Reasonable adjustments - recording meetings

probablydistracted

hello - I have a reasonable adjustment in place for recording meetings due to my ADHD. I did it the other day in our team meeting using copilot for Teams and a colleague shamed me and yelled ‘I do NOT consent’ to being recorded. I told the team I felt shamed and humiliated by that in an email. My manager did nothing in the meeting by the way. But she then excelled herself by emailing me afterwards to tell me she wanted to share how the team felt about my recording the meeting and my follow up email. (It sounds like she did a poll! ) I am so upset and angry. I think this was discrimination. Has anything like this happened to anyone else?

MW123

@probablydistracted Welcome to Scope!

I am really sorry to hear about your experience, it sounds incredibly distressing. It is important to recognise that your colleagues do not need to know the specifics of why reasonable adjustments, like recording meetings, are in place unless you choose to share that information. The adjustments were approved by management, and their role is to ensure that these accommodations are respected. Being shouted at in a meeting is unacceptable and should be addressed by management.

Your manager's follow-up, especially polling the team about their feelings, is inappropriate. Instead of focusing on team consensus, the priority should be ensuring that your reasonable adjustments are respected and that the work environment remains inclusive and supportive.

I would recommend sending an email to your HR department or manager filing a formal grievance. The behaviour you have described could be seen as discrimination, and it's important that it is addressed properly so that your needs and dignity are respected going forward.

Albus_Scope

Hi @probablydistracted and welcome to the community!

I'm also sorry to hear about this experience. I use Otterpilot myself with meetings and have yet to have anyone say they don't consent to being recorded, I tend to email in advance to ask people if they mind. I certainly feel your managers response to this was inappropriate though. As said by MW123, I'd suggest speaking to HR about this.

Biblioklept

How the manager and colleague reacted were both really inappropriate BUT (and I say this as someone also with ADHD that would find recordings of meetings really useful), some consideration has to be made for how it impacts other colleagues too…

While I'd love recordings of meetings and it would help my ADHD brain, my other conditions means that knowing a meeting was being recorded would HUGELY impact my ability to take part in the meeting and affect my input and contribution and I'd feel so massively uncomfortable with being recorded, but would feel unable to say so

I don't know what the answer is and obviously how you were treated was wrong but is it wrong for someone to feel uncomfortable being recorded? Or not want to be recorded? I don't think so. That's an adjustment too. Just like you shouldn't have to give reason why you want it to be recorded, they shouldn't have to give reason why they are uncomfortable with it

I hope your HR are able to work out a good compromise for you all ❤️