I don't want to be on camera - Teams/ZOOM meetings

[Anonymous]

Are there any ways that you can blur yourself out in meetings on Teams? I really don't want to be on camera, and we now have a person in our group who is requesting that we have our cameras turned on. I usually work during these never-ending meetings or make faces to blow off steam during these meetings.

[Anonymous]

If you're going to blur your face, what's the point of having a video call?
Your manager/team leader will make you un-blur it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there any ways that you can blur yourself out in meetings on Teams? I really don't want to be on camera, and we now have a person in our group who is requesting that we have our cameras turned on. I usually work during these never-ending meetings or make faces to blow off steam during these meetings.

Sorry, that sounds unprofessional. What would you have done in person? I am a huge telework proponent but showing your face is a reasonable request. It helps people get to know each other and use body language like in real life.

[Anonymous]

I would just leave your camera off. Is this being requested for small group meetings or larger ones? Is this person new to your company? I assume they are a peer or lower in the hierarchy to you?

[Anonymous]

Face the camera away from you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there any ways that you can blur yourself out in meetings on Teams? I really don't want to be on camera, and we now have a person in our group who is requesting that we have our cameras turned on. I usually work during these never-ending meetings or make faces to blow off steam during these meetings.

Sorry, that sounds unprofessional. What would you have done in person? I am a huge telework proponent but showing your face is a reasonable request. It helps people get to know each other and use body language like in real life.

This is very corporate-culture dependent. My last company was very big on “camera on” for meetings, but they were also very judicious about meetings and did not have a lot of extraneous ones.

My new company is camera-off for the most part, but they also do more meetings where you often are not expected to be an active participant. These things can vary a lot from place to place.

[Anonymous]

You can always go into the office, princess.

[Anonymous]

Grow up. It's a job not a vacation

[Anonymous]

We are in person but still hold teams meetings for larger meetings where a few people are talking and most are just listening. We were camera off for a while but recently were required to do camera on. Some people point the camera to where it only shows their hair or the ceiling... nobody has said anything to them to my knowledge. I personally blur the background, set the filter to max and bite my tongue when appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there any ways that you can blur yourself out in meetings on Teams? I really don't want to be on camera, and we now have a person in our group who is requesting that we have our cameras turned on. I usually work during these never-ending meetings or make faces to blow off steam during these meetings.

Sorry, that sounds unprofessional. What would you have done in person? I am a huge telework proponent but showing your face is a reasonable request. It helps people get to know each other and use body language like in real life.

Not OP, but in zoom meetings people can stare at every micro-expression I make, every eyebrow raised, smile, eye-roll etc. Where, in person, you're not under a magnifying glass like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there any ways that you can blur yourself out in meetings on Teams? I really don't want to be on camera, and we now have a person in our group who is requesting that we have our cameras turned on. I usually work during these never-ending meetings or make faces to blow off steam during these meetings.

Sorry, that sounds unprofessional. What would you have done in person? I am a huge telework proponent but showing your face is a reasonable request. It helps people get to know each other and use body language like in real life.

Not OP, but in zoom meetings people can stare at every micro-expression I make, every eyebrow raised, smile, eye-roll etc. Where, in person, you're not under a magnifying glass like that.

Wrong. People do that in person, you are just a whole lot less aware of it because you're not looking at yourself the whole time.

[Anonymous]

You have to get over this. I switched jobs about 2 years ago. Old job, no one cared if you were off camera. New job, you have to be on. My attention span during meetings has improved about 100%.

[Anonymous]

You make faces to blow off steam? That doesn't sound very professional. Suck it up like everyone else!

[Anonymous]

Get over yourself. Put your camera on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have to get over this. I switched jobs about 2 years ago. Old job, no one cared if you were off camera. New job, you have to be on. My attention span during meetings has improved about 100%.

+1

The whole point of this request is that people know lots of attendees are multi tasking instead of focusing on the meeting. Either focus on the meeting you’re in, or if you really don’t need to listen, you need to get that meeting off your calendar.