In case you've missed the office memo, it’s no longer acceptable to log into an online meeting looking tired and disheveled.
In pre-pandemic days, many workers arguably had a legitimate reason to show up at work looking a little worse for wear. If the morning commute wasn’t horrific enough, a number of people were either still fighting off the lethargy that accompanies a late night working overtime or the aftereffects of a hangover that is the result of after-work drinks that stretched long into the evening.
These days, however, such convenient excuses have all but disappeared. Many workers are now spending an unprecedented amount of time in front of their computer cameras speaking to online audiences, and the pressure is on employees to be bright-eyed and spruced up for the occasion. Older men for whom personal grooming has never been a priority are facing increasing pressure to look professional in online meetings.