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.

If you have a reasonable adjustment in place fair enough. I don't otherwise see why people should expect to be in an environment where they're interacting with other people and do it through a blank screen. If the camera isn't on there's no evidence that they're even present, let alone engaging.

It us about showing you are fully invested in the conversation, actively participating.
In a 1-2-1 meeting it’s odd for the other person to speak to a black screen, and it feels like they are not very important to the other participant.
In a group, people off camera are implicitly understood to be doing something else, so not really giving their full attention.
Exactly as an in person meeting, body language is also important.

And of course there are exceptions, but normally they are temporary and communicated at the beginning of the meeting.

Like most PP, camera on unless it’s a big meeting

I was working on a project that was not going well and every project catch up with the commissioning organisation was spent being shouted at by someone’s whose face I couldn’t see. It made an already difficult experience, excruciating

So it’s about presenteeism then? It is very easy to show engagement without having a camera on. Chat box, hand raising, reaction emojis, speaking. If no participation is required from someone to the point they don’t need to speak or could step away from their computer what’s the point of them being invited to the meeting in the first place? There are far too many unnecessary meetings nowadays.

I resent people implying I am unprofessional, disengaged and rude simply because I don’t put a camera on. I am none of those things. These kinds of assumptions and refusal to consider and tolerate differences of such a simple nature are why workplaces are so toxic.

You said you had a reasonable adjustment in place. That makes a difference.

As far as I'm concerned in most situations chat boxes, emojis and hand raising are not adequate substitutes for being able to see the person I'm talking to.

I always go on camera, it’s unprofessional not to.

I seem to be out of the norm. I teat Teams like a phone call and dont have an expectation to see someone in person.

If you are going to speak, or if you're likely to be personally addressed, then you should be on screen. Which effectively means that if it's a ten-person meeting, your camera should be on.

If you're essentially part of an audience, then no.

Of course you should go on camera for meetings, especially client meetings. It’s beyond rude not to.

I may not see it that way as I dont have client meetings only stakeholder meetings so internal.

Usually yes, unless it’s a big meeting and nobody much has their camera on and I’m just there to listen in more than participate.

Always. I will only ever have camera off if it's a huge meeting where I'm listening but not speaking or interacting.

If it’s just 4/5 of us I have mine on but more than that I will start with it on then go off when we actually get started

It’s so rude not to. In this job I inherited an external services provider who had a huge contract with us but never had their cameras on. I terminated the contract within 6 months of being there. They couldn’t even be bothered to turn their cameras on for a major client. We went elsewhere.

I’m part of a project that involves usually 4 meetings per day.

I’m required to attend but most of the content doesn’t really directly impact my department.

Seeing people’s cats and dogs is the absolute highlight of a Teams meeting for me!!

This 'looking like shit' stuff is nonsense. No one is expecting a blow dry and full make up. You just need a clean top and face and hair that looks presentable, not perfect. A neutral background

I often deliver training via Teams and always ask people to turn their cameras on. Some do, some don't. Totally agree that it's soul destroying to talk to a blank screen, and you wouldn't sit in a face to face session with a bag over your head.

I know a trainer who insists on cameras on, to the extent that he throws people out of the session if they don't turn them on, after several polite warnings to the whole group. If they say the camera's not working / poor connection, he tells them that they need to dial out and rebook for another time

I have found trainers increasingly doing this @Lottapianos I think they got fed up of talking to blank screens or listening to the camera broken excuse. If it's certificated you will not pass or receive a certificate unless you are seen and participating or your training record will not be updated.

I refused to do in house training when cameras were off, there was no way I was researching and preparing a session to then deliver it to a blank screen. It's so disrespectful.