Requiring Staff to be on Camera for Teams Calls?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For most of my team it’s just awkward because everyone is staring at their other monitor to work the entire call.

Then you are a bad manager and scheduling a useless meeting. Make your meetings more interesting and that won't happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it just mind boggling that people here think they are entitled to work from home AND not be on camera. If my boss has her camera on, mine is also on.

Ditto. I am part of a team of 13. We have a monthly Zoom meeting led by the head of our department who is in a different building. It would be unheard of for someone to turn their camera off. (And I say this as an introverted socially anxious millennial.) We are all full time in office- I have never worked remotely, even during Covid (well, as of this past January, we get two remote days a month.), and it is bizarre to image a work culture like this. If everyone turned their cameras off, I'm sure I would too - then I could surf the internet or fold some laundry while I stayed on the call. I get why employees like it. But it is so disrespectful and unprofessional, and it cannot be healthy for society to be isolated like this from each other.

I have no problem turning my camera on and I do so about 50 percent of the time. If I’m presenting or a key participant in discussion, I always have it on. I do not have it on for things where I am more of a fringe participant or listener.

That said, I have worked from home since 2012 and so spent a lot of time working from home before videoconferencing was the norm. W e just used landline phones/conference calls back then. And we got serious work done. I had some coworkers I was very friendly with and close to, who lived across the country, whose face I never saw once in 5+ years! Sounds crazy but was totally normal then. So, from my perspective I am unbothered when people don’t want to use video because I know that collaboration works fine either way as long as the conditions are right for it in terms of the prep and meeting objectives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For most of my team it’s just awkward because everyone is staring at their other monitor to work the entire call.

Then you are a bad manager and scheduling a useless meeting. Make your meetings more interesting and that won't happen.

+1 I'm a PP who posted about norms earlier. We don't usually turn cameras on if one person is presenting to a large group etc (apart from the presenter being on video). There are some other large weekly mtgs where I'm in listening mode and also don't. But part of EQ is distinguishing those settings from team meetings, one on one with your supervisor, important mtg with higher ups etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it just mind boggling that people here think they are entitled to work from home AND not be on camera. If my boss has her camera on, mine is also on.

Ditto. I am part of a team of 13. We have a monthly Zoom meeting led by the head of our department who is in a different building. It would be unheard of for someone to turn their camera off. (And I say this as an introverted socially anxious millennial.) We are all full time in office- I have never worked remotely, even during Covid (well, as of this past January, we get two remote days a month.), and it is bizarre to image a work culture like this. If everyone turned their cameras off, I'm sure I would too - then I could surf the internet or fold some laundry while I stayed on the call. I get why employees like it. But it is so disrespectful and unprofessional, and it cannot be healthy for society to be isolated like this from each other.

You are so right. My next door is a fed who recently started going back to the office. She has been fully remote since covid. The amount of anxiety this produced in her is uncanny. Mostly because now she has to be around people. She admits that she lost so many social skills being so isolated and is actually glad in a way she has to get out of the house.

I'm sure your neighbor is a real person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it just mind boggling that people here think they are entitled to work from home AND not be on camera. If my boss has her camera on, mine is also on.

Ditto. I am part of a team of 13. We have a monthly Zoom meeting led by the head of our department who is in a different building. It would be unheard of for someone to turn their camera off. (And I say this as an introverted socially anxious millennial.) We are all full time in office- I have never worked remotely, even during Covid (well, as of this past January, we get two remote days a month.), and it is bizarre to image a work culture like this. If everyone turned their cameras off, I'm sure I would too - then I could surf the internet or fold some laundry while I stayed on the call. I get why employees like it. But it is so disrespectful and unprofessional, and it cannot be healthy for society to be isolated like this from each other.

You are so right. My next door is a fed who recently started going back to the office. She has been fully remote since covid. The amount of anxiety this produced in her is uncanny. Mostly because now she has to be around people. She admits that she lost so many social skills being so isolated and is actually glad in a way she has to get out of the house.

I'm sure your neighbor is a real person.

I know it's hard to imagine, but just try. Not everyone is as miserable as you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For most of my team it’s just awkward because everyone is staring at their other monitor to work the entire call.

Then you are a bad manager and scheduling a useless meeting. Make your meetings more interesting and that won't happen.

I’m referring to meetings I attend, not ones I schedule. Don’t be so presumptuous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it just mind boggling that people here think they are entitled to work from home AND not be on camera. If my boss has her camera on, mine is also on.

Ditto. I am part of a team of 13. We have a monthly Zoom meeting led by the head of our department who is in a different building. It would be unheard of for someone to turn their camera off. (And I say this as an introverted socially anxious millennial.) We are all full time in office- I have never worked remotely, even during Covid (well, as of this past January, we get two remote days a month.), and it is bizarre to image a work culture like this. If everyone turned their cameras off, I'm sure I would too - then I could surf the internet or fold some laundry while I stayed on the call. I get why employees like it. But it is so disrespectful and unprofessional, and it cannot be healthy for society to be isolated like this from each other.

You are so right. My next door is a fed who recently started going back to the office. She has been fully remote since covid. The amount of anxiety this produced in her is uncanny. Mostly because now she has to be around people. She admits that she lost so many social skills being so isolated and is actually glad in a way she has to get out of the house.

I'm sure your neighbor is a real person.

I know it's hard to imagine, but just try. Not everyone is as miserable as you.

I'm not doubting that making up stories about feds is making you happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it just mind boggling that people here think they are entitled to work from home AND not be on camera. If my boss has her camera on, mine is also on.

Ditto. I am part of a team of 13. We have a monthly Zoom meeting led by the head of our department who is in a different building. It would be unheard of for someone to turn their camera off. (And I say this as an introverted socially anxious millennial.) We are all full time in office- I have never worked remotely, even during Covid (well, as of this past January, we get two remote days a month.), and it is bizarre to image a work culture like this. If everyone turned their cameras off, I'm sure I would too - then I could surf the internet or fold some laundry while I stayed on the call. I get why employees like it. But it is so disrespectful and unprofessional, and it cannot be healthy for society to be isolated like this from each other.

You are so right. My next door is a fed who recently started going back to the office. She has been fully remote since covid. The amount of anxiety this produced in her is uncanny. Mostly because now she has to be around people. She admits that she lost so many social skills being so isolated and is actually glad in a way she has to get out of the house.

I'm sure your neighbor is a real person.

I know it's hard to imagine, but just try. Not everyone is as miserable as you.

I'm not doubting that making up stories about feds is making you happy.

I'm not doubting at all that you need to call me a liar because you are super dumb and can't find another way to articulate your points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For most of my team it’s just awkward because everyone is staring at their other monitor to work the entire call.

How is that awkward if everyone is multitasking? The only people who are noticing are just staring at everyone else??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have the camera on, but pretend I'm on a conference call with headset on and no video on the screen. I find the video so distracting. So, not sure this is what you'd want..

So you can't perform the basic duties of your job? Hope your employer knows that.

You're such a moron.

[Anonymous]

Cameras on for sure. Just set a new rule. People will get used to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have the camera on, but pretend I'm on a conference call with headset on and no video on the screen. I find the video so distracting. So, not sure this is what you'd want..

So you can't perform the basic duties of your job? Hope your employer knows that.

You're such a moron.

Aww poor baby. You’ll be ok, I hope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is good evidence showing that requiring cameras to be on is bad for both productivity and moral.

Please share the details. What are they measuring? How people feel in the meeting or broader productivity and collaborative measures.

Also, what’s the good evidence for cameras off being bad for productivity and morale?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my company all Teams meetings are required camera on, but they were pretty laid back. We were recently purchased by a bigger company, and they are much stricter about everything. Cameras on, plus be ready to speak and answer questions. We have to pay attention.

They will definitely be getting rid of some people. I'm sure being strict is a way of weeding people out.

For your job, you are likely getting paid to attend the meeting, seems reasonable to expect the bolded above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People with multiple jobs will hate it. People with no childcare will hate it.

I have one job and zero children. I just am very ugly and hate seeing my face or peoples' reactions to it. Plus, I don't want to show my apartment and mirrored closet doors are behind the only place I can sit.