Remote job asks employees to video their work-from-home space for social media, employees bristle at invasion of privacy

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
May 17, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

Would you send a video of your apartment to your work?

Privacy is a huge thing. We all deserve it, and in higher volumes than we're currently getting. It's difficult to ask for in the workplace, though, and sometimes you feel like you have to do everything you're asked to do, even if it's outside of your comfort zone. You feel like what your boss says goes, full stop. But you're allowed to draw boundaries around your working life, even if that means saying "no" to some things. You might feel uncomfortable doing it in the moment, but you'll be grateful you did it later on. That's the situation this employee was in, but some people saw it as needless complaining. After all, if you have a job that works for you, you should probably hold onto it for as long as you can. If you feel like your privacy is being invaded, then it's probably being invaded, and you should honor that feeling. This employee felt like their boss was asking too much of them, and it was making them uncomfortable. Not everyone wants to put their lives on social media, and that's a big ask. If you're a private person, then you're a private person. You don't want to be forced to open up and show the world your day-to-day if you didn't choose that. But sometimes you have to make concessions to keep your bosses happy; you just have to decide whether or not it's worth it. 

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  • A woman works from home at a desk setup
    via Annie Spratt

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • My remote job suddenly wants my apartment to be part of the company vibe.

    I work for a fully remote software company and for the most part it's been great. Nobody cares where I sit, meetings are pretty reasonable, and I havent had to pretend that eating sad desk lunch next to a printer builds
    via Marblenox616
  • culture. But lately our marketing team started this internal "show us your remote life" thing, and it has gotten weird fast. At first it was harmless. People posted pictures of their desk plants, cats on keyboards, nice coffee mugs, whatever. Then
    via Marblenox616
  • leadership loved it and decided to turn it into recruiting content. Now they're asking employees to record little clips of our morning routines, home office setups, favorite local coffee shops, walks around our neighborhoods, and "what remote freedom means to
    via Marblenox616
  • you." They keep saying it's optional, but managers are nudging each team to submit at least a few videos so the company can show "authentic distributed culture." One
    via Marblenox616
  • coworker filmed his balcony view, another showed her kitchen, and now everyone is reacting like this is cute and wholesome. I don't want to do it. My apartment is not ugly or secret, it just feels like the one place work
    via Marblenox616
  • doesn't get to decorate with its brand. I already give them my time, my face on zoom, my output, my Slack availability. I don't really want my living room turned into proof that this company is flexible and human. Maybe I'm being too precious
    via Marblenox616
  • about it, but remote work was supposed to mean I could keep work out of my space, not invite the company further into it becuase it makes good LinkedIn material. Anyone else feel like remote companies sometimes forget that "home office" still has the word home in it?
    via Marblenox616
  • A woman sits at a desk using a computer at home
    via Kelly Sikkema

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Commenters, though, saw this as biting the hand that feeds you. With a bigger push for in-person work, fewer and fewer companies promote and embrace remote work. So if you work for a company that does, then consider yourself lucky, was the sentiment of some commenters. But if something makes you uncomfortable, you have the right to speak up against that and do what you need to do. Keep reading to see the full story, and let us know what you think about it in the comments. 

  • Commenters weighed in with their thoughts and opinions.

    Welp1982 Listen, if a video of my desk next to a pile of unfolded laundry is what it's going to take to stay remote, I'll do it!
    via Welp1982
  • MarcooseOnTheLoose It seems like your management is very supportive of remote. You're very lucky. Embrace that. Make short, non-personal, innocuous videos of the sounds of your coffee maker, dryer, etc.
    via MarcooseOnTheLoose
  • BertaRocks Throw some hotwheels on the floor, take a pic, say there was a traffic jam in the hall. Or do nothing. It's not that serious.
    via BertaRocks
  • AZWildcatMom Honestly, I see this as a positive. If they want to use the remote work culture as a recruiting tool, that means they want to KEEP remote work. Just play along.
    via AZWildcatMom
  • kezzwithak Post a local coffee shop. Support a local business and not have to share your private house.
    via kezzwithak
  • oneWeek2024 so don't do it. but don't cry when you're the one let go... you like working from home? you know how many people. would climb over your corpse to video their apt to get a relatively not-micro managed WFH job.
    via oneWeek2024
  • how rare it is for a company to be actively "pro" remote work. they're asking for people to be enthusiastic about the freedom/flexibility of their work from home setup and to share it with the broader community. You can control exactly what that "show" is. you think that person's balcony view,
    via oneWeek2024
  • or kitchen was not worth working from home? you want to di on a hill over that bulls . go with dog. but some of you mother rs love ice skating uphill
    via oneWeek2024
  • morbidcuriosity86 You said others have posted trips to a coffee shop etc so you dont have to post your home? Just take a pic of a random plant or something
    via morbidcuriosity86
  • Mrbromandudeguy So don't do it. Don't say anything about it, don't react to anyone else doing it. If anyone asks tell them that you don't feel comfortable.
    via Mrbromandudeguy
  • Jh454 Take a vid at the coffee shop or park bench near you, salute the flag and move on.
    via Jh454
  • wutttttttg I don't do anything that doesn't come up on a performance review. Had a boss at an old job ask me to arrange a potluck and I said (as kindly as I could) absolutely not. I said I will
    via wutttttttg
  • maybe participate in a small way but I will not take on a task like that that will not be tied directly to a true job outcome.
    via wutttttttg

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