Having Your Camera Off in Meetings Could Cost You Your Job

pcmag.com:

Showing your face in a meeting is different now that those meetings are mostly via video-conferencing apps. You might want to conceal an unmade bed or not have to deal with making sure your hair is presentable; or maybe you just have Zoom fatigue, so you turn off the webcam. But according to a survey of 500 executives conducted for Vyopta by Wakefield Research, failing to appear on camera could mean losing your job. 

Ninety-two percent of the executives said that employees who are less engaged during virtual meetings, which they defined as frequently being muted or having their cameras off, probably don’t have a long-term future at their company. Ninety-three percent said they felt the lack of video-conference engagement was a sign that those employees are generally less engaged in their work overall. 

Two out of five of the executives (43%) made assumptions about what the off-camera employees were doing: namely, browsing the internet or social media (43%), texting or chatting (40%), doing other work (38%), playing games (35%), eating (35%), taking notes (29%), or wearing attire that wasn't camera-ready (24%). 

When asked why they think that employees aren't participating in video conferences, the top reason executives gave was that there are too many video meetings that could have been emails (48%). Other reasons they gave: It's a habit that has developed among junior staff (47%); because of a lack of preparation (41%); the employees don't feel comfortable speaking up (37%); or they have no clearly defined role on the call (34%). 

Despite their judgments, the executives admitted that the company itself is at fault for a lack of engagement. Forty-six percent said their companies are not providing the tools to allow