Ask HN: Are you required to be on-camera for all work meetings?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28514866

by rmorey • 5 years ago

3 8 5 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I am and really do not like it.

Edit: Specifically team meetings, all-hands meetings seem to be largely camera-optional-but-basically-required

I don't know about the rest of my large FAANG company, but in my meetings only managers turn their cameras on. I know another high profile tech CEO recently told his employees to feel free to turn their cameras off (in an internal town-hall meeting).

PaulHoule• 5 years ago

Mine is busted at least 20% of the time.

AnimalMuppet• 5 years ago

I'm not. And I suspect that my co-workers have no objections to not having to look at my face...

icedchai• 5 years ago

Have you tried not turning it on and see what happens? Most people are conflict avoidant. If anyone calls you out, tell them you're having internet problems.

mindcrime• 5 years ago

No. I'd say my camera is off for about 97% of the meetings I'm in. The only time I turn it on is the rare occasion where we have a meeting with a high level exec or something, and word spreads that "so and so REALLY prefers that everybody have their camera on" or something like that.

bartread• 5 years ago

No.

I do turn on my camera quite a lot, as do many of my colleagues (it's nice to see eachother) but, after reading a recently posted paper about the fatiguing effects of video calls I've started experimenting with switching it off for a greater proportion of the time and have encouraged members of my team to do the same and report back on what (if any) difference it makes to their energy levels.

In larger meetings we have a culture of person speaking will often (but not always) switch their camera on, whereas others will often leave theirs' off. There's no hard and fast rule though, and I wouldn't want to see one enforced.

themadturk• 5 years ago

No, thought it’s more or less expected in formal 1 on 1 meetings with my immediate supervisor…and I would do it if I had a individual meeting with just about any superior. We use both Zoom and Skype for Business, and Zoom is definitely better at video than Skype. We also have people whose WFH circumstances preclude using video at all.

dzhiurgis• 5 years ago

Only when introducing to new team mates, otherwise it's always off. We're remote-first distributed company tho.

Ask HN: Are you required to be on-camera for all work meetings?

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