To think this is invasive?

[Sopharsogood]

We’ve been working on a hybrid basis but we’ve been told that when we work from home now, we must be on camera for the whole shift.
If we disagree, we have to work from the office full time.

AIBU to feel uncomfortable with this?

I am pretty sure there was a case about this in ECHR or similar which sent in favour of employees

YANBU to be uncomfortable with it

Id be handing my notice in if I had received that message

I’s hare it but what’s the reasoning, is it because people haven’t been at their desks working at home during the day when they’re supposed to? The alternative is going in to the office so if you don’t like it you do have an option.

Ah. Dutch
www.inc.com/suzanne-lucas/monitoring-remote-work-employees.html

There has probably been some issue somewhere with an employee not doing what they were supposed to when wfh.

Honestly, I can’t see the problem. If you want the benefits of wfh then you have to accept the downside too. It’s not like you have no option if the office is available.

Do you have two screens?

Is it actually invasive though? If you were in the office for your shift, you'd be visible to everyone then, wouldn't you? What's the difference? And that's coming from someone who hates having the camera on!

Sounds like some of your co-workers have been taking the P and your company no long we trusts its team.

Well the obvious difference is that
1-you are not in the office so of course, it's different
2-even in the office, no one is looking at you all the time. Because there is usually more people no one questiond you that you enet to the toilet, checked your phone, took a phone call quickly. That is totally different dynamic to home working and being on camera.

If someone doesn't have open office eould they also be required to have cam on?

And. It shoes massive distrust in your employees and weak management skills

I don’t know what’s worse, the fact that your employer has suggested this or the fact that there are already posters suggesting this is acceptable

No in. My view that is not acceptable in your own home with other people coming and going it is an invasion of privacy do you have cameras on you at all times in the office? I would question the legality of this.

What if you have other people at home with you whilst you're working, and you have a small house so work at a desk in the lounge? Do they have to consent to this too?

Of course it is invasive. Loads of people on MN are managers who would have no issue doing this to their employees, but would not be happy to have this done to themselves.
Ask who will have access to the live stream? Just your line manager? Anyone else? Is it being recorded or purely live?

Also put on the false background. They have no right to see your home.
And I would get another job if you can. I assume if your bosses are doing this you are not highly paid so can hopefully find something else easily enough. If you can do it and tell them why you have left.
Fuckers think they own you.

As someone who does hybrid working I can say that I would do it (WFH is still better than going into the office) but as someone who normally leaves their camera firmly "off" (even for meetings) I would find it an irritant.
Is it legal..... no idea?

Working with people who freely admit to linking their WorkChat to their phone and then popping to the shops, walking the dog etc I can understand why some employers may want to do it.
In reality though who is going to be sat staring at your on-screen image all the time? Probably they will just glance at it from time to time or see if you are free to take a call.

I would (reluctantly) live with it if it meant I could remain WFH twice a week.

I'd be looking for a new employer.

I would also ask about child protection rules. Say your teenagers have to walk behind you to get to the next room for example?

ComeOnThenFanny · Today 12:02
Is it actually invasive though? If you were in the office for your shift, you'd be visible to everyone then, wouldn't you? What's the difference? And that's coming from someone who hates having the camera on!“

This.

@Dougieowner But you don't even know who has access to it? Does that creepy bloke who stands a little too close and asks you out on dates have access and can watch you close up? Is it being recorded?
Apart from it being horribly intrusive it has so much potential for misuse.

And it is only like being in the office if your boss sits in front of you and stares at you for hours, or has the option to do so.

We use teams at work and if you step away from your desk for a significant period of time you turn orange. This works fine at our workplace. You can tell when someone isn't at their desk as their work output drops. Surely managers can tell by the amount of work being done if people are working hard or not?

Ask of the bosses are having this too? They won't be, they would not accept this. It is only the plebs they think they can treat like shit.

Bosses if you are thinking of introducing something ask yourself, would I be happy with this? Would I be happy if someone could sit and stare at my face very close up whenever they wanted to?

I actually would not have an issue with a live feed of a camera that looked out at an office. But a very close up view of your face is a totally different matter and awful. I would be tempted to wear a balaclava.

Every single place that I know that complains about not being able to get or keep staff there is a good reason for that. Even with minimum wage work I know places that treat staff well and have kept the same staff for years.

In my line of work there are cameras everywhere so I kind of want to see YABU. I do also understand that’s uncomfortable though. However I do also know that SOME people are doing wonders being “flexible” while they are WFH and maybe the management has an issue with that. I don’t know the answer.

Seeing people say it is invasive, what if other people come into shot, don't want people seeing my house etc etc I think some perspective is required.

After the panic that was lockdown and people were WFH in all sorts of unsuitable locations, we now only WFH if we can prove the environment meets certain standards and a room where people pass by would not be one. As for seeing your home office, just fuzz the background (or select an alternative, somewhere exotic for instance).
If you are worried someone has the time to sit and stare at you 8hrs a day maybe they need to be monitored as well, check what processes are being put in place.

As I said before, this may all be irrelevant as it may prove to be not legal (have no idea on that score).

OP just put a bright light or lamp behind you, it will mess up the webcam image.
Your employer cannot for you to change your home decoration or dictate where you sit 😉

Human rights act - right to a private family life. Your employer can’t insist on watching you in your home on a camera.

How are work results measured by your employers? Surely a sign that someone isn't pulling their weight should be that their work isn't getting done properly or that they are not as productive as they should be? Someone could be seen to be sitting in front of a screen all day but actually doing the sum total of naff all. I don't understand this "bums on seats" style of management that seems to be so prevalent these days.