TEAMS Meetings
Case reference FOI2024/02152
Received 30 December 2024
Published 13 January 2025
Request
I would be very grateful for any information held by Hereford County Council concerning attendance at TEAMS meetings. Is there a county policy concerning the acceptable protocols at such meetings?
I am particularly interested if a participant’s decision to have their camera turned off during a TEAMS meeting would preclude them from taking part. I am referring to all meetings carried out via TEAMS in your authority. Is there any scenario where a participant would be refused permission to join the meeting because they insist on keeping their camera turned off for privacy reasons.
Response
A: We have set guidelines in our flexible futures guidance for managing online meetings and expect the same etiquette as face to face meetings. Please note external attendees and services may have their own local rules dependant on the type of meeting.
With regards to Committee meetings, there is nothing that prevents someone from being able to participate in a meeting with their camera off. And nothing in our constitution that stipulates a camera being off or on. The main safeguards are that committee members and other attendees with voting rights cannot vote on matters during formal council committee meetings. It is only those present in the room that can do this.
This is the subject of current government consultation (to re-introduce the ability to vote remotely at council meetings). This is a live debate and Herefordshire council will most likely update our policies/constitution in response to where government lands on introducing this.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.