There are some images you just don't want. And picturing co-workers who are dialing in for conference calls seems to be one of them, according to a recent study in the UK by the leading fixed-line carrier.
About one in five UK participants in conference calls have called in while naked. Almost half have worn only their underwear while 68 percent have only worn pajamas, a survey by BT Conferencing showed Wednesday.
The prolonged crisis meant the number of conferences has increased by 31 percent over the last year, with BT Conferencing, part of the BT group, handling more than 15 million audio conferences, involving 60 million people in the UK every year.
The most popular place to call into a conference is in bed, while "the smallest room in the house, our toilet or somebody else's, seems to be the second most popular location," BT said in a statement.
People dial into conference calls from trains, cars, ski slopes or the beach.
"Even the grim realities of life can't stop us, with some people even dialing in from outside a funeral service," the company said.
Multitasking while on a conference call is also frequent, with cooking, changing diapers, feeding babies and shopping among top activities.
Painting the ceiling, getting waxed or having a massage have also been known to happen while conferencing, according to BT.
But the days of wearing your pajamas or nothing at all during an important meeting may be fast nearing the end, according to figures from industry analysts Ovum.
The use of high quality video conferencing is growing fast, and 26 percent of conferences are likely to be held by video by 2012, Ovum predicted.