To think British people could bother to turn on video during introductions?

[GinDaddyRedux]

So I've joined a new department. It's based in the UK, but we work across geographies - Asia, parts of west Africa, and Europe.

We had a core team introduction video call on Tuesday. Everyone at the moment is working from home due to COVID-19.

For information, I'm relatively senior, but the incumbent manager was hosting the call. It was specifically labelled on Teams as "Video introduction with XXXXYY team" etc.

We go on the call, 15 people, and those from Asia and Africa and Europe? All had their video on, all very friendly and positive.

The Brits? I couldn't actually believe it, but aside from the manager who was excellent, not one person had their camera on. Just a black screen with their initials.

Now this is not the first time I've experienced this. At a previous department, it was the same sort of culture. Some folk especially from IT or HR were happy to have the camera on, but anyone from the project teams? Oh no, not us...never ever on.

I think that's fine if you're sharing slides, or you know the people, but this is team building in the time of COVID. Surely it's not unreasonable to expect that when the only tool for connecting is video, then someone could be bothered to quickly say "hello" and smile at folk to make them welcome?

It was also notable how the people with black screens/letters, barely spoke. The critical in me was thinking whether they come on the call, mute their mic, then wander around doing other tasks. Yes video calls can be too numerous and lengthy, but it's such a poor way to make a first impression.

AIBU here? I remember seeing a topic on this last year on here and being roundly told to "keep my nosey (sic) beak out of my house", as if I want to see into someone's furniture and upholstery choices!! Nope couldn't care less about your house, I just actually want to interact with my team!

What if they've got low bandwidth or something, and they have to turn off their video to be able to see/hear everything else properly?

I think this thread tells you about British attitude towards camera on

I've just joined a new team, 4 of us out of 10 (including manager) are new and she insists we have our videos on and especially when talking, in team meetings.

It's annoying though as anyone can be looking at you and you don't know. It does feel intrusive but I do as I'm asked

But this is in Australia so maybe we're the same as the Brits?

You are wrong to lump every British person in to this, as if it is a British thing - your colleagues do not make up the whole nation.
However
You are absolutely right that if this was a specific call to introduce yourselves to one another, then obviously people should have had their cameras on and shown their faces.

Don't necessarily see the need all day long on work calls, but that isn't what this was. It is very clear this was a meeting to introduce yourselves, so yes, that involves having your camera on. YANBU in that.

Brits”

A term I find offensive, I'm a Briton, when did anyone ever refer to Amers Germs or Frens? I doubt I am allowed to be offended though, it seems to restricted to the rest of the world. The fact that it's a commonly used abbreviation, common being the operative word, doesn't make it correct, other nationalities have managed to get their abbreviation banned.

Ah! You'd think I was total scum then! I don't work on a laptop, I have a desktop PC in my home office (an actual set aside room I run my business from) bloody expensive this PC was too. No camera. I didn't want one so didn't get one!

So you can sod off with the well hoiked judgey knickers!

I'm too busy eating fish and chips and drinking cups of tea from my bone china collection, before delicately nibbling on scones with jam and cream.

That's a lovely image of you participating in an important business meeting with grease and jam all around your face like a messy toddler

I think some people also get complacent and forget that the camera is on. Depending on the height of your camera, you can probably get away with scratching your bottom unnoticed, but I have seen the odd finger heading for a nostril and then hastily changed to a 'I'm seriously considering all of the points that we've covered' Jimmy Hill chin rub

but this is team building in the time of COVID.

How do you team build with Europe, Asia and Africa outside of the time of COVID? Travel to the various countries? Or just communicate via all the other communication tools available such as phone, email, etc.?

Why is it necessary to actually see someone?

They may well be working from home but it is still their home, they may consider it intrusive to have a video call with people they don't know whilst they are in their home and they are entitled to feel that way and not facilitate it.

I put my video on to introduce myself but I also know my place. It goes off if it’s a big meeting and I’m not the focal person. But if it’s the “littlecaf” show then it’s firmly on!

@BronwenFrideswide

"How do you team build with Europe, Asia and Africa outside of the time of COVID? Travel to the various countries? "

Yeah....we do travel. A lot.

"They may well be working from home but it is still their home, they may consider it intrusive to have a video call with people they don't know whilst they are in their home"

But the Asia/Europe crew don't consider it intrusive. They were at home too, they had every right to feel offended by intrusion, but they didn't. They switch their cameras on, they have done on every call since I've been with this department, and others have done in previous departments.

So why do the UK-based lot seem to have an issue with "intrusion" more than the other countries?

From the looks of this thread it seems to be a "don't you tell me what to do" approach, which my colleagues in other countries don't seem as hung up on as a concept.

@CuriousaboutSamphire

So you can sod off with the well hoiked judgey knickers!

And you are thanked for proving my point entirely about the stubborness of us lot, and the "sod off don't ask me what to do" mentality.

"I didn't want a camera so I didn't get one"....good for you. If that works for your business, fine. I work for a business which is across geographies. People are expected to connect across those distances.

I had a video call yesterday with 4 "Brits" and a Polish colleague. The only one with their video off was the Polish colleague.

I'm off to start a thread about how rude the entire nation of Poland is for never ever using video ever.

@notreallybotheredaboutausernam

That's your sample set, your choice.

I can only speak for myself, but I don't find the word 'Brit' in the least offensive. It's not like it's historically been used as a nasty racist slur against us in the way other abbreviated nationalities have.

It was also used by Rose above, who I very much doubt would be mortally offended to be referred to as an 'Aussie'.

Often it's the cadence of a word and where the syllables fall - considering that you pronounce American 'a-MER-i-can', how would you even say it? It would sound ridiculous trying to only say the first two syllables. With French, the 'ch' is part of the same syllable, so there's nothing to be gained by omitting it. As for Germany, you say 'GER-muh-ny', not 'GERM-uh-ny', so saying 'Germ' (apart from it also being another not particularly positive word in English) would be as crazy as abbreviating Briton to 'Brit-o'.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

Thank you for saying and I agree, as a Brit I don't find Brit offensive.

But this is Mumsnet, where people carefully scrutinise the original post for any minor infraction they can use to attack the OP, rather than address the original premise.

I'm wfh in my bedroom. I don't want people I work with to see such a private and personal space.
Can't lug my desktop to another room every time I have a meeting, as a: I'll be disturbed by family and b: the WiFi is crap and I can't have wires trailing everywhere.

So, that's why the video is turned off.

Are there any settings that offer a half-way house - a set photo of yourself or even a capture that updates every time you press a button and take a fresh photo?

That would look a lot friendlier than just a big circle with your initials in it, but might also help those who have anxiety and/or are worried about being constantly watchable.

it's not like you have to give them a guided tour of the clutter in your spare room, kids' toy-strewn bedroom or your huge laundry pile, just find somewhere with a plain wall (or even better, a bookcase with all of the low-brow titles removed from it!) and put a chair in front of it

DP is working from our very cluttered and untidy spare room. He is expressly forbidden from turning video on for Zoom, Skype etc until he has tidied up. Even then, he wouldn't notice if I had the airer full of laundry behind him, and I don't want all and sundry to see my knickers hung up to dry!

I work downstairs and sit on the sofa for meetings. My team are very impressed by the range of booze in the glass-fronted cupboard next to the sofa, mainly because we haven't drunk it all.

LakieLady

In that case, your DH is unequivocally excused!

Our manager insists on video on for our team meetings. One person still refuses and gets away with it as they've worked here forever.

A friend was telling me that they put cameras on at the beginning of the meeting to all say hello. Then switch off to help with bandwidth. I think an introductory meeting should be camera on, but that is for the meeting leader to ensure.

I'm in London and don't have fibre broadband yet. It could well be poor broadband or shyness, or not having showered and put make-up on or something. It seems more professional that the other nations did bother to get themselves presentable. 'Brits' are shy I've found.

Now this is not the first time I've experienced this. At a previous department, it was the same sort of culture. Some folk especially from IT or HR were happy to have the camera on, but anyone from the project teams? Oh no, not us...never ever on. so the project teams are all brits and it and hr are other nationalities? How does that work with time zones?

What are the relative time zones during this meeting?

So why do the UK-based lot seem to have an issue with "intrusion" more than the other countries?

I've lived in a lot of places. In some places, people have found me overly friendly, in others, not friendly enough - I don't think Brits (no problem with that word) are outstanding on this issue personally.

I do remember moving to Ireland, with a foreign number plate, and the first few times being suspicious of randoms coming up too me in the carpark to ask where it was from. After half a dozen times you just realise that Irish culture is just more along the lines of if you're curious, you ask!

I work for a business which is across geographies. People are expected to connect across those distances. Ah! Distance. The thing that is crossed by telephones and t'internet!

Years ago, way way before WYSIWYG I worked across continents and time zones. I supplied product support for the pre-print industry. I worked on the development for a version of Word in non Latin languages. I spoke to men who called me Mr Samphire, which I took as intended, as a sign of respect.

We used a landline. We made millions of ppounds worth of sales. We communicated.

That you can't see (sorry, that was unintended) that your perspective is off kilter, that people can pick and choose how much technology they wish to enage with, even when working, without being seen as 'lesser than' or just plain stubborn or weird.

You dismiss my post without actually considering my reasons. I work on a PC not a laptop, my screen, fairly high end, simply does not come with a camera and I saw no need to buy one to attach to it! That is perfectly normal.

Your dislike of Brits is colouring your judgment.

You rail at my terminolgy but refuse to acknowledge the bigotted nature of your OP. Why is that?

Perhaps we are more conscious of showing our infamously bad gnashers!