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Americans might be divided on an array of issues today, but new data shows there appears to be one thing nearly all of us can agree on: The typical work meeting has a lot of room for improvement.

Survey results released Wednesday by hybrid video app mmhmm found 93% of U.S. workers have complaints about their company’s typical meetings, with 47% saying more than half the meetings they attend could be canceled and 25% saying a majority of their meetings are useless.

Forty-two percent of respondents said the highlight of a work meeting is if it’s canceled, and some are even kicking the can down the road to avoid them, with 39% admitting they have actually booked new meetings to try to get out of existing ones.

Forty-five percent of those surveyed said work meetings are too long, almost half (49%) said most meetings do not help them become more productive, and a majority said they would rather send an email, message, voice or video message instead having a meeting.

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But if workers are unable to get out of a meeting, they fall into different patterns of behavior as coping mechanisms, according to the analysis. Those dynamics might also contribute to some of the angst workers feel about meetings. 

The most common personality U.S. workers tend to adopt in meetings is known as “the lurker,” with 40% of respondents saying they prefer to remain silent during the discussions and simply gather information. Some 28% of workers consider themselves “the ambassador” type, and enjoy pulling other people in to get participation from a wide group.

Another 27% of workers say they take on “the ghost” persona in meetings by working on other tasks while others are speaking, and 22% consider themselves “the enforcer” by trying to direct participants back to the agenda.

Some 16% of workers say they like to act like “the clown” and crack jokes to get everyone laughing at meetings, while 15% see themselves as “the dominator,” who likes to speak a lot and make the decisions. The last two meeting personas are “the whisperers” (14%), who carry on side chats about what is happening, and “the mannequins” (7%), who tend to zone out and not really pay attention.

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The study, which involved 1,000 adults employed full-time using a survey prepared by Method Research, found some common meeting pet peeves among workers. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said meetings should never have more than seven attendees, 52% of office workers said any amount of tardiness to a meeting is irritating, 79% said interrupting others is unacceptable, and 41% said eating or snacking during a meeting is a no-no.

The results also served as a reminder for folks to be mindful of their backgrounds during virtual meetings, with 65% of workers saying having a messy background is unacceptable, 60% saying there should be no children or pets in the background, and 53% saying it is unprofessional to take the call from a car or outdoors. 

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Mmhmm said the survey findings did point out that workers do not find all meetings to be worthless. Respondents said a meeting is valuable when they get answers to their questions (64%), it ends with clear outcomes or next steps (61%), and there is a clear agenda (59%).

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It’s just about pumpkin spice season — and Starbucks is at it again.

As the pumpkin spice latte continues to dominate the fall drink market, the coffee chain announced the arrival of its third official pumpkin-inspired beverage: the iced pumpkin cream chai tea latte.

The seasonal chai follows the chain’s pumpkin cream cold brew, which launched in 2019, and the iconic pumpkin spice latte, which is celebrating 20 years since its 2003 debut.

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The new pumpkin drink will be available at Starbucks locations in the U.S. and Canada on Aug. 24.

Other new seasonal offerings will be available as well.

This includes the brand-new iced apple oat milk shaken espresso and baked apple croissant.

Starbucks will bring back fall favorites like the pumpkin cream cold brew, apple crisp oat milk macchiato, pumpkin cream cheese muffin and owl cake pop.

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A Starbucks spokesperson told FOX Business that the inspiration for this season’s new fall beverages came from popular customer and barista customizations.

As Starbucks’ cold foam gains popularity, customers have been more likely to modify their beverages of choice with the sweet topping.

In recent years, Starbucks has noticed an increased preference for cold drinks compared to hot, which also molded this year’s menu, the spokesperson said.

This also includes a push for drinks made with milk alternatives, as three drinks on the new fall menu come cold and two come with oat milk.

While Starbucks stores around the world will offer these new fall tastes, Starbucks Reserve locations are getting their own exclusive pumpkin spice spinoffs starting Aug. 24.

For the first time, the six locations in New York, Chicago and Seattle will serve the Starbucks Reserve pumpkin spice latte made with Starbucks Reserve espresso.

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Starbucks Reserves will also introduce a pumpkin spice whiskey barrel-aged iced latte and a pumpkin spice espresso martini.

During an event at New York City’s newest Starbucks Reserve, located in the Empire State Building, one of the store’s partners detailed how the whiskey barrel-aged iced latte is made with two different Reserve coffees, which are aged in whiskey barrels for about six months.

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Meanwhile, the first-of-its-kind pumpkin spice espresso martini incorporates Irish single-malt vodka that’s distilled with a cacao nib flavor, along with pumpkin spice flavoring and whipped cream on top.

Starbucks Reserve’s Princi bakery items for fall will include a pumpkin maritozzo and pumpkin spice cake.

Starbucks Reserve Vice President Beatriz Pardo wrote in a press release that the Starbucks Reserve pumpkin spice latte reflects the company’s “spirit of innovation.”

“We’re excited to showcase the artistry of Starbucks Reserve coffee craft with the new beverages and immersive coffee experiences,” she wrote.

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“This season, Starbucks Reserve will be the destination for unforgettable memories that bring us together for moments of connection over coffee and the joy of fall flavors.”

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