Read on Twitter
Y'all. Let's talk a bit about video conferencing, class, and remote work.
First off, the obvious. It is a privilege to be able to move one's work to a remote location to isolate during a global pandemic.
When we think about how class, family situation, home life, and resources plays into this remote work there are disparities within this privilege.
For example, not everyone has a private place to sit (or stand) and do their work. This could be due to family/children having no boundaries, but it also could have to do with not being able to afford a place with an extra room for an office.
OR some people may not have a space in their home that they would be OK with others seeing. This could be due to how they keep their home...but it also could be due to not having the resources to put together that beautiful bookcase background.
I heard recently a story from a (low-income) friend who works as an admin that one of their execs has positioned his camera to show out the window of his home office to the marina full of yachts right by his house.
When we require people to turn on their videos we are asking them to show you their space...and this could lead to a sense of shame and discomfort.
Now there are great reasons to have the video on. I myself find it much easier to build team and have engaging meetings with video.
I have also experienced situations where the reason video was required was to engage in toxic surveillance so...it's not always positive and can be downright damaging.
But what about virtual or blurred backgrounds you ask? Well, those can be helpful but may make the issue more obvious. The only person using them is the lowest-paid employee on the call while everyone else is showing off their houseplants?
I also find video conferencing very intrusive as an introvert...but I digress.
In addition, many organizations made quarantine and lockdown into a fun icebreaker when we got started in all of this.
"What are YOU doing with your extra time in quarantine Susan?"
"What are YOU doing with your extra time in quarantine Susan?"
Let's start with the notion that someone MIGHT have extra time...perhaps because they don't have to commute for hours to get to the office anymore. That's not uncommon for people who are lower-income.
This question still assumes that the extra time is just sitting there waiting for getting that perfect sourdough starter going.
For a lot of people it's not.
For a lot of people it's not.
For a lot of people COVID-19 has added more and more to their plates in the form of managing family emergencies and health issues or even deaths because these are things disproportionately impacting people from lower SES.
In particular black folx - the people who are statistically most likely to be in the lower wage positions in your company.
The updated version of this "cute" icebreaker is to ask people what they are doing with their summer vacation time...tee hee...without travel. OR what plans have been canceled.
Again I point to time also being a scarce resource for people with lower incomes. Vacation time is more likely to be used to manage other life issues and emergencies.
They are not mourning the cancellation of their trip to Paris.
They are not mourning the cancellation of their trip to Paris.
This, BTW, also applies to non-COVID related questions like "what did you do this weekend?" at the Monday staff meeting.
So. When you consider whether or not to have that meeting on video or require people turn on the cameras as yourself if you are creating a toxic situation for some of your employees.
And think broadly about how certain questions or concepts might perpetuate classed oppression in your workplace.
