Working from home - cameras on laptops?

[bbcessex]

I work from home at least two days a week, and regularly have conference calls etc.

In the past, it's not standard to have laptop cameras switched on for conf calls as we are a financial services company and it's not been common, but that's changing with teams about to regularly work more remotely due to corona policy.

I actually much prefer seeing the person / people I'm talking to and i think it helps with connecting / focus / communication. I've given my team notice that as we are all going to be working from home more (not formally told to yet but likely) I'd like to have work laptop cameras on during team calls wherever possible going forward.

Most people are fine - I've had the obvious comments 'oh no, I'll have to get dressed, ha ha', but a couple of people are really not happy about it (without being specific about why).

It's not mandatory of course, and i can't / won't enforce it, but I will encourage it.

Does anyone else have a view on this? Is it unreasonable to encourage?

Wow. I had no idea so many people would object. Never realised that people would refuse/ put tape over the camera

Me neither. I kind of get the privacy argument and not wanting people to be able to see your house, but the make-up issue? Come on ladies, that's silly. Do you really think anyone notices or cares? I don't like working in PJs but if you do, just put a jumper over the top for the call.

Nope not happy with it either. When my husband was asked to do it I was very unhappy about it. Especially as the computer desk is set up in our bedroom, far too intrusive. But they were being asked to have the camera on all the time whilst working not just for conference calls.

I agree, it’s really important to be able to see the face of the person that you’re walking to. The dynamic is totally different when you can’t see them. We have remote workers on my team and when they don’t switch their cameras on during team meetings for whatever reason, they hardly contribute at all. They just sit in the background and listen. However, when their cameras are on its far more like they’re in the room with us and they participate much more.

It’s also basic human nature to want to see the face of someone who is talking to you. Things can be interpreted very differently once you take body language and expression into account.

but a couple of people are really not happy about it (without being specific about why).

First of all, working from home allows me to be dressed as I want and have no makeup on. I wouldn't want to have to put a presentable top on and do my hair and make up for a call.

Secondly, my desk is in my bedroom so the view behind me is a little embarrassing.

Thirdly, to be blunt, it allows me to do other things while just listening if the meeting is not that important.

I wonder if all the managers insisting on video calls will happily pay for internet connections that allow that. I'm rural and our internet massively struggles with things like FaceTime or Skype - it freezes and crashes constantly.

Luckily I'm self employed and don't need to be sat on camera to be effective at what I do!

For me the main advantage of WFH is comfort - I can wear leggings or pyjamas or sit snuggled under a blanket in my dressing gown. I'd rather my colleagues didn't see that 😂

All the posts saying about getting dressed and being presentable - what does your clothing choice have to do with how well you can do your job?

I agree with DontDisturb. I'm not surprised employers won't allow people to work at home if this is peoples attitude!

Get up get dressed and look decent. You are at work! You are supposed to be working.

If you want to slob about in your pyjamas no problem. I too am a dressing gown wallower at home. (I dont currently wfh at all, I'm just talking generally) But this is a privilege, not a given.

If you have a meeting, I expect people to put something decent on, turn on their camera, and participate.

Absolutely not. I won't use the camera at work so there's no way I'm going to use it at home.

The people saying they're in meetings that aren't important - why do you accept the invite if you have nothing to contribute to the meeting? It's sort of wasting everyone's time. If you accept the meeting invite then you should respect the other attendees and actively participate, not turn on mute and do something else.

I don't like it really - but mainly because having 5 people with video on takes all the bandwidth and causes more technical troubles than just 5 with voice - and I've been working with remote teams for 15 years (god, no, 20! I'm getting old!)

I do think that these situations work better when you know each other though, that you've had enough actual contact, face to face, that the voice of a person is all you need.

Having said that - in a conference room, it's nice to have the camera on for remote people, because it can get a bit noisy and it's easier when you can see who's speaking, so I guess it would seem fair in that situation that those dialled in had their faces up too.

I think for calls under an hour yes, over that then no, as it's a bit much for an extended period.

Get up get dressed and look decent. You are at work! You are supposed to be working

And? Why can't you work in your pyjamas, or gym gear, or leggings and a T-shirt if that's what you want to do? How does it have any impact on how well you can do your job?

People can always go into the office if they aren’t happy to comply with the simple request.

Interesting to hear people’s view. We are also looking to increase wfh due to corona virus fears. Also in FS. If anyone in my team objected to put the camera on I’d tell them to get into the office instead. You are paid to work, that includes being dressed appropriately and ensure you can carry on business as usual. If you can’t, then home working is not for you.

People can always go into the office if they aren’t happy to comply with the simple request.

What benefit does the request have, though? Do people make more money if they work from home in a suit rather than a dressing gown?

Or is it just one of those rules managers have come up with to make them look like they're trying to achieve something?

I think people who work from home on a regular basis forget that the OP said this is a change due to Corona and therefore affects people differently.

In my head office we have several people working from home between 60-75% of the time. That is only allowed if they can provide a seperate working area with a proper desk, computer set up and lockable cupboards. Working has to be done in the normal working hours unless agreed otherwise and only at home, no public WiFi or hotspot allowed. Calls are routed to the house phone or mobile and of a video call is required that has to be taken.

That is very different from my set up when I occasionally work from home. I work at the dinning room table with my laptop, not a proper desktop or laptop with a larger screen/second screen like DH has upstairs in the study where he works 5 days a week.

We will hear today if there are moves to send us home for a couple of days a week. Last week was trial with one person working remotely and it was difficult as we need two people for most things and efficiency was down. Then insisting on extras like video calls is just too much when people struggle getting their work down anyway.

Most people o know who work from home Re more independent workers, my colleagues use the time to read documents, write analyses, work through projects, hardly stuff you constantly need a second person.

I tape it up. Noone has the right to see my home, unless I invite them in. I find I can think better without people looking at me. I also wear more casual clothes when I'm at home, and if I dont people to see me in a t shirt, that's my choice.

Yanbu its completely standard at my company. You are "at work".

I don't have a fast enough broadband connection to support video. My boss has asked me before to put video on and I won't. He's not happy but I can't actually take part in the calls if I have video on as it just drops out. I could get fibre, but I won't stand the cost myself just for work as I don't need it otherwise and they won't pay.

If it's a call with our offshore team then we do, its much better for communication on often complex pieces of work. Plus everyone has to be on mute unless talking because of background noise so being able to see people nod, shake heads etc. Is better and saves time 'coming off mute' (which you often forget to do) just to say 'yes' or 'I agree' etc.

Having said that - in a conference room, it's nice to have the camera on for remote people, because it can get a bit noisy and it's easier when you can see who's speaking, so I guess it would seem fair in that situation that those dialled in had their faces up too.

There is definitely a difference when you can see vs voice only

We use video calls a lot - whether in office but different locations or wfh. Works really well, much more engaged calls and as someone else said a good way to connect whilst waiting for all to join.
I take the view that when I’m wfh I am still in work mode and therefore need to be presentable and ready for a normal days work.
I find it odd that so many people are totally opposed to this- surely it gives the flexibility to do roles which previously required face- to - face meetings remotely and therefore allows much more flexibility.

We work at home most of the time. We supply all equipment including internet and telephones. If a meeting is required then a visible presence is usually required, just as in an office. If it’s a meeting that requires attention or input then you shouldn’t be off doing other things - just as in the office you wouldn’t get up and wander off to brush your hair. I think some people are confusing work with pleasing yourself.
Nobody is interested in your outfit unless it’s with an external agency. Nobody cares about your wallpaper - but you can set your camera to obscure the background.
I don’t make it a personal choice any more than having laptops off in workplace meetings is a choice, unless you’re presenting. It’s accepted professional behaviour.

I work for a company where everyone works from home fulltime, we never put the cameras on for meetings, I would hate for that to change.

Can you imagine going into a meeting with external providers with a paper bag over your head? A training session in your underwear? If it’s work time, it’s work time. Homeworking confers huge advantages and it’s a great pity if people undermine that for others by refusing to adhere to workplace norms.

I take the view that when I’m wfh I am still in work mode and therefore need to be presentable and ready for a normal days work.

I don't need to be presentable or dressed in a certain way in order to work, though. In a WFH environment, I can achieve just as much in my pyjamas as I can in a suit.

There's definitely an underlying tone here of "well, I need to dress in office wear to get things done so everyone else should have to do the same".