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?

With regards to technology issues as usually unnecessary stress in finding “the perfect” video conferencing backdrop - and as many up thread have already suggested - it is relatively straightforward to find a spot somewhere at home or even in your car to do the video conferencing call. If necessary just add a neutral plain colour duvet or even bed sheet etc to cover up an otherwise household mess behind you. You can for occasional video conferencing calls just do it via a mobile smartphone with slow but hopefully stable 4G or preferably 5G connection. Many of the industry standard video platforms have built in functionality to include background editing such as blurred background on MS Teams etc. Not everyone needs to convert a walled book casing library office or luxury kitchen as the ubiquitous television interview home environment background of choice! If the meeting host in holding a group video call then it is a bit strange for some to be visible while others are audio only. It’s either all video or all voice call not a jumbled mix up which can be distracting and counter intuitive.

Hope this helps but main message is relax as this is all supposedly temporary and not the norm going forward. There are more potential safety and economic pros than cons compared to traditional mass gathering in person broad room meetings. Some people may well have invisible disabilities and would benefit move from live video than voice only and there is the added bonus of no masks as otherwise required in a traditional physically close but spaced apart set up!

@sparticuscaticus

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

It's not always possible to upgrade. I have the fastest broadband Sky offer in my road so wouldn't be able to get anything faster without changing companies and hell will freeze over before I have anything from Virgin Media in my house again! Even if I could change, I'm in a contract with Sky and work would have to pay my exit fees.

I think I only get dressed about 50% of the time at the moment. My clothing has zero percent impact on my work.

If you're reluctant to put your camera on as a result then it is clearly impacting your work.

Interestingly I have virgin media and hell would freeze over before I'd have Sky!

If you can't upgrade you can get a second line.

I have had to do multiple online interviews with camera on and I know its not great but it is what it is.
My dh work do once a week with cameRas , rest of time off .

YANBU compulsory cameras are pointless.

If you're reluctant to put your camera on as a result then it is clearly impacting your work.

Video conferencing is actually forbidden where I'm working so no need to refuse, but even if I did refuse, it still would make no difference to the quality of my work. I'm in IT, slack channels are the preferred method of communication for most people, not pointless video meetings.

Our USA team has always worked from home. It was new for us in the UK when COVID hit. We introduced weekly Zoom catch-ups, with cameras on and the team love it. The USA team, who have so much experience working from home, say that seeing each other weekly has really helped in terms of feeling like a team with the UK too. That's even though time zones mean at least one of them has a really early morning zoom call! So I can see the attraction of enforcing this.

@MiddlesexGirl

Interestingly I have virgin media and hell would freeze over before I'd have Sky!

If you can't upgrade you can get a second line.

The ones who have internet problems at work seem to be those on Virgin.

If work want me to have a dedicated line they can pay for it as I'll be stuck paying for it when I go back to the office!

@MiddlesexGirl

I think I only get dressed about 50% of the time at the moment. My clothing has zero percent impact on my work.

If you're reluctant to put your camera on as a result then it is clearly impacting your work.

Really don’t get how it would impact my work.

I don’t use my camera at all and have recently been promoted so obviously not impacting my work

I agree with you, OP. Fortunately, where I work, nobody has made an issue out of this.

I'm sorry that you feel uncomfortable and exposed

However, I do think YABU. If you were in the office it would not be an issue that your colleagues can see you. Also, I think employers have a certain duty of care, particularly after we have been dealing with this situation so long, and it is hard to understand how people are doing/how best to support them if you can't ever see them. It also does make it harder to work with people who are just a voice at the end of the phone.
Occasionally it is fair enough to turn your camera off (wifi connection, things going on n the background), but I think overall it does not send a positive message and is very rude.

I respect that you are trying to protect your own mental health but to be honest, one quick call once a day does not seem unreasonable to me to show your face. It's a little bit like asking if you can sit in a meeting with your head under the desk at work in normal times.

Also, those "extroverts" you seem dismissive of may also be really struggling with lockdown, may be lonely, or hiding so many other emotions and this might be their one chance to interact with others in a more face-to-face way that day. If you want empathy, try to be empathetic to why they might be asking you this

I think I only get dressed about 50% of the time at the moment.

Why? Do you not feel gross lounging around in the clothes you slept in?

@alienspiderbee

If you're reluctant to put your camera on as a result then it is clearly impacting your work.

Video conferencing is actually forbidden where I'm working so no need to refuse, but even if I did refuse, it still would make no difference to the quality of my work. I'm in IT, slack channels are the preferred method of communication for most people, not pointless video meetings.

I think you misunderstood. If you're reluctant to put the camera on because you don't want to be seen in whatever you're wearing or whatever lack of makeup or hairbrushing that's gone on, then what you're wearing and how you're grooming yourself is impacting on your work.

If work want me to have a dedicated line they can pay for it as I'll be stuck paying for it when I go back to the office!

Absolutely work should be paying for and organising it.

PPs are are talking about different roles and businesses
If your work or boss doesn't require video meetings, so be it
If everyone in your meeting doesn't mind whether you have camera off and it's audio or whatever, fab.

In my work we need virtual video meetings to do our job from home as it's face to face for consultations - the rest my working day my camera is off whilst writing reports

And for once a week video team meeting and the odd quick case chat

It's frustrating when PPs say it doesn't affect their role having camera off (despite being asked) because that's about you, and there may be colleagues in your team that need visual cues to be able to participate in the meeting due to disability / hearing reasons.

And maybe some colleagues need camera off for similar reasons, if genuine difficulties. A couple of my colleagues with anxiety turn their cameras on when they speak and off for parts of the meetings. (They'd be seen in office based team meeting so they don't resent being seen) All fair enough that's what equality act is for - reasonable adjustments if you have a disclosed disability,

But for paid employees to refuse to put camera on because you don't want to wash & dress or do your basic personal hygiene is a poor & lazy reason . You are supposed to be working as a professional so get up and get dressed for your day - especially if you know you have a video meeting!! It's work, not PJ Saturday !

Everyone should mute during video calls - except the chair - except when talking or there's too much background noise & static, making it impossible to hear - we use digital hand raising so that team meetings are well run which gives time to quickly hit unmute when you have a point to make.

But is weird that some pp have equated having to use video chat for a once week or once a day hour long meeting as "employer wants exclusive use of your broadband"
("Oh think of the children!!" (Clutches pearls! )
I doubt any reasonable employer is asking that.

I have 3 DC working on Google classrooms, streaming lectures and all sorts and we manage (virgin media) with a little bit of WiFi drop outs at times. In our house Priority goes to those with live stream at the time & especially those paying the bills . If you need WiFi for work, then schools are currently offering additional

But if you want to earn money by doing your job, you should respect your employer if they want everyone's cameras on for specific meetings inclusivity and business reasons (reasonable sized ones, anything over 15-20 is too big).

please dont find reasons to argue about turning your camera off. It's hard enough being Hard of Hearing as it is, I'd be really upset if colleagues excluded me from being able to participate fully because of their worries about their hair and make up! I don't care. I'm partially lip reading you, not worrying what shade lipstick you don't have on.

We have 4 new team members and a student. Once a week video team meetings & the odd MS teams chat have helped them bond rather than feel outside the team.

Whoops didn't finish sentence -

If you need WiFi for work, then schools are currently offering additional data paid for by gov pot to enable DCs to hotspot in for their Google classroom or whatever. Our school sent out details.

@MsConstrue

It's not controlling! It's so you can communicate better with your team, function better. You need as many types of connection as you can get if you're not actually face to face.

I need to see my staff - it's nothing about controlling their movements, or distrusting them.

I agree with this

I think communication is about more than speaking

And with this. Body language, facial expressions, being able to lip read are all important. I also think that not seeing someone speak dehumanises the experience.

TBH I don't feel that being on camera is any different to being in the office.

I realise that the current situation is causing problems for people with mental health issues, but I feel that far too many people are playing the mental health card these days. It isn't fair on those with genuine mental health problems.

I think it is so much better when people put their cameras on. Strange for me to say that because I'm quite introverted and really don't like video calls at all! But I find it so stressful to just talk into nothingness, when you get no feedback from watching people's faces, you don't even know if they're there! I wish it was compulsory at my workplace. Can't believe I'm saying that!

@ sparticuscaticus good post well constructed common sense with balanced nuance. Naturally you as a wfh employee being paid to do a job with home comfort and convenience as not needing to otherwise be back in the office with potential exposure to the dredged pandemic. Surely preferable to be paid to stay at home with remote working than the old rat race (Covid not withstanding)? Employers/businesses are loosing out on all the other significant intangibles such as cross team referrals and carry trade/internal business development opportunities etc. Naturally these pre pandemic incidentals and norms now all on hold. Virtual video conferencing is never a true substitute for these other auxiliary corporate bonding benefits to truly connect and develop personal professional business relationships as you would previously do over coffee or lunch etc. However for many there is the opportunity for digitalisation to reach much further geographies and time zones.

Just finally one must balance your own logistical arrangements as surely one cannot expect the employer to necessarily paid for extra connectivity and data etc along the lines that perhaps you would not expect your employer to build you an house extension for an office etc. And definitely not when it’s evidently an employer’s buyer market given the level of business closure and redundancies. However naturally true talent with the right mix of USP key skills, experience and above all personal qualities to do what it takes - as with great employers will be forever in hot demand.

For me, being on a camera is very different to being in the office. In the office there were about 40 of us in a large room, each focused on his/her own work and separated by screens: I was very rarely watched or observed, aside from the occasional 5-10 minute chat with a colleague next to me.

I don’t mind video meetings here and there, but my current employer is trying to get everyone to have their cameras on all the time during the workday which is just batshit to me.

I don't turn my camera on for meetings, I only like people I am close to to see me makeup free and without my hair done. I am not going to all that effort for one, 15 minute call.

To me whether someone has their camera on or not is a person choice it should not be enforced.

It’s bad business psychology to insist on cameras being on, and may also have data privacy and human rights implications.

Plenty of studies now show that people feel more exposed and vulnerable on camera and they shouldn’t be subjected to it. Zoom fatigue is real!

Good practice / business etiquette is to build a workplace culture of encouraging people to turn on their camera for small amounts of social interaction but not expect it for a whole meeting, and certainly not for multiple back to back calls.

So people might join with cameras on for the chitchat that happens while others are joining, then turn off while something is being presented. Or have cameras on for a 1:1 or virtual coffee, but not for a team meeting.

Another good practice is to make informal interactions intentional but not arduous. Arrange coffee catch ups. Set aside the first and last 5 minutes of an hour long meeting for informal interaction etc. Don’t have painful 3 hrs long quiz nights.

(Source - I advise companies on this kind of thing for a living!)

@ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia

@ sparticuscaticus good post well constructed common sense with balanced nuance. Naturally you as a wfh employee being paid to do a job with home comfort and convenience as not needing to otherwise be back in the office with potential exposure to the dredged pandemic. Surely preferable to be paid to stay at home with remote working than the old rat race (Covid not withstanding)? Employers/businesses are loosing out on all the other significant intangibles such as cross team referrals and carry trade/internal business development opportunities etc. Naturally these pre pandemic incidentals and norms now all on hold. Virtual video conferencing is never a true substitute for these other auxiliary corporate bonding benefits to truly connect and develop personal professional business relationships as you would previously do over coffee or lunch etc. However for many there is the opportunity for digitalisation to reach much further geographies and time zones.

Just finally one must balance your own logistical arrangements as surely one cannot expect the employer to necessarily paid for extra connectivity and data etc along the lines that perhaps you would not expect your employer to build you an house extension for an office etc. And definitely not when it’s evidently an employer’s buyer market given the level of business closure and redundancies. However naturally true talent with the right mix of USP key skills, experience and above all personal qualities to do what it takes - as with great employers will be forever in hot demand.

There are no home comforts or convenience for me working from home, it's shit. I presume you have an office or spare room if you prefer it to working in the office. I have neither and feel as though I'm living in the office.

I don't think it's reasonable to expect me to pay for otherwise useless things, such as faster broadband or a second line. I have no need for them when we go back to the office so why should I be tied into paying for them for an 18 month contract?

We've been able to buy office supplies and bill the company which is good. Obviously whatever we buys is the property of the company so I'm looking forward to the conversation when I tell them they'll have to arrange to pick up the desk if they want it as it won't fit in my car!

Back to the subject of having the camera on, I did my first video call with a customer today. I wasn't expecting it and I think they survived the site of me in my black t shirt, hoodie and no make up!

YABU.

My team (of 4) has one that takes the ultimate piss out of working from home, her workload has decreased over the last few months because she can't be trusted to carry out tasks so WFH is working in her favour as I doubt she does much so I can understand from an employers point of view to check in with their employees each day. I wouldn't have an issue with it as I have nothing to hide.