Is It Rude To Keep Your Camera Off in Remote Work Meetings?

From socializing less to 'quiet quitting', the past three years have seen some major societal shifts across America.

Among the most immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was the normalization of remote working, with employers and employees having to engage virtually. So workers could choose to be on or off camera during video calls. But is it rude to stay off-camera?

A Newsweek poll found that older workers in America are less bothered by the camera being off than a generation of younger employees.

According to a survey of 1,500 eligible voters in the U.S. conducted in March for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, millennials—those born roughly between 1981 and 1996—formed the highest portion of those who believe it is "rude" to leave your camera off during a remote work meeting.

Our latest survey found that 37 percent of those aged 25 to 34 and 47 percent of those aged 35 to 44 "strongly agree" with the above opinion on being off camera. This compares with only around a fifth of those aged 55 to 64 (around 23 percent) as well as those over 65 (21 percent) who "strongly agree."

Why Do Millennials Care About Keeping the Camera On?

Millennials are "digital natives," Joseph Liu, a career change consultant and host of the Career Relaunch podcast, told Newsweek. "As a generation that's constantly connected, a video call is one way to build stronger, more personal connections with others."

Millennials are very team-oriented and they see video meetings as a key part of communicating effectively with colleagues in the modern workplace, Liu added.

This generation is generally known for caring about "inclusivity, intentionality, authenticity, and transparency," Jessica Vann, the CEO and founder of the hiring firm Maven Recruiting Group, told Newsweek. So it's not surprising that they believe having cameras off is disrespectful and even rude.

"If your camera is off, they don't feel you are being intentional with your time. If your camera is off, they can't pick up on your body language and authenticity," she said. If you don't explain why your camera is off, "you aren't demonstrating transparency."

Is It Rude and Unprofessional To Keep the Camera Off?

Meredith Turney, a consultant who coaches various companies on how to bring more "conscious leadership" to work, told Newsweek that it is unprofessional to stay off camera when others are on camera.

"Think about this in the context of what you'd do in person. You wouldn't pull a hoodie over your head or otherwise block your face from your team," she said.

When we are off camera, our colleagues can't read "important cues" that can be gauged from our faces. "If you choose not to participate on camera, you're losing the opportunity to engage more deeply with your team," Turney said.

Vann said: "There is a social norm around everyone doing the same thing when it comes to being on screen." If one person chooses to be off camera, "it creates an imbalance and discomfort, kind of like being in a one-way mirror or interrogation room—no one wants to feel like they are speaking to or presenting to a blank screen," she said.

As social creatures, this imbalance creates "an uncomfortable dynamic and social climate," particularly if it's a small or one-to-one meeting, Vann noted.

Adam Greenwood-Byrne, the CEO of RealVNC, a company providing remote access software, told Newsweek that while keeping the camera off is not strictly unprofessional, it can come across as "churlish" if done consistently.

The CEO explained: "Building rapport with your teammates and customers is a vital part of a high-performance culture and I think that's compromised by actively choosing not to share your body language during meetings."

'Zoom Fatigue Is Real'

Turney said the only time it's "appropriate" to stay off camera is when you aren't feeling well or you're in a place where the background would be distracting. In both cases, you should let your team know why you're off-camera.

Etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts told Newsweek: "Since COVID-19, I don't think anyone would argue that there has been video fatigue. For those of us that were online day and night, it was exhausting and eye-straining... I don't see anything wrong with turning off the camera for a quick break or other valid reason."

Dawid Wiacek, a career coach and personal brand strategist based in New York City, told Newsweek that if you keep your camera off consistently, some may make assumptions—even "silly" ones—that have "nothing to do with reality."

But perhaps you're actually doing your job and simply exhausted from video-conferencing all day, Wiacek said, adding, "Zoom fatigue is real."

The findings of a 2021 study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Applied Psychology found that "self-presentation and its fatigue-related costs are exacerbated when the camera is on during virtual meetings."

The study said its results support an emerging body of research that suggests "being 'watched' enhances the need to manage impressions and directs focus inward, inducing fatigue."

"As such, encouraging employees to use the camera may inadvertently harm positive virtual work behaviors as fatigue had a hindering effect on voice and engagement," the study added.

Do We Need To Explain Why We're off Camera?

Jeanne Hardy, the founder and CEO of Creative Business Inc., a business services and financial advisory firm, told Newsweek that it's not rude to have your camera off, especially if you're working from home.

"Remote means not in the office. People work from anywhere now, not just the beach, maybe the home of an elderly parent they are caring for. And do they have to explain that to anyone? We didn't have to discuss our personal lives and living situations before the pandemic," she noted.

Is It Wrong for Colleagues To Judge Me for Keeping Camera Off?

Amanda Fajak, the president of North America at Walking The Talk, a global consulting firm, told Newsweek that having a blanket rule requiring your camera to always be on during meetings "seems extreme."

She said, "We have to be inclusive and allow people a chance to choose how they show up."

However, she doesn't believe it is unreasonable to ask employees to show up on video "to encourage openness, connection, and engagement across teams."

Liu said that from a personal branding standpoint, every action you take within your company is going to have an impact on how you are perceived.

If you choose to keep your camera off, your manager or colleagues may indeed judge you or even penalize you for doing so, "which may seem unfair but is certainly acceptable," he said.

Liu said: "When you deviate too much from any cultural or behavioral norms of your organization, including those related to virtual meetings, you should be prepared for others to judge you negatively."

What To Do if You Don't Want To Keep the Camera On

Wiacek said if you are genuinely just tired from too many virtual meetings, you should consider hopping on the video for the first minute or two. Sometimes bosses and other colleagues just need some assurance that "you are indeed focused and dedicated to the work."

He suggested saying something along the lines of, "Would it be acceptable if I stayed on audio but turned off video for a few minutes or for the balance of the call? My eyes are exhausted and they need a break, and it will help me focus on what's being said."

The career coach said that with this type of explanation, "most people will understand and give you grace."

Greenwood-Byrne said if you genuinely don't want to enable your video feed, "providing an adequate reason is vital...rather than flat-out refusing, which could create conflict and set a bad tone for the meeting from the get-go."

Those who feel uncomfortable sharing their reasons for staying off camera with the entire group on the call should drop a private message to their manager or the person organizing the call. You can simply say: "I've dropped you a quick note to explain why I'm unable to [be on camera] and I really appreciate the group's understanding."