Head shots for work. Am I within rights to say “no”

[GrannysBat]

I hate having pictures taken of myself. My work is asking me for a headshot so they can put a picture of me on their site so people apparently know who they’re working with through email. I send hundreds of emails a week to “clients”. I don’t want them to see me and know what I look like.

I’ve not ever attended the photo shoots the workplace organise for people to get new headshots.

Can I tell the person asking that I don’t have a head shot and I don’t want one displayed either? Or will I look like an idiot.

I've refused to provide photos before now. Just said I don't have any as I never - stress never - have my photograph taken. It always blows over as nobody has time to pursue it. If your office is more persistent, you could always hint at some mystery reason -too personal to discuss - why your safety might be compromised if you were identified online. I can't understand this need to personalise everything; I tend to get distracted by photos and often find myself thinking, she looks too young/unprofessional/mad as a hatter/why on earth did she choose that lipstick ... why give people the opportunity to judge by appearances!

No comment on whether you can avoid it at work, but I think you need to look at the reasons behind this, seems quite a big emotional problem that you should work through.
I used to be in a social group where one or two organisers refused to have a proper photo. It was a huge pain in the arse for people trying to find the organiser when they didn't know what they looked like.

Do you not have security passes? My work just uses those if people miss the session...so be warned! (This can backfire when senior people have been there a long time - in one case looks like a teenager).

I think you're allowed to say no. But like another poster I would encourage you to get over it. Really nobody cares how you look, it's just sometimes nice to put a human behind an email.

I would refuse. No one needs to know what you look like. We have pictures at work, but they are only visible on internal emails and to be honest I hate that but there's no way I would have my photo anywhere my customers could see it.

I’m with you tbh, in the past when I needed a headshot we (Dh&i) took absolutely loads at home against a viable Plain wall with a variety of bedside lights/angles /makeup etc and I now have 2 which I feel are acceptable and use for everything which needs a professional headshot. I don’t particularly like them, but they are much better than the rush and pressure of trying to get done in work with a queue of colleagues behind you or watching! They are also about ten years or more old now (I still look the same just a few more creases round my eyes so no one has noticed) so they are probably the best I will get

Forgot to say I do agree with @katy1213 and would try that angle To get out of it, but as a back up maybe try and get one if your own which you don’t hate too much in case it turns out to be totally unavoidable.

I also ‘never get round’ to uploading the mugshot to the various in-work system profiles that are dotted around. So far haven’t been sacked...

I refused in many places

I just say I don’t allow pics of me online.

Your company should get you to sign a permission form. They can not use it against your will ( unless it is required for a security/ ID card, which is slightly different). But for use on emails (even if only used internally) they do need your permission.

I sympathise, I too dislike being photographed.

However, given the reason they’ve given It’s not an unreasonable request. Might even boost your sales/output.

Worst case is everyone else gets photographed and they put up one of those silhouettes for you that’ll make you look like Gerry Adams bring interview on tv in the 70’s.

Do you know the film Amelie?

You could try this... (I am always tempted to)

I live in fear of this!
I like adagio's idea, have one you're happy with ready and then put them off for as long as possible!
I'd be using the filters available nowadays too.

Thanks for the replies! I’m nervous about photographs, as I have uneven skin tone and a pregnancy mask that never went away. On bad stressful days it looks like I have a tache 😌. I need to get over it, but I like the “I don’t allow photos of myself online” approach. I don’t actually have any photos of myself online and don’t even have Facebook and other social media.

Apparently they airbrush the professional shots they take, so I could say, I’ll get one done next time? And then put it off.

OP yes I was offered full editing

But the point is, I don’t allow pics of me online. It might piss people off but they can’t force you.

I don’t have Facebook. If people search me online, they can find pretty much nothing.

I supply my own pics for online and allow my direct reports to do the same, after all it is our own profile

I also cringe when I get an email from someone with a big cheesy grin if a photo sign off.

My work tried this last year. The pics were awful so a few of us declined to provide permission for them to be used. If it's not in your contract they can't make you. Stand strong!

Gosh it never even occurred to me to question this. In my sector (finance/ professional services) the only people who don't have head shots on the website/marketing documentation are people still on probation and temps. I don't even know if it's been in all my employment contracts, it's just been such an accepted part of my whole working life and I'm over 35 (and my parents too, I remember as a kid my dad deciding for the first time not to wear a tie in his new headshot for the company website and debating the image and message this would send!!)

I have to say that I don't like photos of myself much either, but I just tell myself that nobody else cares as much as I do!!

Our school had headshots of all staff taken. Then some comment about them maybe being put on the website. I have not much of a problem with them being on the board in the foyer in case a parent is waiting to see me, can clock what I look like (or did before dying my hair!) and recognise me easily even in the beginning of the year if they don't already know me.

But I had a big problem when they were put on the website. There is zero need for any of my pupils to be able to have access to a photo of me (to copy/edit/circulate depending on their desire to mock as has happened in other local schools) so I formally requested to have my photo removed. Which they did. It's on my ID tag, but again, that's in my posession, noone elses.