# Large Scale Analysis of Multitasking Behavior During Remote Meetings

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2101.11865 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.11865/

## Key facts

- Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 28 Jan 2021.

## Built on by (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [The Great AI Witch Hunt: Reviewers Perception and (Mis)Conception of Generative AI in Research Writing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.12015/) (2024)
- [MeetMap: Real-Time Collaborative Dialogue Mapping with LLMs in Online Meetings](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.01564/) (2025)
- [Opal: Private Memory for Personal AI](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.02522/) (2026)
- [Designing AI-Supported Focus Groups: A Role x Modality Playbook](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.11835/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Virtual meetings are critical for remote work because of the need for synchronous collaboration in the absence of in-person interactions. In-meeting multitasking is closely linked to people's productivity and wellbeing. However, we currently have limited understanding of multitasking in remote meetings and its potential impact. In this paper, we present what we believe is the most comprehensive study of remote meeting multitasking behavior through an analysis of a large-scale telemetry dataset collected from February to May 2020 of U.S. Microsoft employees and a 715-person diary study. Our results demonstrate that intrinsic meeting characteristics such as size, length, time, and type, significantly correlate with the extent to which people multitask, and multitasking can lead to both positive and negative outcomes. Our findings suggest important best-practice guidelines for remote meetings (e.g., avoid important meetings in the morning) and design implications for productivity tools (e.g., support positive remote multitasking).