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?

Personally I wouldn't like it so I'd be getting a background screen set up behind me depicting the flames of hell merrily burning away.

This is a good point
no one likes people staring at them. At least in office you’d see your manager doing that and be able to see their expression and reactions from you both.

with this feed you’d have no idea when he was staring at you and for how long or even what he was doing himself when staring at your feed…fgs it opens some cans of worms in my head around safeguarding that I’d rather have not thought of.
id start by raising this and asking what will happen to the images created- how do you know that they won’t be kept and potentially used in inappropriate ways like deepfake porn

I would be looking for a different job.

I work fully remote in a company that was set up about 6-7 years ago, fully remote (ie. it's not just since covid). I am a senior manager and joined about 2 yrs ago so I see it from both sides.

Where I work they trust people. As long as you turn up for meetings, get your work done and respond fairly quickly on slack we don't really care when you work. It is quite obvious when people don't pull their weight, and in the few cases where this has been an issue the individual's line manager and HR deal with it. Worst case they get put on a performance improvement plan and if they then don't improve they get fired.

It's fine for 95%+ of our employees, and they deserve trust.

Would a keyboard logger be an alternative? Sounds like the company are having output issues or have noticed a decline in output. Unfortunately some folk do take the piss WFH though hence why companies are now trying to enforce ways to ensure they are actually working.

Its a bit cringe, however there may be a way round it.

It all depends where you point the camera, ( external USB camera) if the camera was focused on your face that would be invasive but if it was pointed at your desk, your Laptop keyboard or your hands then it may be better than telling them to s*d off with their demands.

It would involve purchasing an external webcam and disabling the internal cam in the device manager on a Microsoft machine, it is easy to setup.

Also, you would be covering yourself.

I too would be worried about some creepy manager masturbating to the live feed.

I talk to myself when i wfh and honestly, no one wants to hear it😂 or should. Ever.
"What. Why. Are you stupid?am i stupid? Why 4th email asking the same question. One of us is stupid here, Glenda"
"Why are you calling me announced when I am in a meeting? LOOK AT CALENDARS YOU 🤬"
"Hmmm. So now I move this textbox and 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬breathe, Shroedingers. Breath. Lets move it back and 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬"
"If you happy and you know it bin emails, if you happy and you know it bin emails. If you happy and you know it, ignore the famous fu*wit, if you happy and you know it bin emails, hey!"

i am actually really productive though this helps.

Completely agree

Are your skills in demand? If so, leave.

I wouldn't stand for this. I wfh 3 days pw with one in the office (condensed hours).

What if you go to make a cup of tea? For a massive poo? Will someone be messaging on Teams to ask your whereabouts?

It reeks of treating employees like children. Either they trust you or they don't - and if they don't, it's time to move on.

I wouldn't mind if it was cameras on for every meeting. That's reasonable. But cameras while you get on with your work? Not ok.

@Schroedingersimmigrant me too. "Just. Fuck. Off. Brian." "Sheila, how many times, you're shit and we know you are but stop bothering me". I also groan a lot and - now I'm in third trimester - I spend a fair chunk of my wfh time lounging (while still working or thinking something over). Fortunately the director I report into is a) not a controlling dick and b) couldn't give a crap how I work so long as what I do is good.

@roarfeckingroarr imagine if any kf these got out. That's the perk if wfh!
I can say to myself what I think about people and their 17th "can you send me the link again? I can't find it"😂

Actually that is a good point i made myself there (self trumpet).

If the relationship between management and workers is so shot the non stop cams have to be implemented, I would not trust whoever is reviewing that they wouldn't say to anyone about things I said.

well no coz everyone's doing their own thing in the office when there's actually someone there- coz they're hybrid- very different to having a camera trained on you in your own home. it really makes me feel uncomfortable having to look at my own face on a short call or whatever so there's no way I'd be comfortable to do this or waste petrol as an alternative. it'd be goodbye from me

This is awful and very invasive. I am
Shocked at PPs who see no problem with it to be honest. I wfh full time and my company would never suggest this.

And it is very different to being present in the office - unless they employ someone to sit on someone's desk and stare at them all day

Then you need some serious help

Why the fuck do you think anyone would want to masturbate to you, fully clothed, working?

Would you have someone staring at you the entire shift, and recording you? Obviously its completely different.

I'd be challenging this, I don't see how this would be acceptable, even in the UK

You'd be surprised. For some men the fetish is that the woman is unaware, she doesn't need to be showing any skin or doing anything sexy, just unaware that he's wanking over her. I wish I didn't know this, but sadly I do.

Still not seeing the issue

Its not impacting on your life at all

Some on here have very very peculiar views on anything sexual

Then you're blind. And crazy, if you think its peculiar to object to someone watching you on video all day and wanking while doing so.

You are very much the outlier on that one.

Definitely wouldn’t accept this. Webcams positioned at the top of your monitor are nothing like being seen in real life, they’re really close up, far closer than a random colleague. It’s actually quite unnatural not to be uncomfortable about having a live camera positioned 20cm from your face all day long.

@Schroedingersimmigrant I have to turn my camera off to stop my facial expressions being seen as it is. I would certainly lose my job if they could see me all the time. "FFS BRENDA. NOT AGAIN!" "NO ONE CARES STEVE!"

I don’t see why it’s invasive. You’re supposed to be working so you’ll only be sitting at your desk, not much to see. Sounds like there’s a reason for this. People have the option of going to the office if they object

so you’ll only be sitting at your desk

I can actually spend quite some time on the floor with papers around me. Can't do that in the office sadly apparently

@Darbs76 for me it comes down to trust and how I'm treated by my employer. I'm not grateful for employment - it's mutually beneficial to us both. So if they want to keep the skills and experience I bring, I expect to be treated like an adult and that means being trusted.