Senior colleague refuses to be photographed - what to do

[Waferbiscuit]

We all have be photographed for work with the photos used for internal comms including our intranet. This is a pretty standard approach in large organisations as it helps to identify people. Photos are perfectly fine, generic photos and we get to select the one that is used.

Staff member is very senior but refuses to be photographed as 'doesn't like it/doesn't feel comfortable'. May be an anxiety thing.

Can they opt out? Should this opting out be supported or is this indulgent? Seems to me part of what you sign up for when you're in a senior role.

Staff member is not part of witness protection program, doesn't work in the community and AFAIK no safeguarding or privacy issues.

I refuse to have my photo on our company website, department tree or my email. Why? No-one else's business! I work hard, do my job and follow the company rules but if it became mandatory to have my photo displayed I would refuse to comply.

I don’t know who all these companies are where you can’t progress in your career without having your photo taken but I work for a multi-billion dollar company and I just googled a bunch of names from our executive and a number of people don’t come up online.

I also know we don’t have images of several members of the executive team on file. So I think a lot of people are talking absolute nonsense in this thread, for reasons that are hard to understand.

its easy. Because they are idiots.

It's not "being seen" in real life - did you honestly think that's what people were talking about? - it's having your digital image online, potentially available to everyone in the world, permanently and irreversibly linked to your name, location and role.

We’ve just done this where I work. A picture of ourselves is now on emails, internal and external. I turn mine off for external emails. I really don’t feel comfortable with having my photo out there with people I don’t know looking at it. They could screen shot it, pass it about, put it on social media etc. I find it’s creepy and I really don’t care if it’s the new in thing. To me it’s inappropriate and not necessary.

This is true, but the employee's only alternative may be to resign. If so they may be entitled to compensation.

I don’t think the company should be able to impose this on an employee if they’re uncomfortable with it. And, if the company is not concerned about finer feelings, couldn’t data protection come into it. A person’s image is very personal.

You wouldn’t know if he was in a witness protection scheme, that’s the whole point of it!! 😂

If someone doesn't want to be photographed then just accept this. My DH hates it, probably wouldn't refuse at work but they've never asked him to be.

I'm fine with it, memories to look back upon, but some colleagues aren't so fair enough. Xx

It's a tough one. Your best bet is to organise a professional photo shoot for them. I would get someone higher up to "insist".

Just stay very professional and explain that it is a necessary part of their job to have this photo taken. You can agree they can choose which photo is used but be very firm that they need to have this photo taken and you really don't want to have to go above his head to ensure this gets done.

I was a Fire Warden of a Floor that needed evacuation during 9/11. It's all about tone. It was amazing how many thought their phone calls were more important - even the ones where the phone line had gone dead because they were calling people in the Twin Towers.

I used to use the same tone for reluctant Senior Management and photos.

It’s not a necessary part of anyone’s job, what sort of officious nonsense is that?
The world will continue to turn when this guy doesn’t display his photo.

How is it necessary?

Is it more necessary to have the picture or to have someone remain in post? Because if someone tried that with me, I'd offer to let them have a photo of my resignation letter.

Have you worked in Internal Comms? Or a large organisation? Heck. These days a photo board is pretty standard in a school entrance.

It's pretty standard. Even if you feel it's "officious nonsense". And far better that you provide a photo. The alternative is a mug-shot taken from some conference or other you've attended.

I used to get photo requests for Senior Management all the time when I worked in IC. Which is difficult to manage if you don't have one.

Seriously. A senior member of your team doesn’t want their photo taken and your advise to this crazy lady is to organize a photo shoot😂.

if someone in my work did that they would be told to stay in their lane! How patronage and presumptuous!

Karen is upset because she thinks your photo should be on the company website, so she has decided it’s her job to force your hand! Dear god

This is the most bonkers thread I have read in a long time. I am going to take a wild guess that those who are outraged are more junior in their organization.

These days a photo board is pretty standard in a school entrance

Yes, and they're optional, too.

If your employer in the Uk is telling staff they must have photos available to the public/ on emails etc , I understand they are acting illegally. Please tell them to Read the Data Protection Act section 10.
Staff can write a note- what used to be called (may still be) a section 10 notice. Lots of info online- all employers have to abide by the Act.

I've refused to have my photo on the intranet and also one linked to my user profile, which would show on Teams, SharePoint, etc.

I have one on my ID, but nothing else.

I haven't been in any family photos for 25 years.

Oh Inwould have LOVED to have you use that tone on me......It wouldn't even have got me to the photoshoot.

Yup

That's all true and a good approach. Please remember that men can be victims of stalkers too, and domestic violence

I think my new favourite MNism is 'I would channel my experience of being in the thick of one of the worst terrorist atrocities in living memory to make someone get their office photo taken against their will'. One to bring up at interview on the competencies section!

There’s different types of processing of personal data, and publishing data is not the same as seeing someone and inferring that data in real life. In the UK and under current interpretation of relevant regulations, for an organisation to process special category personal data can generally only be done by consent. There are exceptions but they are for things like fraud prevention, or if it is necessary to save someone’s life. Personally I’m glad we have fairly stringent requirements around privacy. I’m always amazed by the lack thereof in the US. With our EU teams we have a real problem with it being usual to provide photographs with CVs, as there are all kinds of issues with unconscious bias (this applies to the human species, not just our team members!) The laws are there to protect people, if it’s occasionally slightly inconvenient for people then fine!

Oh, and in case it wasn’t obvious @WhiskerPatrol, there’s a difference between data processing by an organisation and one individual just seeing another individual IRL.

You should just leave them alone. I don’t want my employer taking photos of me either