What it says on the tin. I've been working remotely since before it was cool, been working with this company for 6 years. I was interviewed on the phone, never saw any of my coworkers' faces for several years, never even met them in person until a business trip. In the past few years, there has been more push for cameras in zoom meetings.
Thing is, I absolutely do not want to put my face on camera. I do not like my appearance and have been harassed about it in the past. Since I work from home I often don't even put effort into my appearance. The idea of turning my camera on and seeing how I look at the moment – and letting my entire team know what I look like – genuinely terrifies and upsets me.
I've been lectured before about, not their words but the implication was, not being a team player, so this pressure is something that gets me on edge. I'm in a long meeting right now where we were told that we should turn our cameras on to be respectful, and so far nobody's challenged me when I said my camera doesn't work – which is the truth, last time I tried to use it it wouldn't connect to zoom. If I was pressured to fix it I've genuinely considered putting a mask on for the camera out of malicious compliance.
Is it really so unreasonable to maintain this boundary? I know it wouldn't be an option if I worked in a physical office, but since I was given the job remotely without ever being seen, it almost feels like a betrayal to be told it's disrespectful to not turn on my camera. I hate the idea that I'd have to keep an eye on the schedule to know if I have to make myself presentable for displaying my face on the internet as part of my job.
Mostly I just wanted to vent, and I know this is kind of a biased place lol. I guess I'm mostly wondering if this is as bullshit as it feels or if it's one of those 'it sucks but it needs to be done' kind of deals.