CEO scolded employee for eating on a call so she quoted the CEO’s favorite book and left her stunned

Switching on the camera can be a tedious task in WFH setups, especially when employees have just rolled out of bed for early morning meetings. Yet, when the rule is made mandatory, people have no choice but to comply. However, some cleverly outsmart the rule by maliciously complying with it, making managers regret implementing it in the first place. Sharing one such hilarious story on October 22, a Reddit user (u/jadeoracle) described how an employee found a creative way to comply with the “camera must be on during meetings” rule in front of the CEO.

Describing her co-worker as carefree, she shared that during their work-from-home meetings, the colleague displayed her entire daily routine on camera with no hesitation. During the first call, the co-worker would be seen flat out of bed, while during the second meeting, she would be seen fresh out of the shower, with a towel wrapped around her head. The next meeting showcased her eating her breakfast, while during the next meeting, she'd be seen styling and curling her hair. "Then we'd actually be able to get some work done, but if you had calls later in the day, it was obvious she was working from a bar with beer in hand," the author added.

The employee revealed that during the first call, the co-worker would be seen flat out of bed, while during the second meeting, she would be seen fresh out of the shower, with a towel wrapped around her head. The next meeting showcased her eating her breakfast, while during the next meeting, she'd be seen styling and curling her hair. "Then we'd actually be able to get some work done, but if you had calls later in the day, it was obvious she was working from a bar with beer in hand," the author added.

However, her routine on camera was noticed by the CEO, who decided to call her out on her "unprofessional behavior." The co-worker responded, stating, "You said cameras on, no excuses. I don't have anything to present to this call, so if I'm going to listen, I'm going to be productive." The coworker also cited the CEO's favorite book on productivity to support her style of time management. "The CEO went deer in the headlights and just asked her to go off camera unless she was presenting, as she was distracting the CEO," the author shared.

In a survey conducted by Korn Ferry in 2023, 51% of employees shared that they always turn their cameras on during virtual meetings, while 43% do so only sometimes, and 6% never do. Nearly 69% reported that they keep their cameras on more frequently now than they did at the start of the pandemic. However, 65% believe that employers should not mandate camera use. Soon after the comment was posted, many fellow users reacted to the co-worker's malicious compliance. u/Shibashiba00 wrote, "This coworker sounds amazing. Do you still work with her?" u/Illustrious-Film-592 commented, "This is what I do for my rare meetings that require a camera. I throw a jean jacket over my pajamas, swipe on lip gloss and if I really want to look fancy, I’ll pop some earrings in. Meanwhile, I am sitting in my bed with my three dogs sleeping around me." u/jueida shared, "THIS, OP. Do this. Fake glasses, hair in a bun, pajama top, blurred background. Do the meeting from bed. Even eat breakfast during."

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