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.

Why do you need to do anything? We have a staff member (in a school) who doesn't have their photo online. I assume there's a reason and mind my own business.

Can’t they just have an avatar? I can’t see what the problem is

You can't do anything except support their request for privacy and accept no is fine without an explanation to you to judge.

In the nicest possible way, I think you're being absolutely ridiculous. This post is ridiculous. Leave them alone, they don't want their photo taken, it's not weird, it's ok, get over it!!!

I’m afraid it is these days and has been for the past few years. Safeguarding - you have to wear ID and it has to be on the school system. Not sure why some people sound so precious about it anyway - never met any of them thank god.

No one's talking about ID badge photos (or driving licence or passport photos for that matter). In the nature of things these are likely to be seen along with the person's actual face, not hanging about on notice boards or web pages. Indeed, you could argue that the public availability of pictures of a person makes ID badges easier to forge. And it is that public or internal availability of pictures that we are talking about.