Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why people do this / why they can't pick up on social cues. Feels like someone is aggressively staring at me the entire call.

Obviously, when I have a 1:1 with a manager/leader, am presenting, etc., I'm prepared to be on camera if the others do. But I always follow the person's lead!

So you are looking at the screen while listening and talking on the video call? You just prefer your camera off….

And kudos to them for looking at the camera while listening and interacting! Not the rest of the screens or their phone or paperwork or out the window. Impressive and smart!

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why people do this / why they can't pick up on social cues. Feels like someone is aggressively staring at me the entire call.

Obviously, when I have a 1:1 with a manager/leader, am presenting, etc., I'm prepared to be on camera if the others do. But I always follow the person's lead!

That’s normal, especially if the understanding is the other members are at their office or home office and looking at the screen.

If the other people are driving or racing through the airport or grocery shopping then, yeah, do a voice call.

I have a periodic check in with my team that is very casual, and I’ve told them we can treat it like a call and have cameras off. (At my workplace the rule is cameras on usually). But I have one employee who will never turn her camera off, even if she’s the only one on the whole screen.

She’s a little quirky and I just figure she doesn’t think about things like camera settings.

If your on a 1:1 video call, your camera is on. Otherwise, pick up the phone and make an actual telephone call

Turn your camera off. We don’t want to see you either

If I join the meeting first and have my camera on and the second person joins with camera off and stays off, it seems weird to suddenly turn my camera off, too, so I just keep it on.

Anonymous wrote:It's not a phone call. Turn your $&# camera on.

Who decides if it's a phone or video call? We only have one option for any kind of call.

If your camera is off, it's not a video call.

If they aren't showing that they are paying attention, raise the issue.

Otherwise, let people send video or not if they want, and turn on/off incoming video if you want.

Anonymous wrote:I think you have the social cues backwards. If the other person has their camera on you need to turn yours on.

x1000

It's not a phone call. Turn your $&# camera on.

I don't feel one way or the other, but being off-camera is no different from a standard telephone call. You can't see that person either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you have the social cues backwards. If the other person has their camera on you need to turn yours on.

+1

+1 Those who keep their cameras off in a video call are going to be less likely to be promoted. The assumption for those who keep cameras off in a video call is that they are reclusive basement dwellers.

If you don't want to be on camera then schedule a conference phone call.

I think the issue is every call in our office is technically a video call...but that does not mean it is a meeting. We are mostly focused on a shared screen. I would not be looking at faces either way. I guess it is good every office does what works for them.

Anonymous wrote:The expectation at my office is that your camera is on for any small/medium sized meeting. (Large meetings with 40/50 people everyone has cameras off unless speaking). So I would have mine on to shame you into falling in line.

Try using your words and ordering the person to turn on their camera instead of being a passive aggressive ninny.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you have the social cues backwards. If the other person has their camera on you need to turn yours on.

+1

+1 Those who keep their cameras off in a video call are going to be less likely to be promoted. The assumption for those who keep cameras off in a video call is that they are reclusive basement dwellers.

If you don't want to be on camera then schedule a conference phone call.

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why people do this / why they can't pick up on social cues. Feels like someone is aggressively staring at me the entire call.

Obviously, when I have a 1:1 with a manager/leader, am presenting, etc., I'm prepared to be on camera if the others do. But I always follow the person's lead!

Uh, not sure how to break it to you, but you're the one not picking up on the social cues.

They are giving you their undivided attention on the call. No emailing. No web browsing.

You should follow their lead