Can Employers Require Cameras to Be On During Video Calls?

A recent case involving Travel Consultant Laura Tait, has raised a lot of questions regarding employers requiring cameras to be on during video calls.

Although expressing to her employer that she felt overwhelmed appearing on camera due to her anxiety, her employer failed to make adjustments, leading to them having to pay out on a tribunal claim. The ruling may come as quite a shock to a lot of employers, who may not have realised that forcing an employee to put their camera on, could lead to a tribunal claim.

Why Might Your Employer Require Your Camera to Be On? 

It is quite common for employers to state that ‘cameras must be on’ during a meeting, and there are several reasons why they often prefer this method of communicating.

Improve Relationships - Communication can often be taken the wrong way when you can’t see the other person, which can sometimes lead to conflict. It is easier to understand people when you speak face to face as you can decipher facial expressions and body language. It can help to build positive relationships.

Grow Connections: You can’t really get to know people without seeing them, which is why seeing someone face to face can help you to grow connections. It is particularly important for a workforce working remotely.

Focus: An employer can’t be sure you are listening to them if you don’t have your camera on. For all they know, you are sitting in the bath or watching the TV. They may have important information to feed back to you, and need to be sure you are listening.

How to Accommodate Employees Who Prefer Not to Use Their Camera 

There is nothing wrong with a company having a camera on policy at work, however, as we have seen in the Holiday Extras employment tribunal, employers must listen to employees if they have an issue with being on camera, and make reasonable adjustments. It is particularly important if the employee has a disability which is recorded in their file as this will be a crucial aspect of a tribunal claim and could be viewed as workplace discrimination. There are adjustments you can make in these cases to protect your business from tribunal claims.

• Optional - Instead of having a camera on policy at work which requires cameras to be on, make it optional to employees. In this way, you completely negate the need for this to be an issue in the first place.

• Alternative format - If there is a general feeling that employees don’t want to have their camera on, it may be a good idea to consider other formats, such as a conference call or a WhatsApp group where you can share information.

• Discuss concerns - If you want the cameras to be on but you notice that employees have an issue with it, speak to them privately to understand their concerns. If someone is telling you outright that their anxiety is too bad to be on camera - do not force them. There are employee rights during video calls, as we have seen with the Holiday Extras tribunal case.

If the Laura Tait camera case has you thinking about your policies, you may consider HR advice. At Inspired CVs, we provide HR support for employers and employees, as well as offering professionally written CVs tailored to your needs. Contact us today to find out more or visit our shop.