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?

Well I have to work in my bedroom while wfh and on more than one occasion DH has worked late the night before so had a lie in.... pretty sure no one would be happy to see him wandering to the en suite in the nude!

Can’t you just use a backdrop? We do.

I have never been sat at my desk at work with someone staring into my face for hours on end without blinking. Even in the office you are entitled to a modicum of space.

Go to the office.
Let them heat your workplace.

Exactly this.

If my employer came up with this I would 100% be present and concentrating very hard on the screen... Whilr I am updating linkedin and sending out cvs.

That's not strictly accurate, it can go to away status only if you are not using Microsoft products. The majority of my work is not on a MS product so my teams status often goes to "away" despite me being very much present and working.

I don't know really. I'm not a homeworker, although I have been this week because I've had covid. When I'm at work in the office, there's no privacy because I'm in an office full of people, so I suppose I don't really know the alternative.

This sounds like it's because of a problem with some employees taking the piss but this is a lazy way to deal with it.

If managers are unhappy with an individual then they need to manage their performance.

I'd say "sure I'll have my camera on!" and then ensure that something is blocking the view. or dab some vaseline on the lens....

I agree. It is the equivalent of the teacher keeping all kids in over break because a few kids have misbehaved.
Bloody useless managers with no idea how to manage people.

Can they not manage it another way? My screen is recorded, and my status is fully visible on a wall board so it's obvious what I'm doing

I'm torn on this...
Have recently asked my team for cameras to be on when we're doing training, for team meetings, and meetings/calls with people outside of our immediate team.

This is because I'm having to retrain people several times on the same subject. They're not fully paying attention in training (evidenced by other work completed during training time), silent during most training and meetings. Just generally not engaging.

Im guilty of it too. Although not if i was being trained in something I actually need to do on a daily basis!
If they want to avoid the office, then something needs to change.

But the whole day is too much. If my employer demanded this I'd be challenging it, and/or leaving.

It sounds like an employer who finds it easier to punish all staff, rather than dealing with the few who are a problem.

Personally I don't think it's reasonable to expect people to have a camera on all day at home.

However, I assume it's likely because of people not working when they should be or juggling childcare etc while working. A lot of companies for that would just call everyone back to the office without the choice so I suppose it depends what you prefer really.

But presumably, your manager would realise if you don't work? I have targets to meet.

Also...I think it's important for the team to see each other and interact in meetings. And when dealing with people outside the team so they know who we are and can approach when staff are in the office (2 days per week each).

Definitely not being unreasonable. In an office you can generally tell when someone is looking at you or watching you, this would make me feel uncomfortable I wouldn't know who was watching me when. Employers need to set clear targets for employees working from home not spy on them like it's an episode of big brother. I can just imagine some twatty manager flicking between screens looking for the slightest sign of being unproductive. We aren't productive for 8 hours in the office anyway, people are always gossiping, chatting, making tea etc. Again comes back to clear expectations and if they are met then all is good, employees need to be trusted

It sounds like production has taken quite a dip.

What are you worried about specifically? If it's the background, can you set your desk to back onto a wall?

Meetings are totally different matter to just being at eork when it comes to camera

I don't see how it's different to them seeing you at the office. If it's about your house being on show. Use a back drop.

@BagOfBollocks would you be happy if your boss could look at a live feed of a close-up of your face whenever they wanted to?

@autienotnaughty in your office does your boss come up and sit right next to you and stare at your face?

Most with half an awareness on how teams works can get round this

you can set the default standby time as a much longer period, or my favourite, put a dummy call in your calendar and join it - will keep you online but busy for as long as you want it to

The alternative would be working for an employer who doesn’t treat their employees like children

Unfortunately lots of "managers" don't want to tackle the tricky stuff.

Surely there are tech solutions that can monitor key strokes, and activity via pc.
i would start looking for another job..not just because it’s Hyper controlling and invading privacy in your own home, but because that company is trying to equate productivity with presentism and that doesn’t even necessarily correlate.

a good manager will set weekly/monthly goals based on productivity that is reasonable/evidenced and then let employees get on with it. If their staff don’t meet those objectives on time then they need to start probing a bit more- in most cases a gentle probe will make a slacker realise their manager is monitoring and they can’t get away with it.

a huge amount of time is lost at work by people bumping into each other in corridors/kitchenettes/loos and chatting away randomly - even if it’s about work it’s not a productive meeting and is usually just a vent or pleasantries. Huge time is lost for people chatting over their screens about strictly or whatever. I actually think it is ok and part of us needing social interactions for our mental well-being. People can’t work a straight out 8 hour day without breaks other than lunch.

sure you have people taking the piss at home …but I’ve been a manager with people taking the piss who work at incredibly slow paces, waste time and effort in way they do stuff, or go “walkabout” to god know where for an hour or so (admittedly I worked at large manufacturing sites so people had to walk across site for meetings and would then not come back for hours).

definately it’s a no they should be doing that from me

can you get union involved?