I Turned On My Camera During a Work Call—Next Thing I Was Facing HR

When technology betrays you at the worst possible moment, sometimes the repercussions are irrevocable. What should’ve been a simple Zoom meeting for our reader, Jane Peterson, turned into a balancing act of shame and dignity that ultimately ended in a fall that she never thought she’d have to endure.

Here’s Jane Peterson’s story:

Hi Bright Side,

My name is Jane Peterson (38) and my boss has recently become obsessed with mandatory video calls because he believes “it’s important for the client to see our faces. It builds trust.” No exceptions.

Anyway, I had a client call scheduled, and I had warned my boss beforehand that I wouldn’t turn on my camera. I was on a working vacation, working remotely from the poolside of an Airbnb, and I was in a tank top, lounging on a deck chair.

During the video call, in front of the client, he stops my presentation and insists that I turn on my video before I continue. Feeling like I had no choice, I sighed and propped up my laptop, and reluctantly turned on the camera.

Cue instant chaos.

I was the clown, literally.

The screen lights up, and there I am, in glorious HD, with a glittering royal crown, googly anime eyes, and a handlebar mustache.

Turns out, the last time I used Zoom was for my niece’s virtual birthday party, and I’d forgotten to turn off the face filters.

The client....oh, he looked horrified. My boss’s jaw dropped, and I just scrambled to kill the filters, clicking every button except the right one. For a good 30 seconds, I transformed from a king to a cat to a pirate with an eye patch.

At one point, I had laser eyes. Laser. Eyes. My colleagues were visibly struggling to hold in their laughter.

When I finally turned the filters off, the damage was done. My boss wouldn’t make eye contact for the rest of the call. The client was... polite, but distant.

I spent the rest of the meeting trying to look as professional as I could in a tank top and sit still and “neutral-face” my way through what felt like a hostage negotiation.

The fallout was dismal.

The next day, I get a message from HR asking to speak to me. They say the client wasn’t impressed with the unprofessionalism, and they’d decided to drop us.

HR decided that since they felt that my behavior had directly contributed to the loss of a major client, leadership was “reviewing” my salary for the next three months.

Now I’m sitting here wondering how a face filter glitch turned into a financial penalty and a borderline character assassination. I get it, it wasn’t ideal. I looked ridiculous. But it wasn’t intentional.

I warned my boss that I wasn’t in a great environment for video. He forced me to turn the camera on. It was a technical issue. Is this really worth docking my income?

I just can’t help but wonder if I actually made us lose a good deal, or if my company is just looking for a scapegoat?

Sincerely,
Jane Peterson

You played a part in this bad situation.

The hard truth is that you knew this was a significant client so you should’ve realized that even on a working vacation, the working aspect is still important.

It’s also usually a good idea to perform a short tech check before each client call, especially one with significant business. It isn’t about being flawless, but about being prepared.

You don’t have to be in business attire at the pool, but having a neutral setting and knowing your Zoom isn’t set to “pirate mode” could have avoided a lot of trouble. Filters can be amusing in retrospect, but they are not ideal while attempting to close business.

You’re not the only one at fault though.

Your boss decided to disregard your warning that you weren’t in a proper position to appear on camera. He is to blame for that.

Working remotely doesn’t mean that anything goes, or that you can’t set boundaries. So he must take some responsibility for the result if he demanded in-person time knowing you were by the pool. You have done the right thing by being honest with him; you weren’t hiding or being unprofessional.

Focus on finding solutions, not just defending yourself.

If the punishment from HR seems excessively harsh to you, then it might be worth pushing back professionally. Ask for clarification in writing, go over your contract, and don’t be hesitant to escalate if the pay decrease appears excessive. But, beyond that, brainstorm ways to fix the mess.

If you’re up for it, consider sending the client a brief, sincere note. Recognize the unpleasant situation, explain your professionalism, and reassure them of your dedication. Even if they don’t return, this demonstrates maturity.

Internally, let your company know you’re willing to take on more responsibilities, such as enhancing virtual meeting procedures or spearheading new client engagement tactics. Show them that this will not define you.

At the end of the day, this was not malpractice; it was an accident. Technology fails. People laugh. However, how you react is what counts.

Work is always an adventure. One woman thought that being honest about her lifestyle would end the gossip at work, but it just invited a knock on her door from HR.