Camera-on or Camera-off?
This Workplace Policy creates Psychological Safety
April 27, 2023
In virtual meetings, do you require employees to turn their cameras on? I can understand why that might seem like a good idea, it creates engagement to see the faces of those we’re communicating with online. I used to be someone who believed this and would often ask others to turn on their video in a group meeting.
However, I have found that some people prefer not to turn their cameras on and I have become ok with that for many reasons
1. Several self-described introverts told me that having their camera off made them participate more in meetings because they weren’t concerned with others judging them, they felt freer to speak. It’s a way to allow people to bring their full authentic selves to work and let’s people show up where they feel most confident which consequently makes room for psychological safety.
2. Camera-on can be exhausting for your facial muscles. What do I mean, when you’re in a video meeting you are often trying to maintain consistent physical cues and acknowledgements like smiling, head bobbing, and eyebrow-raises. After a long period of time this can be physically exhausting and can make one feel drained when there are several in a day.
3. People are taking perpetual selfies. When you’re on video you typically have a view of yourself in a small corner window. It allows one to see every hair out of place, shows you all the times you scratch your nose, and gives you a reason to constantly adjusting your camera to get that perfect background shot. All these actions take away from the conversation, one’s ability to listen and comprehend what is being said.
4. It gave a voice to people in the room who would not normally speak up. This aligns with the first point around giving employees space to be themselves. HR Pros have confided in me that they saw women more engaged in participating in “round robins” during meetings in the virtual world more often than they did in the large conferences rooms they previously gathered in.
This has brought about new studies on the subject. The American Psychological Association’s Journal of Applied Psychology published a study this year titled, “The Fatiguing Effects of Camera Use in Virtual Meetings: A Within-Person Field Experiment”.
Leading experts of the study came up with the following Hypotheses
1: On days when employees use a camera during virtual meetings (vs. not use a camera during virtual meetings), they will experience greater feelings of daily fatigue
2: Compared to days when employees do not use a camera during virtual meetings, using a camera will reduce daily voice via fatigue.
3: Compared to days when employees do not use a camera during virtual meetings, using a camera will reduce daily engagement via fatigue
Especially for Women
The study further confirms that taking a different perspective on this workplace policy can create psychological safety in a remote environment. Psychology experts have surmised that, “organizations can best support their employees — especially women and those who are newer — when given the option to turn their camera off”.
During the pandemic companies of all sizes and industries have had a mirror held up to their leaders and organizational practices during the pandemic. Those that are going to rise to the top of talent acquisition and retention will embrace a renewed perspective on the importance of the intersection between remote work, equity, and psychological safety.
Written by: Kelly Pallanti, CEO-Mentally Fit Workplaces
For consulting solutions, partnerships, and collaboration opportunities on the topics of Psychological Safety and Remote Workplace Policies visit Mentally Fit Workplaces
All quoted content and cited information can be found here https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2021-77825-003.pdf
