My CFO never turns his camera on — should I ask him to?

Five faces light up on screen: the cheerful project lead, the client liaison, a few analysts, and then… one grey circle. Your chief financial officer has once again chosen to stay off camera. You consider saying something — after all, being seen feels like being present — but pause. Maybe he’s multitasking. Maybe he’s in pyjamas. Or maybe it doesn’t matter as much as you think.

In an era where meetings happen more often through pixels than conference rooms, the question isn’t just whether people can turn their cameras on, but whether they should.

The case for turning cameras on

A new study from researchers Nicholas Bloom, Jose Maria Barrero and Steven Davis — the same team behind Stanford’s Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes — finds that turning on the camera can be good for more than optics. According to their Camera Use During Video Calls report, employees who keep cameras on in small, collaborative meetings are perceived as more engaged and connected, and they themselves report higher satisfaction and a stronger sense of belonging.

The study, based on a large national survey of remote and hybrid workers, shows that visual cues restore some of the trust and clarity lost when teams are physically apart. Managers tend to rate camera-on participants as more responsive and accountable. Colleagues say they find it easier to follow discussions and feel less isolated.

The researchers are careful, though, not to oversell the remedy. Video visibility has its limits. Their data show that camera use improves communication most when it supports clear, interactive goals — feedback sessions, one-on-ones, client meetings, or problem-solving conversations. For large status updates or webinars, the benefits evaporate and fatigue takes over.

The science of “Zoom fatigue”

The findings build on a growing body of work showing why back-to-back video meetings feel more draining than in-person ones.

Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab coined the term “nonverbal overload” to describe the strain of video calls: constant eye contact, the awkward awareness of being watched, and the unnatural intimacy of having colleagues’ faces inches away on screen. In lab and field experiments, participants reported higher stress and lower concentration after long stretches of camera-on calls.

A study in the Journal of Applied Psychology went further, finding that using cameras predicted end-of-day fatigue more strongly than the number of meetings themselves. The effect was especially pronounced for women and new hires, who reported greater self-consciousness and pressure to appear “on.”

In other words, the red light that signals connection can also drain it.

When seeing isn’t believing

Despite the fatigue factor, many leaders equate visibility with productivity — a leftover reflex from the office era. But as Microsoft’s ongoing Work Trend Index shows, collaboration now travels through multiple channels: chat, co-editing, emojis, reactions, and asynchronous work. The most engaged employees aren’t necessarily the most visible; they’re often the ones sharing ideas and driving results behind the scenes.

Still, context matters. The Stanford data show that cameras play an outsized role in moments that rely on nuance — persuasion, empathy, or creative brainstorming. In those settings, facial expressions and eye contact help fill the emotional gaps that text and tone can’t.

That’s where HR can help set the tone. Instead of blanket “camera-on” mandates, companies are defining when visibility adds value — and when it doesn’t.

The privacy dimension

In the United States, employers have more leeway than their Canadian or European counterparts when it comes to monitoring workers, but the cultural climate is shifting. Recording every call or requiring cameras in private spaces can raise concerns about surveillance and equity, especially as remote work blurs home and office.

Legal experts note that continuous camera use could expose companies to privacy or discrimination complaints if employees feel coerced to reveal parts of their living situations or identities they would otherwise keep private. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has cautioned that workplace policies should account for neurodiversity, disabilities and caregiving demands that make constant video participation burdensome.

The safest approach, most HR advisers say, is transparency: explain why cameras are requested, limit recordings, and give employees options to contribute in other ways — by voice, chat or collaborative documents.

So, what about your CFO?

If you’re meeting to review next quarter’s budget or pitch a new strategy, asking him to turn on the camera is reasonable. Eye contact helps build rapport in moments that depend on trust and judgment. You might frame it as a practical request: “Could we do this one on video so we can walk through the numbers together?”

But for routine updates, insisting on video can come off as micromanagement. The evidence suggests that camera rules work best when linked to purpose, not power. Teams are more receptive when leaders use video intentionally — and occasionally switch it off themselves to show that participation, not posture, is what counts.

Five ways HR can make video work better

1. Start with purpose, not policy. Define the situations where cameras genuinely add value — collaboration, coaching, client work — and skip them for broadcast-style meetings.

2. Normalize camera-off as professional. Encourage leaders to model balance by sometimes joining off video and signalling attentiveness another way.

3. Redesign meetings for energy, not endurance. Shorter calls, camera breaks, and hiding self-view can reduce fatigue without sacrificing connection.

4. Track engagement, not appearances. Measure contributions through outcomes, speaking turns, and follow-up actions instead of camera-on rates.

5. Be transparent about data use. If meetings are recorded or attendance monitored, explain why, how long data will be kept, and who can access it.

Beyond the screen

The research suggests that the best leaders don’t equate visibility with value. They understand that hybrid work isn’t about replacing eye contact — it’s about rethinking it. Seeing someone’s face can help, but so can hearing their ideas, reading their notes, or collaborating asynchronously across time zones.

So before you call out that grey bubble, consider the bigger picture. Connection doesn’t always come from the camera — sometimes it comes from trust.