You have to build wellness into your life, says Zoom COO Aparna Bawa

All the world’s a Zoom call, William Shakespeare might have said had he been alive today. Dogs, cats, bosses, colleagues, grandparents and grandkids have all appeared on our computers since the start of the pandemic in March, turning our screens into a stage.

Zoom grew from 10 million daily meeting participants (different from DAUs – Daily Active Users) in December 2019 to 300 million by April 2020. While the video calls kept people connected, they also induced 'Zoom fatigue' among those who were spending endless hours in virtual meetings. This included Zoom employees too.

Aparna Bawa, Zoom’s COO, reminded people to make time for their mental health in a recent interview.

“When people talk about Zoom fatigue, the struggle is real, but it is not Zoom's fault. You have to build wellness into your life, and take breaks [from the screen]," Bawa told the BBC. "The pandemic hit Zoom employees as much as it did everyone else, and we have the same issues. For us focusing on the mental health of our employees has been very important."

Bawa said she and senior colleagues would take turns to sleep as the company went into overdrive in April. "Our CMO [chief marketing officer] and I... I remember back in April we would take shifts to sleep, it was crazy," she said. "It has been insane, but there is a time and a place. And I personally feel a strong sense of obligation. We [at Zoom] are so lucky that we can provide this service."

Bawa said she and senior colleagues would take turns to sleep as the company went into overdrive in April.

Zoom grew manifold during the pandemic. Its profits in the August-October period in 2019 were $2.2 million. This year, the profits were $198.4m for the same quarter. But Bawa said that the mood in the company was far from euphoric. "It has been a sombre time,” she said. “You don't feel like celebrating when so many people around the world are suffering."