To think mandatory video calls is a ridiculous request?

[Lizzie523]

After nearly a year of working from home our manager has requested we all turn our cameras on for every daily team meeting (which is every day).

I can't say what my colleagues reasons are for turning theirs off some days, but I tend to do it on days my mental health isnt great or I've had a terribly sleepless night due to the stress of this whole situation. Probably once or twice a week. They are arguing we should appear like we were in the office - but in the office we got on with our work and were not having a daily meeting or sitting in front of all our co workers faces.

The meetings are usually pointless check ins where no one has a thing to say. It is always the same extroverts talking about personal stuff. The fact the videos on is now mandatory because they say so has annoyed me quite a bit. AIBU?

And all this "oh i need to do my hair/makeup" etc - well yes, you need to look the same level of presentable as you do every working day, nobody is asking you to do anything

Not necessarily. I've realised that whereas I had to straighten my hair properly when I was in the office I can get away with doing the bits people see now I'm WFH. I don't waste time doing the back properly now!

If they only want it on for the team meeting then what's the issue? I'd feel a bit weird having it on literally all day just because you wouldn't normally have to subject yourself to stating at your face all day; but for certain things not sure of the issue.

How you look is not a secret, is it? If you're well enough to be working (and would normally be in the office) then you#re well enough to switch that camera on for 15 mintues or whatever.

I agree with this. OP you talk about being curled up on your couch in pain - then you shouldn’t be working, you should be on sick leave.

We have been working from hone for so long now hat people have started in my work who have never been in the office. Without cameras they wouldn’t know what their colleagues look like.

I hate being on camera but I do it because I have to, just don't expect me to be wearing make up or my office clothes. I'll be clean and smart but not dressed up as there is no need. It doesn't mean I can't do my job, in fact I'm probably better if I'm dressed comfortably.
Is it an issue with your boss? I'm guessing not, do therefore it's not an issue at all. If however you were a solicitor, meeting with high powered customers, it might not be unreasonable for your boss to ask you not wear a t-shirt. If you insisted on wearing them regardless then yes, you'd be unreasonable.

For those who say their boss is fine with not having it in, then it isn't an problem either. Again, the type of work, role etc... means that it isn't essential.

The issue is when the boss says that it is mandatory and 9ne staff member stamp their feet because they don't like it without good reasons. That is not because of 'provicy', because they don't want to wash their hair or wear make up, because they want to do something else whilst on the call, or are just shy.

I still haven't heard one reason that is reasonable.

They clearly feel that people aren't properly interacting with the chat, as you said, it's the same few people, so they want to make sure everyone is actually present. I think if you're getting paid to work then you're not really being put out to be expected to be as presentable as you would be if you were in the office.

Or not even as presentable as you would be in the office. Just presentable.

I will take it that I am completely unreasonable then. 🤷‍♀️

I’m just glad my boss thinks differently.

I can’t get my head around it either. Presumably people didn’t find it distressing when they saw colleagues/clients in real life? Also everyone else on the call is on camera! Honestly do not get what the big deal is.

But it's NOT real life, is it? I love to see my friends in real life. I do not ever Facetime or Zoom call them though! I call them on the phone. Have you not noticed the differences between a group meeting in real life and on a video call? It's not the same!
And I am always up, dressed and in proper clothes for work, it's nothing to do with wanting to work in pjyamas or wearing make-up. I have quite a few work colleagues now that I have never met, and only seen a thumbnail pic of, and so what? Maybe ageism in the workplace will become a bit less prevalent as a result. I hope so.

Their suggestion was that no one else in the house should use the WiFi whilst I'm working. Erm no

THEY employ YOU. It’s not down to them to find solutions so you can adhere to working requirements. They’ve already suggested a reasonable solution but you have decided to refuse it.

However you could just get another job.

@Seasaltyhair

Their suggestion was that no one else in the house should use the WiFi whilst I'm working. Erm no

THEY employ YOU. It’s not down to them to find solutions so you can adhere to working requirements. They’ve already suggested a reasonable solution but you have decided to refuse it.

However you could just get another job.

How is it reasonable? So no one else in my household being able to work is a good suggestion?

As you say THEY employ ME so it is up to THEM to ensure that I have the appropriate hardware to complete my job

Your manager is being unreasonable.

My issue isn't so much with my face being on camera, as it is these calls let them see into my home - which isn't an office environment and isn't any business of my coworkers or managers.

The software we use for our calls doesn't allow for any green-screen type backgrounds and while I don't mind moving to the dining table and and doing a tidy up to portray a neutrally professional backdrop for a one off client call or weekly meeting it's not practical to actually work from there - and the space I work from is also a space used for other parts of my life which means there's an exercise bike behind me, bras drying on the radiator and my personal weekly to do lists posted on the wall all of which would be visible if I turned my laptop camera on and I'd be very annoyed if I had to reorganise those things because bosses insisted on every conversation including video.

www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200421-why-zoom-video-chats-are-so-exhausting

This is a really interesting piece.

The organisation I work for are very flexible and don’t mind whether my camera is on or off. We upgraded to super fast broadband when homeworking started, but with two of us homeworking and one of us homeschooling it still sometimes doesn’t cope and I turn my video off.

My daughter’s lessons are done via Teams - the teachers don’t have their video on and neither do the pupils.

@Seasaltyhair

Their suggestion was that no one else in the house should use the WiFi whilst I'm working. Erm no

THEY employ YOU. It’s not down to them to find solutions so you can adhere to working requirements. They’ve already suggested a reasonable solution but you have decided to refuse it.

However you could just get another job.

Yeah, don't be stupid.

What if (like me) you have 2 people trying to WFH? What if kids need internet access for schoolwork?

If it's really a problem then maybe the company should pay out for a dedicated seperate line. If not, no, they don't get to mandate what people who are not employed by them do in their own home.

@Seasaltyhair

Their suggestion was that no one else in the house should use the WiFi whilst I'm working. Erm no

THEY employ YOU. It’s not down to them to find solutions so you can adhere to working requirements. They’ve already suggested a reasonable solution but you have decided to refuse it.

However you could just get another job.

Oh FFS this is getting ridiculous now! Who takes priority with the bandwidth then if the kids school and your partner’s manager is also insisting camera’s on?

@Youngatheart00

www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200421-why-zoom-video-chats-are-so-exhausting

This is a really interesting piece.

It is! Thanks for linking it

Possibly perhaps put in some constructive feedback as to incremental team cohesion and productivity improvements which may be beneficial to most? In other words make your line manger (even if not most accommodating nor friendly) appear like an absolute hero and say something along the lines of....”just wondering if you and most colleagues are happy to possibly mix this up a bit with video and voice only conference calls too - how does that sound?” “I think some variety may work well and add another dimension to overall productivity?” Etc etc as basically BS but nice BS! As a line manager to many myself I am as it happens super nice (even if I say so myself!) as not always the “boss” and always like to see things from all viewpoints and conscientious that being a tough line manager is self and team defeating especially as we are all in this together at home in the middle of a pandemic!

@nosyupnorth

Your manager is being unreasonable.

My issue isn't so much with my face being on camera, as it is these calls let them see into my home - which isn't an office environment and isn't any business of my coworkers or managers.

The software we use for our calls doesn't allow for any green-screen type backgrounds and while I don't mind moving to the dining table and and doing a tidy up to portray a neutrally professional backdrop for a one off client call or weekly meeting it's not practical to actually work from there - and the space I work from is also a space used for other parts of my life which means there's an exercise bike behind me, bras drying on the radiator and my personal weekly to do lists posted on the wall all of which would be visible if I turned my laptop camera on and I'd be very annoyed if I had to reorganise those things because bosses insisted on every conversation including video.

You can put a plain duvet cover up behind you if it's for the odd meeting- a few pegs might do it? If your software has no background effects- MS teams does !

@Seasaltyhair

Their suggestion was that no one else in the house should use the WiFi whilst I'm working. Erm no

THEY employ YOU. It’s not down to them to find solutions so you can adhere to working requirements. They’ve already suggested a reasonable solution but you have decided to refuse it.

However you could just get another job.

That is absurd. Why should anyone's partner or adult offspring be unable to work because the poster's employer wants her to have her WiFi all for herself? Why should her children, if she has any, be unable to do their schoolwork? Or watch YouTube for that matter?

If the employer want her to have exclusive use of a broadband connection then they can pay to have a separate one put in. That's what many employers do for home workers, a separate connection that is only to be used for work.

@Catplanter

What would you do in an office environment then? Or do they have sofas in your office that you would frequently lie on

You'd assume most offices would permit home working in such a situation. Any of those I've worked in certainly have

If someone is in such pain that they have to lie on a sofa to work, face contorted with pain, then they are not fit to work and should be signed off sick.

@CrochetOrBust

Not having my video on is one of the reasonable adjustments I have at work - I also turn off incoming video. Otherwise I’m unable to contribute or understand what people are saying, I am sometimes forgotten about, though!

For those of you thinking that not having video on is rude, please bear in mind that you may not always know why someone doesn’t have their video on. My immediate team are all aware of my reasons, and I’d be happy to explain my reasons to someone like @sparticuscaticus who has a genuine reason to need video on, but it’s not really fair to just make assumptions.

I think that's fair enough. If it's a reasonable adjustment for you then I'd be text chatting down the side to clarify / ask what you said if I couldn't hear you well

I don't have any issue with good (reasonable adjustments) reasons to turn off camera - I don't need to know, our manager does - but I think it's unfair for those who don't have genuine disability reason, if it is required for certain meetings to make it disability inclusive for those of us that need video visual cues

Obviously I don't agree with the "stay on video with camera on all day so we can watch into your house to see you working" thing that a couple PPs have said! That's intrusive and not ok. But OPs situ for a daily team brief meeting and her reasons present as a tad dodgy and precisely the reason she should aim to turn her camera on.

PPs Thankyou Croquetorbust
I hope you are managing to wfh well

URaWizHarry

What if (like me) you have 2 people trying to WFH? What if kids need internet access for schoolwork?

If it's really a problem then maybe the company should pay out for a dedicated seperate line. If not, no, they don't get to mandate what people who are not employed by them do in their own home.

I'm assuming that most PPs who now have to wfh and do some video team meetings or other (not all day) mandated meetings have saved travel cost / lunch money/ wear n tear on shoes costs by not having to attend office. That can be put towards temporary upgrade on WiFi service? I had to upgrade mine when DCs (3x) and I started wfh. I save more than £20/ month extra it costs me in petrol or bus fare for school and work travel so it was a bargain. Meh, it dips out sometimes but work and school understand

That's different to someone who lives rurally and can't get a good WiFi connection

But you could ask your work and make a case for work mobile hotspotting your video call or additional WiFi costs

@Seasaltyhair I just have to trust they are and it does become apparent if a question is directed to them and no answer comes. People are expected to unmute as they talk. I'm not in the UK and the bandwidth here just can't cope with more than 10 peoples videos at once. The muting is because there's often a lot of static, feedback or general background noise so multiply that by 20 and its impossible to hear anyone. Smaller meetings we have cameras on or off depending on how the internet is behaving.
It's not ideal but I'm in a lower middle income country with staff who are often in rural locations. We are trying to make do