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.

Unless it's a really important meeting where it's clear that a camera is required, I generally take the lead from the others on the call. I start out with it off, but if others join with it on, I turn it on. I'd never sit on a call without my camera on if there were others with it on.

I use two screens and often end up looking at the other screen during calls, so often look like I'm not engaged, even if I am.

Many of my calls though are just because it's something that would usually be discussed on the phone, but we need a third person involved, so cameras aren't really necessary.

We don't if it's a quick call in the same way as you were sharing a big office with these people you might just pick up the phone and ask them a question. When it's a meeting rather than just a call then yes, always on camera.

Never, unless im on a 1-1 with people leader. My cam is usually "broken"

Camera on for all small group meetings or 1:1. If it’s a townhall or similar big meeting with 100’s dialling in, most people go off camera unless they’re coming in with a question or are senior LT. It’s not like you can see that many faces on screen when there are more than 9 or 10 so it’s fine.

Sometimes people will have camera off and they usually explain, eg having lunch at the same time and would rather not be watched eating on camera, or if they’ve got poor internet so prioritising voice over visuals. There are v v few people who are “persistent offenders” of no camera, usually it’s for sensible and intermittent reasons. And we really don’t tend to get the “people sloping off and not paying attention” during important meetings like others have mentioned, generally everyone is pretty professional.

People with persistently 'broken' cameras would be made by their manager to get them fixed, same with persistently dodgy internet connections.

We do have a couple of people with work passports who don't have to have cameras on all the time, but in my experience they tend to be the ones who are very present, at I think a lot of people with disabilities worry about being seen not to be up to the job. I only know as they've shared with me. It is occasionally mentioned at the start very large staff briefings as they always remind people to have cameras on and will sometimes add unless you've got agreement not to.

I don't think anyone particularly likes being on screen but it does make it difficult for other people, especially if it's meant to a collaborative discussion.

I should add that our company tends to be pretty understanding, eg no one minds if someone turns their camera off for a second and then comes back on to say they are WFH and had to shut their dog out or whatever!

The default should be camera on unless you have valid mental health reasons to not have them on. In my last job I was working on an international team and I never saw the faces of more than half my direct colleagues and found this incredibly rude.
I once turned a job offer down because of this. Sure to COVID the interviews were fully remote. The final interview was with 8 people interviewing me and only the lead had their camera on and I was offered the job, but turned down the offer as the interview was so disrespectful. I fed this back to the HR person I was dealing with and they were shocked that it happened.

I am selective, depends on the call. Not concerned about appearance.

Saying you don’t feel up for it when you think you look crap - what would you do if you had an office based job? Wear a paper bag over your head??

Rude.

We don't have cameras on when meetings. If I'm having running a meeting with people I've.never met then I have camera on for the intro. Basically I've had the camera on less than 10 times in the past 5 years. Never a full meeting with cameras on. If others had theirs in then I'd have mine.

It's incredibly rude not to be seen

No, most people in our company have cameras off all the time. Very rarely turn them on.

I agree it is a bit soul destroying to stare at a mosaic of profile pictures all day, but I find all the moving pictures on a camera-on meeting distracting! Plus I am then distracted wondering whether my hair is sticking up or my washing is in the background.

I could work with either culture easily. I’d get used to whichever was normal for that job.

Yes. Unless it’s a big meeting with loads of people where it’s mainly just information for me (like we have big “town halls” or something with dozens of people so I tend to work with them in the background and camera off).

I think people occasionally have a day where they don’t want to turn their camera on for whatever reason. People tend to accept a “sorry, my camera isn’t working today” from a person who otherwise has it on 99% of the time. Even if they don’t totally believe it, it’s not pushed.

Same here. One on one or small groups - camera on. Large training webinar or something training, optional.

Always. Very rude not to. The only time I might not is if it’s a huge meeting and I’m an observer (we usually have these monthly over lunch so we eat while listening).

Camera on for small team meetings and ad hoc calls (I always get ready in the morning as though I’m attending an office - hair make up etc). Bigger meetings always camera off. Maybe a couple minutes on at the beginning.

I do about 70% camera on. Sometimes it's not required. I am never offended if someone keeps their camera off - in fact I will make them feel more comfortable and turn mine off.
We need to be considerate - some people don't have a lovely bookcase behind them, some people look like shite in the mornings... it's ok to have your camera off!

Yes I do unless it is a really big meeting with about 100 people in it. In smaller meetings, I assume if their camera is off they are not interested or engaged.

The company I currently work at consider Teams to be simply a modern equivalent of the voice conference call - so everyone has their cameras off.

Always, it’s rude not to. (Unless I’ll or tech issues). I think with background blur / corporate backgrounds there’s no excuse really.

Always. I feel it's just mandatory when you work remotely. Nothing more soul destroying than talking to a blank screen.

No, I don’t but I have a reasonable adjustment that has been agreed for it.

Always, you are at work, would you go to work looking like crap? If so then people would see you anyway.

As others have said there are times in big meetings where cameras are off but in day to day work you need to interact.

I’m far more engaged if I’m not worrying about people staring directly at my face in a way that never happens in real life.