‘You’re on mute’: 10 COVID-era phrases employees never want to hear again

COVID has changed so many things about work life, from where we work, to how we communicate. But is it all for the best?

Employees are getting pretty sick of the day-to-day phrases that have come to define pandemic-era life. Whether it’s telling your boss for the millionth time that they’re “on mute,” to hearing HR leaders discuss The Great Resignation, our business vocabularies have expanded to include a few phrases that two years in, have become extremely overused.

Read more: 10 ways employees spent their time during the pandemic

Operating platform Qualtrics surveyed employees to gauge the pros and cons of the last few years. While things like work-life balance and family relationships have been positives, corporate jargon is wearing out its welcome.

Employees are getting burned out about the word “burnout,” and most employees are ready to retire (and never attend again) the “virtual happy hour.” See the full list — and double check your audio settings the next time you log into Zoom.