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?

@CherryRoulade we dont get sick pay.

@PegasusReturns I don't disagree with you that french dp law is weighted more in that area. However given the current situation i'm not not sure I could see the UK data protection authority going completely against this advice with their own.

IMO you can ask people to turn on cameras, you can't make it a condition of the meeting or react negatively/in a detrimental way to that person if they do not want to.

@Rose789

We had the same request yesterday to turn the camera on for each daily meeting. The manager says it’s to see who is struggling. Well I’m struggling with it on it gives me massive amounts of anxiety. Before that I was fine.

That's such a load of crapola anyway

I have been in treatment for A&D for years but I know how to put on a show, even on the days I feared I'd throw myself in front of the train, I still show up at work suited and booted with my best professional demeanour.

@Lizzie523

But it isnt comparable to being in the office. We are living through a global pandemic. Before this I wasnt an insomniac or crying myself to sleep some nights. We ARE under different pressures, some more than others.

I think it shows a lack of empathy not to consider this.

I think it shows empathy as a manager to want to use the tools at your disposal to see how your team are really doing and if you need to give them additional support.

I’d be horrified if my team were using having their cameras off to hide that they were on the sofa in agony really too ill to be at work.

Similarly, Lizzie523, if you haven’t slept and have insomnia, I’d want to see and to have a conversation about your ability to make reasonable decisions that might well have a significant impact on others. I’d think you should consider sick leave if you’re too anxious to get dressed and put a presentable face on.
I don’t mind children on knees, cats rolling around the keyboard, scrunched hair, giant mugs of coffee....but I want to see your face usually. I don’t think speaking to initials on a blank screen aids effective communication.

I insist on cameras for all meetings. You are WFH, but you are at work. You get up, you get dressed for the office and you behave in a professional way. If you can't face putting the camera on, to do the job you are paid to do, then I would suggest you seek help.

We don’t have cameras on our PCs. Problem solved!

If you're working, then you should turn your camera on. I really hate it too but accept that meetings over video link are the current way of doing things. If you're on zoom, you can turn off your face on your own screen so you're slightly less self conscious (not sure if this is possible on Teams)

No sick pay is tough. Personally, I’d want a workaround to manage that, but guess it depends on the job. I want to see my staff not to stop their pay but to make sure support is put in early, so that they don’t fall down a huge hole. We have good sick pay though.

If too many of us put the cameras on the screens start to freeze. So I do a special
Guest appearance at the beginning of the call then turn the camera off.

I'd be embarrassed to even suggest turning my camera off in a meeting. I work for a very supportive employer, they are exceptionally good. But they expect certain things in return for that support and flexibility and one of those is to fully take part in meetings and that includes being visible. Anyone who doesn't want colleagues seeing into their house puts one of those green screen style backgrounds on. Although most people just sit somewhere with a wall behind them.

I wouldn’t do that, and when it came to work when I used to be employed I was such a people pleaser but that’s a step too far and I wouldn’t do it.

I wouldn’t want my background home on camera, my home looks a certain way and I find people judge me negatively for it (white walls, minamlist show home type) plus I never take photos of myself or do selfies as I can’t tolerate seeing myself on screen.

I also have kids working from home doing school work, all using the WiFi and if I was you claim my camera is cracked and I would literally crack it with a small screwdriver. That’s how much I wouldn’t want to be on screen.

(Yes, I’m aware people will say I have problems, but some people can’t do some mundane things that other people find easy, that’s life)

@Lizzie523

But it isnt comparable to being in the office. We are living through a global pandemic. Before this I wasnt an insomniac or crying myself to sleep some nights. We ARE under different pressures, some more than others.

I think it shows a lack of empathy not to consider this.

It sounds like you need to take some time off with anxiety then tbh. Really being seen on a screen when you're working isn't a big deal. We're all working like this. If you're more anxious than most then you need to be signed off and your managers need to know this, rather than have you hiding it.

All these managers replying saying I want to see everyone so I can see how they are really doing. Do you honestly think it will be so easy to tell? I know colleagues who are suffering and dont really show it in the meetings. Another colleague was on the verge of tears the other day but I know no management checked in afterwards despite her state of mind being obvious.

I think managers should be having frequent wellbeing check ins with their staff. I havent had a single one all year.

@GreyWall

It is actually distressing for some to be on camera

But perfectly acceptable for teachers hey?

Along with no masks in classrooms.... FFS

I don't think teachers should have to do it either.

They can send work sheets or whatever but don't have to 'appear' at specified times, neither should the children they teach have to do so.

Teaching at the moment must be horrendous - and cold.

If I broke the camera on my work laptop so that I didn't have to appear on screen I think I'd be facing a disciplinary.

@GreyWall

I wonder what your opinion on live lessons is for teachers

What the fuck does this have to do with the op?

imho, Teachers have a performative job. They are meant to engage a crowd, it's a core part of the JD. It's a skill I admire. Bog standard admin staff are not expected to repeatedly demonstrate this skill. So teachers with cameras on makes sense -- not most office jobs, though.

Nobody bought me a camera & I'm not buying one for work. People mostly go camera off in my meetings out of preference.

I think managers should be having frequent wellbeing check ins with their staff. I havent had a single one all year.

I agree. And that sounds very poor of your managers. But having the video on isnt the problem - it sounds like crap management is.

Let me just say, I do a bloody good job. In fact I'm likely over performing at the moment to make up for colleagues who are struggling. I even curled my hair before work this morning because why not.

Almost very single one of my friends is struggling with mental health issues and anxieties and sleepless nights. You would be signing off a big chunk of the work force. This is the reality of the world we are living in.

We have a rule that all cameras are on for all meetings and we prefer that people aren’t muted either.

Not muted? In my office if you’re not speaking it’s polite to mute yourself - obviously not if you’re in a back and forth conversation but if in a slightly larger meeting people will mute when not talking so there’s less background noise.

I'm ever so pleased that video calls are banned due to the bandwidth they take up at my place of employment.

@GreyWall

we are not children, we are adults So behave like one then and turn your camera on for the little insignificant meeting!

Twat

@GreyWall

It is actually distressing for some to be on camera

But perfectly acceptable for teachers hey?

Along with no masks in classrooms.... FFS

My sons school don’t have their cameras on as “some teachers feel uncomfortable with it!” It’s much easier to have an understanding and connection with someone when you can see their face.

We automatically leave our camera’s on in a small meeting with our individual small team of half a dozen people.

But in larger company meetings of 40 odd people over 90% of people have their videos off.