to refuse to have my photo on the intranet at work?

[wowfudge]

I've received an email today which says the company I work for is setting up an intranet page for HQ (where I work) which will have everyone's name, job role and contact details on it and we are to provide a suitable photo to go on there. The purpose is so that those people in the wider company who have dealings with us can put a face to a name. We've been given a deadline to comply with this.

I am really not comfortable with this as I don't really know why anyone I only deal with over the phone or by email gives a monkeys what I look like or what difference it makes. When employees from around the company visit here, they tend to seek out the people they deal with and introduce themselves. I also have concerns that someone could use my photo for some other purpose without my knowledge. Plus I am not confident about my looks at the moment and don't want my fat face on there for all to see.

What do you think MNetters? Does anyone in HR know what my rights are on this? I feel pressurised to do something I don't want to do and would like to know how to deal with it.

We have security passes, but they don't have photos on them.

We have been told to upload or provide a photo to the intranet person here - no information provided on how that will be protected and, it seems, no opt out. The email is worded in such a way that it does not read that this particular intranet page is the only place the photos will be used. The company has had an intranet site for years, they are just talking about putting an HQ page on there now (staffing at HQ has increased recently). There's a feature on there where everyone in the address book has an individual profile and you can upload a photo, but take-up has been low.

This intranet page is designed to be viewed by anyone in the company, i.e. in all the sites the company has across the world, so people I haven't met, had any dealings with or even potentially heard of will be able to see it.

I am just not comfortable with it for some of the reasons OPs have put. I agree with what Blistory, Nomama and Foxes have had to say. Incidentally - spoke to my DP who said he'd had to do the same recently where he works and he'd found of us together and cropped me out!

Standard risks are considered to be

staff using internal photos for their own purposes such as blowing up for birthday parties, (not everyone appreciates that ) photoshopping with inappropriate images, identity theft, forwarding externally etc

data getting into the hands of disgruntled clients/customers etc which are then used to identify staff and harass them, posted online, stalked, identity theft etc.

We no longer ask for photos on CVs as it means that HR don't discriminate, even unknowingly, based on looks, gender, age, race etc.

Ok, I still don't understand what the 'risk' is or is this just a vanity issue?

wow You aren't the only one feeling pressure! When they first started using Microsoft teamsites (intranet) at my work, there was a big 'push' for everyone to put up a mug-shot photo onto our "mysite" - the thought by management is that it 're-humanises' the workforce, seeing the face behind to voice/name is one way of improving team-working - we do work with people all over the world. My security pass photo isn't that great, so I didn't want to use that

I'm not saying I liked it, but felt I had to 'pick my battles' if only to get them to shut the f* up I got DP to take a reasonable head-and-shoulders of me and do a massive air-brush special Photoshop touchup on it . emailed it to my work account as a jpg file and uploaded it. Then forgot about it! I thought at least it will last a few years, they will stop pestering me, and that way, I controlled what was published.

Many people can't stand their photo (based on me asking around to see if I was the only one!), but we just sucked it up and got on with it.

The wonderful world of corporate social media bollocks I'm afraid.

I have refused to allow my photo to be published on the intranet in the past. I've known too many people who have been stalked by a random weirdo who works in the same building to be comfortable with it.

YANBU at all. And I am shocked at the amount of managers and team leaders on here saying they'd think you were 100% weirdo etc - are you sure you're in the right jobs?

Just because people have it on a security pass, doesn't mean they want it on the intranet -completely different scenario. And why is everyone struggling about meeting people when they don't know what they look like? I'm sure people managed very easily before the internet.

Oh please how precious are you ffs

Precious? Who?

You would hate my organisation. We have our full name, job title, the full job description, our career history, our qualification and picture ALL on the INTERNET website. A name search brings it all up.

And why is everyone struggling about meeting people when they don't know what they look like? I'm sure people managed very easily before the internet

No, I didn't actually...

There is one person in my department who refuses to have their photo on the intranet and it just adds to the view that are odd, awkward, difficult and lacking in confidence.

I say adds because everyone knows they are an incompetent wanker despite that.

It's just a photo. They can embed it into the pages so it can't be c + p out. people you haven't met, dealt with or spoken to may be able to see it, but they won't look at it - it will just be wallpaper.

But surely a possible stalker could just walk past your desk and take a liking to you?
The concerns you should have are your personal data being all over the web and used by possible terrorists but it's just a picture and your job stuff and it's on the intranet not the www.
It's your choice of course.

YABVVVU - it's the intranet so it's not public domain - seems to me to be a reasonable request by an employer.

I have my name, face, qualifications and employment history on sites related to my job.

My last place of work did this and had posters showing everyone's picture. Those that refused or didn't get round to sending a picture in have various cartoon characters in the place of photographs. Must have been nice for the bloke to find out the secretary thought that he was the double of Homer Simpson.

I'm obviously in the minority but I have never, and will never, give permission for my employers to post my picture on their intranet site. I also do not give them permission to record my phone number after I have had lots of dodgy calls in the past. My direct manager has all my contact details, but there is no way I'd be willing for my phone number to be on the system. However if anyone knows where I live, it's not too difficult to find out my phone number :)

You ca opt out if you want, don't think they can force you. But to be honest, you sound a bit too paranoid.

In my profession it is standard for all employees to have photographs on the intranet and for all the professionally qualified staff to have photographs on their firm's website. Some firms only show partners and senior non -partners; my firm and my former firm has photos of all qualified staff. I've seen sites for small firms which include PAs and office managers.

I'm talking about law firms but other professionals we deal with such as accountants, land agents etc are the same.

I don't have a Facebook account and strongly object to anyone putting photos of me on Facebook (as far as I know friends comply with this but tbh none of my friends really use Facebook) but if you knew me in real life you'd easily find photos of me from business sites.

As to whether you're being unreasonable? Yes you are. Especially if,unlike me, you have a Facebook account.

This has quite recently come in at my current job and it's great to see what people look like. All the photos look really professional, so it is not a problem.

At my previous job, the photos were almost mandatory but did not need to be professional...we had a good chuckle at a few with a lot of background (one in particular fell very short of the clear desk policy) and I had one colleague whose favourite lunchtime game was to search for lookalikes. Other than that, it was much more useful than harmful. Maybe delay for a little while 'can't find a suitale pic' and see how it looks before you join in?

Do you have FB, Twitter, etc., and make sure you're not identifiable on places like MN?

Wilson doesn't matter if it's embedded - you can take a screenshot and crop to the part of the image or use the snipping tool.

It isn't a request - it's a dictat.

As for the comment about photos on CVs - that was something advised against. You didn't want the person sifting CVs to make a decision based on or influenced by your photo.

For those of saying I ABU - what about personal choice?

I'm really not convinced by all the being stalked by weirdos just because your photo is on a website paranoia. If you really believe that is a serious risk maybe a niqab/burka is your best option.

Honestly pick any law firm's website and have a look.

Caitlin17, however I'm not employed by a law site, and I do not want my details available on my employers site. I do not think that is unreasonable.

God knows I hate photos of myself, but you do realise that people can actually see you in real life? Be honest, is it really because you don't like how you look? If you can supply your own picture, get an app like FaceTune or similar, and gussy yourself up a bit if it makes you feel better. The idea that some Machiavellian bloke in the post room is going to copy your pic and leave it on businesscards in public phoneboxes (or whatever it is that you imagine) is pretty unlikely, honestly.