Not clear to me why anyone is logging in directly as the root account, but let's leave that aside for a minute.

Tracing activity back to a user or machine is a common way to find out how a mistake or security breach happened. If your manager uses your workstation, can you be blamed for something he screws up?

Also, a device with a camera + speakers costs less than $200. A webcam costs $20. Speakers are built in to almost every machine. If your company doesn't have enough money (or sense) to equip everyone with conference-capable equipment, that's not a well-run company.