To not want a webcam

[Ghostlyglow]

WFH for the foreseeable. It's an admin job that a couple of 100 of us do (NHS) that doesn't involve much interaction or meetings, in the office it would be possible to go for days without even talking to anyone much. The managers have issued us all with webcams this week "so we can see each other in meetings". We use Teams which works fine with just audio. I just don't like it and I don't even know why really, aside from the fact that all the money spent on crap like this annoys me.

Mines pointed to the plain white ceiling. I tell them the arm is broken on it.

@theonlywayisapple

You’re being difficult without a valid reason

No she isn't. Many people have a real anxiety of being photographed or filmed. It's just an excuse for people to be nosy, and is completely unnecessary.

@ErrolTheDragon

I use a webcam for non work stuff where it adds something , eg a Pilates class where the instructor needs to see what I'm doing.

It might be worth considering that older people have sufficient experience to know that it is generally perfectly possible to communicate with written and spoken words.

Obviously a webcam may be very helpful for people who lipread, it's not a one size fits all issue.

That would be my only reason for using a webcam.

Since your broadband isn't good enough for all the people in your household to use it when you have video on then I'd be tempted to ask your work to pay for the upgrade

I'd call into question the management skills of anyone who can't manage effectively without video
This. Some managers cling to outdated practices and really struggle to manage people they can't see. Incidentally I read a great piece recently by an American academic about remote working and how turning off webcams during meetings contributes to the removal of bias.

@letmethinkaboutitfornow

YABu - what’s your main issue with it? Figure it out. This day and age a ‘just because’ is not sufficient enough and you may find that you’ve been replaced with someone more digitally literate / flexible.

Utter rubbish. If a job can be done without face to face meetings, then why should they use a webcam? My DD works for a global company. They do all their meetings via conference calls, always have. Currently the only group Zoom meeting they have is a 'wellbeing' one once a week which they can choose to be onscreen or just voice. This is a very high tech company, with many young senior staff.

I completely understand you. I am not happy with my weight at the moment and hate using the camera on my phone for meetings as I hate looking at myself on the screen. The first few weeks I used to cover the camera but gave in as other people are right, this is the new normal.

I have found a tidy corner in the house where I set up my laptop and put it at a higher angle for meetings so I look a bit better. as much as I hate it, the positive is I do have an incentive to shower and dress and do makeup in the morning, as opposed to my DH who slobs in Pjs but then feels crap and unmotivated