more, as well as some strategies to combat it, in this article from the Harvard Business Review.
- Given our commitment to flexible work schedules during this period of teleworking, requests labeled “immediate” or “urgent” should be used thoughtfully and with the utmost care. In an effort to gently remind others of the need for flexibility in expectations regarding scheduling and responsiveness, we encourage all UMSON employees to include the following message above your contact information in your email signature:
We are working remotely to comply with UMB campus guidelines regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. While we will do our best to continue normal operations and work schedules, please understand that due to the nature of the situation, responses and actions may be delayed. We appreciate your patience during this unprecedented time. - As always, if you are on leave, please adjust your out-of-office message to indicate this and your date of return. Above all, please be mindful that teleworking can impose differing and very individualized stresses and strains on each of us. We all need to be flexible and treat our colleagues with understanding and respect as we navigate these unusual times.
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