Leading UK and US banks HSBC and Citigroup have announced that they are implementing ‘Zoom-free’ Fridays to combat the stress and fatigue of working from home.
The programme is being rolled out as a trial alongside other employee well-being schemes implemented by other companies, applying the
scheme to the bank’s commercial banking unit.
HSBC’s focus on shifting away from Zoom one day a week coincides with the bank’s
plans to shake up its working patterns post-pandemic, with plans to slash its office space by 40%.
Zoom fatigue, stress or
a feeling of unwellness brought about by frequent use of Zoom and other videoconferencing platforms, has been found to have a disproportionate
impact on women, according to a Stanford study. A separate study found that close-up eye contact, viewing your own face,
the lack of movement in a limited field of view and cognitive overload to be the primary driving causes of Zoom fatigue.
Speaking to CBS News, Jane Fraser, chief executive, Citigroup, said in a memo: "The blurring of lines between home and
work and the relentlessness of the pandemic workday have taken a toll on our wellbeing. It’s simply not sustainable.
"After listening to
colleagues around the world, it became apparent we need to combat the 'Zoom fatigue' that many of us feel.”
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