Why Half Your Work Meetings Are a Waste of Time

The Meeting Overload Epidemic
If you’ve ever sighed at another “could’ve been an email” meeting invite, you’re not alone. A new survey by Software Finder reveals that one in two employees believes nearly half of their meetings are a complete waste of time. With workers spending hundreds of hours each year in unproductive meetings, the average employee loses roughly $6,280 annually to pointless gatherings—while tech workers lose almost $10,000.

The Cost of “Meeting Fatigue”
Seventy-two percent of workers report feeling “meeting fatigue,” with Gen Z employees hit hardest. Experts say this exhaustion not only lowers productivity but also fuels burnout and turnover. The generational divide highlights a cultural clash between traditional workplace structures and the younger workforce’s preference for flexible, outcome-based collaboration.

A Culture Problem—Not a Calendar One
Workplace strategist Kacy Fleming, who launched the “Making Meetings Matter” initiative at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, calls for ending “toxic meeting culture.” Fleming’s rules are simple but effective:

• “No agenda, no attenda.”
• Only meet when asynchronous options won’t do.
• Define clear outcomes before scheduling.
• Shorten meeting times and leave breathing room between them.

A Call for Smarter Collaboration
Experts agree that meeting culture won’t change overnight—but with nearly half of all meetings delivering little value, rethinking how teams collaborate may be the key to restoring engagement and boosting productivity in today’s hybrid workplace.