Do you go on video on teams meetings?

[Terracottafarmers]

We all work from home as our company is international and we have some colleagues local to each other, others up in Scotland or in America for example. Do you always go on camera for internal teams meetings, client meetings or when another colleague calls you? I've always gone on camera out of respect but sometimes I'm really not up for it, especially if I look like crap. I've started not going on camera if I do not feel like it, but my manager insists that we do. Wanted to get others thoughts.

Always. It's soul destroying to talk to a black screen all day.

Yes I find it rude not to, the only exception for me is if it’s a huge meeting (say 50+ people) where I’m just listening rather than contributing in any way.

I join a lot of client meetings online, and the one with camera off cultures are always a bit depressing. Lots of time talking to a blank screen without reaction. The ones where people nod, smile… or just something are both easier but also more productive. People tend to join in.

It's mandatory at my work unless as PP said it's a huge meeting where it would be distracting. In my previous job we didn't and I think it's much better with them on.

Use the new version of teams and use the filter. Makes you look like you've had Botox and your makeup done 😄

Having managed a virtual team during Covid I think it’s important for attendees to be on camera.Seeing people’s faces and body language makes a bit difference to the conduct of the meeting. I had some who initially were reluctant to be on camera and they swiftly became a little separate to everyone else. Once they felt more comfortable and turned their camera on, the atmosphere improved immediately.

You may think you look bad but hardly anyone else will take much notice - except perhaps your manager whose job it is to look out for the team members.

Yes if it's a planned meeting that I knew about beforehand. If it's 'on the spot' I'm not always camera ready and don't want to be seen with bed hair and PJs.

Yes. The only times I don't are like the PP said is if it's a big meeting when it's more a listen thing with talks (so a lot of screen sharing). I think it's unprofessional not to for team meeting, one-on-one calls or client meetings.

In a meeting of up to about 8 people I would. Above that it can depend. A big meeting of say 50 or more where I am listening rather participating I probably wouldn’t.

Always. I am sure I’d be told to put it on if I turned it off and equally I would ask a member of my team to turn it on.

A camera off says that you are not engaged with the conversation/meeting.

Yes generally - it’s pretty much regarded as so rude not to that it doesn’t need to be mandated.

Very large meeting people join on camera then turn it off.

Same. I'll only go off camera for a large meeting, and even then, if I have something to contribute I will turn it back on.
I do find it rude on small calls, especially 1 on 1s, to have the camera off. In my company, people tend to apologise if they are off camera in this situation, and there's usually a good reason for it (camera not working, bad connection etc)
I really don't care what people look like. I feel like we all got over that during Covid, when everyone was WFH in their trackies with no make up on!

Always. I regularly deliver training and find it frustrating when people start to turn cameras off, as others do too. It then becomes hard to judge if people are understanding or even listening. When I'm in the office I make sure I am presentable enough (basically just brushing my hair and teeth!) so I don't see it as that big of an ask when wfh.

No, nobody in our team on our daily meeting does it. I like it that way.

Usually yes
Main exception is company wide meeting if I’m not contributing (on the rare occasions I am then I will temporarily switch it on)

when I have a bad cold or something i do leave it off though will still make it an effort for external meetings

I never really think 'I look crap today' is an excuse. If you had a face to face meeting with someone in the office, and you looked a bit crap, you wouldn't have the option to turn up with a bag over your head. A Teams meeting should replicate the experience of a face to face meeting as far as possible, so put your camera on.

The only exceptions for me would be a spontaneous impromptu call with someone who was effectively using Teams as a phone, rather than a meeting, or (as PPs have said) a massive meeting with dozens of people where there isn't room on the screen for everyone anyway. I have a couple of meetings a month where there are loads of people, most of whom either won't need to speak or will only speak very briefly, and only the main speakers have their cameras on for that, which is fine. But for the average meeting, it's just good manners to have your camera on.

There are emerging workplace norms around video calls, I think - I am always amazed when I read on here about people who never turn their cameras on, ever. In my industry generally, the expectation is cameras are always on unless (1) there is a good excuse, which is usually announced at the beginning of the call, or (2) there are >25 people on the call, so more than anyone can reasonably be expected to interact with. The one exception might be when training is being delivered as @BendingSpoons describes, when the trainer might call on people to interact or answer questions - in that case, it's also a camera-on situation.

My senior partner is really pointed about this - when we get on a call and someone is there without video he will call them out by name saying "we can hear you, but we can't see you!" repeatedly until the other person turns on their camera or explains why they can't turn their camera on.

Of course, it is so incredibly rude to have your camera off, you wouldn’t sit behind a black screen in person would you?

id be pulling up any member of my team who thought this was ok.

Yes, it's mandatory unless it's a big meeting. Talking to a blank screen is horrible. For some reason IT don't have screens on and I find it so odd talking to a voice when I need tech help - it doesn't endear them to me as a department!

I don't know why it feels so rude though, because obviously if it were a phone call you couldn't see their face. I suppose it's the expectation of a video call because that's normal nowadays.

I do for most, unless its like a regional thing if there are like 40 people on it, i don't turn it on then

Always camera on. It's bad manners not to. You can clearly get away with saying there are issues with the camera now and again - it happens a lot and people don't tend to judge if there's a reason and an apology. Even on a call with a lot of attendees I don't think the presenter(s) want to look at a sea of people with their cameras off.

In our workplace it's considered rude not to have cameras on. Having bed hair or wearing pjs wouldn't be an excuse as the expectation is you are ready for work, whether that's in the office or at home.
It's really hard to ascertain if anyone is listening if you're looking at blank screens, as others have said it's soul destroying talking with no visual feedback.

How disrespectful.

Mostly yes. The only ones I don't always are the mass participation ones which can go on a bit.

Yes, unless it’s a really big meeting with 20+ people. There are people in my team who never turn their cameras on and it really annoys me having to speak to a blank screen and never being able to read their body language. It don’t know why they’re allowed to get away with it.

We are introducing policy to require people to have cameras on.

it’s so rude not to