Bosses could soon force staff WFH return to work unless their cameras are turned on during Zoom meetings, sparking furious debate among Aussies.
A rising number of chief executives and managers are fed up with the lack of engagement with staff and have issued reminders about the correct online etiquette, along with threats to mandate more days in the office if the rule not adhered to.
Since employees started WFH four years ago due to the Covid pandemic, video conferencing platforms like Zoom exploded in popularity – but some employees believed having their camera on was an option.
Many bosses also made the assumption that the worker was ‘slacking’ off or not even in the same room listening when the camera wasn’t on.
The reminder of Zoom etiquette has become a heated topic, but Indeed’s workplace psychologist Amanda Gordon believes that leaving a camera on for the duration of a work meeting was ‘reasonable’.
‘It really has been an opportunity for some people to not really show up,’ she told Yahoo .
‘I don’t think anyone should be bullied or intimidated to do it, but I do think if you can’t show up online, then you probably should show up in the office.’
The topic sparked a heated debate between Aussies on social media.
‘Personally, I kinda see the reasoning, presenting to a group of camera off and muted people feels a bit like talking to a brick wall,’ one wrote.
Another added: ‘If it’s a team meeting or something you’re individually invited to and expected to participate if cameras on is expected,’ one said.
A third commented: ‘My personal view is that camera on is a bare minimum’.
‘If people are joining team meetings camera off, if just gives more reason for people to argue for a return to office.’
But many others don’t have an issue with cameras turned off during video conferences.
‘I personally don’t care if they are on or off. If someone has it off I treat it like a phone call. If it’s on it’s on,’ one wrote.
Another added: ‘It’s not like people are showing their true selves anyway. All you get is corporate zombie faces and false smiles.’
A third wrote: ‘There’s literally no need to be on camera unless you’re actively participating in discussions’.
Gartner for HR’s senior director Robin Boomer told Yahoo that workers need to be more upfront about why they are disengaged if they want to avoid return to work (RTO) mandates.
‘It’s one of those things that people seem to not talk about or say clearly, like, ‘Hey, I’m not turning my camera on because I have a bandwidth issue’,’ he said.
‘If you don’t do that, it allows imaginations to run wild and people to fall into the fundamental trap of thinking that if a person has their camera off they’re probably slacking.’
Sixty per cent of American survey respondents believed having a camera off in a video call is a ‘career minimising move’, according to Korn Ferry’s findings in 2023.
Mr Boomer believes managers should ‘establish the norms’ from the start so workers know the etiquette.
The threat of an RTO mandate comes after many companies have slashed WFH privileges and forced people back into the office this year.
Some of the big-name workplaces to bring their staff back into the office include the NSW government, Coles, Amazon, Tabcorp and Flight Centre.
The vast majority (82 per cent) of Aussie bosses think staff will be back in the office full-time over the next three years, according to KPMG’s latest CEO outlook survey.
The likes of corporate giants such as ANZ, Suncorp Bank and Origin Energy have already warned staff that their bonuses will be linked to attendance in the office.
Amazon also warned their staff that they might not get a promotion if they do not attend the office for the required days.