I've become a camera Hitler, mostly because knowing they might be watched drags a bit of attention back to proceedings. Plus I always make people speak, in part for attentivity, also because some people spend their lives getting talked over on calls, and they often have valuable opinions just not the confidence to bulldoze them through. Or they're just polite. They're the sort of adjustments to be made, I suspect businesses that just think they can continue as before are will struggle.
Being picky about cameras on calls is *REALLY* bugging me. The "let's just jump on zoom" well I'm sorry but some of us need to do make up and put clothes on before we get to that stage.
I find it hard to do the eye contact thing in the real world, having 27 sets of eyes staring out the screen at me is even worse.
I've not had my camera on in work meetings at any point since I started my job at the end of 2020. (Either that or all my colleagues are exceptionally polite about me being in meetings topless).
Ultimately there is very little added by transmitting my ugly mug over the internet. And forcing people to enable cameras is just being mean.
But go you on making sure everyone is heard. That is important, esp in mixed groups where men typically talk over women. I am fortunate that at my current employer I've not had the thing where I say something in a meeting, have it discounted, only for a man to suggest it and people adopt it as an idea.
One thing one colleague and I have done a few times is open up a call, and just carry on working. We sit next to each other when in the office, so it gives us the effect of the swearing at things and over hearing each others deliberations, as well as being able to think out loud "How do you spell ..." or "what machine is DHCP on?".
The boss has said that when things are safer, we'll be in the office for at least 2 days a week. Which seems to go down well. Tho if we all choose the same day, we're gonna have problems, we have approx 33% more people than we have desks...
J