It’s been several weeks since the orders to shelter in place and the nation-wide mandate to work from home in most states. Let me be very clear, I am very happy to have a job that allows me to work remotely. However, inevitably, there are challenges that come with these new procedures and lots of trial and error to make sure people feel supported, heard, and as comfortable as they can be with this new situation. I’ve been lucky enough to not only be able to work from home, but also work for a company that takes pride in putting their employees first and setting up processes for our ever-evolving lives. One of the things that has become very clear is the necessity to lean on Zoom to host meetings and stay connected. With that said, I think it’s easy for people to forget that while we’re navigating these unknown waters, there are still dichotomies of work/life that people would like to balance. The lines are undoubtedly blurred right now, as people are taking calls from kitchen counter tops, bedrooms, back rooms, basements, living rooms, etc. As you can imagine, it may be uncomfortable for some people to have their cameras on during an internal meeting with numerous people on the call they’ve never met in real life and may never meet IRL.
This is where my problem lies. I understand management wanting to see everyone during an internal meeting and get to make virtual eye contact, but demanding people turn their cameras on is incredibly uncomfortable and extremely invasive. Zoom is meant for communication, and if I can effectively communicate without turning my camera on, I don’t see the harm in keeping it off. If you don’t have a virtual background selected, you’re inviting people into your home, and maybe I’m being overly sensitive here, but I don’t think it’s right to assert that command. Many people have different socioeconomic situations that are plainly nobody’s business, people have spouses and children who may need access to the room they’re in, maybe they plainly don’t feel well enough or just don’t want to turn it on and insisting someone ignore what makes them comfortable, for what? - a chance to see their "smiling" face is, in my opinion, unprofessional.
Also, I have a right to my privacy. Regardless of what you want or deem appropriate. I’m writing this because I’m curious if I’m the only one who feels this way, or if I’m way off base. Maybe people will change their minds in the coming weeks and feel more comfortable sharing more of themselves, but that should be at their own pace not at the behest of others.