How do I cope with music in the office?

[IWishThatYouWouldStay]

I work in an open plan office.

A colleague who is far more important than me has started playing music from a speaker on his desk.

It annoys a few people but not enough for them to say anything.

I don't know why but it's a massive trigger for me. It fills me with anxiety and really lowers my mood as well as making it difficult to concentrate.

He won't stop and the most senior person in the office will take his side over mine so won't make him stop either.

How do I learn to cope with it?

You don't, if they want music they should use headphones. Talk to your line manager.

Would they really not change to headphones?
If not then you could. Noise cancelling ones and either have no music or some sound that you like.

It’s antisocial, he needs to wear headphones.

And they can't be more important than you, maybe more senior but all equally important.

On desk music is not OK. They need headphones. I don't know how you can resolve this if they're buddies with senior management though.

We have quiet heart radio in the background to stop the office feeling echo-y.

Other than going postal (frivolous response) I would definitely ask that he wear headphones as you can’t concentrate with music on.

I emp, I can’t stand it either.

I've been told as part of my development that I need to listen to other people talking on the phones as it will help with my training.

I've also been told that if I don't like his music I should order myself a pair of noise cancelling headphones so I have to make a choice - personal development or personal sanity.

His line manager is well aware that he plays music but won't say anything.

It's so hard to concentrate. I don't even like hearing my neighbours' music when they're in the garden so this is unbearable for me. I wonder if I have a condition of some kind?

I suppose the headphones is the only option for me. I just wondered if anyone knew of a coping strategy that would help me drown it out.

Posted twice when I meant to edit

Tell your line manage in writing that the music played in the open plan office is seriously affecting your ability to concentrate.

Then start looking for a new job, it sounds shit there.

I have to put up with this shit in work as well. People are so selfish. We don’t have a radio license so it’s Spotify, and it’s always the same shitty playlist from the same person. No one else ever gets asked if they have a preference, it’s the same crap pop day after day.

He did used to wear headphones but has now decided that he prefers the speaker on his desk.

I could speak to facilities and say that the noise level is unacceptable - they're very into H&S regulations and they'd probably make him stop but he's a bit unpleasant and grumpy at the best of times and he'd be utterly vile to me if I went down this route.

I'm not sure I have the strength for that.

I think I'll go with the headphones then tell my line manager I don't feel like my training is progressing as I can't communicate properly with anyone else in the office.

Yep, this is exactly it.

The same awful playlist playing the same awful music day in and day out.

Loop earplugs

Absolutely no in my office. You shouldn't have to accommodate that, he should
Wear headphones.

Seconding the loop earplugs, they help dull the noise but you can still hear people.

You could be childish and go nuclear, start playing your own obnoxious music just loud enough to drown his out!

Whatever you think he would find most annoying, perhaps start singing along too. For me it would be me butchering all the Pitch Perfect sound tracks where I try to sing all the parts in turn.

It will drive everyone mad but might trigger a conversation about what is reasonable behaviour in a shared office.

I couldn't cope with music in the office at all, I used to wear headphones pre covid just to drown out other people's boring conversations but someone else's music choices might tip me over the edge. However talk radio would incite a murderous rage.

Check your phone. If he hasn't made the connection secure, you'll likely have the controls for the speaker appear on it. And if not, you could be in the office early and pair it to your phone as well.

You could tread softly by switching the damn thing off at random intervals over the course of a week - or go for a stronger and faster result by putting a few tunes of your choice through it.

Some suitable tunes for the workplace can be found from Slayer, Behemoth, Pig Destroyer, Anal Cunt & Mayhem.

Best outcome is that the speaker is rapidly chucked in the bin. Or maybe you'll come into work to find they've got two priests in to exorcise the place...

I'd go formal.

email Selfish Colleague with cc to your line manager and HR to say that in a professional setting, and open plan office space, it is inappropriate and selfish for him not even to consider how distracting it is to have to put up with the noise he's inflicting on you and others. You've tried to sort the matter out informally and now you have no alternative but to formalise this as a grievance.

If you have any kind of Neurodiversity or disability, make sure you highlight that and I bet you management will backpedal furiously and get him to stfu.

Some suitable tunes for the workplace can be found from Slayer, Behemoth, Pig Destroyer, Anal Cunt & Mayhem.

👏bravo! I'd throw some Rammstein in as well just to reinforce your point. Maybe some Rotterdam nosebleed gabber.

This is not acceptable OP and you have my sympathies. Only once have I worked in an office where the radio was always on, and I found it very intrusive and stressful, particularly when I had a deadline looming. I'd try what @daisychain01 says but I'd also be looking for another job. Even if you get him to stop, do you really want to work with a prick like that?

If managers will nit do their job,

then get a speaker on your desk and play different music. Then the office have 2 people playing music which will not be acceptable, and they can’t allow one person only to have music so then everyone want8ng music will have to have headphones. Success

No advice but I was once in a similar position when I was admin at British Rail (infrastructure) in the 90’s. I asked my line manager if something could be done about it and was swiftly given a month’s notice for ‘not being a team player’. I hope labour laws have come on a bit since then.

Only once have I worked in an office where the radio was always on, and I found it very intrusive and stressful, particularly when I had a deadline looming.

I personally hate radio noise at work. It's always the same 10 bloody songs over and over and of course there will always be that one song that makes you grind your teeth every time it comes on!

Classical music isn't so bad, but anything with lyrics is horrifically distracting.

I second the Loop ear plugs suggestion.

My daughter has the ones with different settings that you can adjust depending on what you want to hear and what you want to block out. She loves them as she can lower the background noise, but still hear friends talking, etc.

Wear the noise cancelling headphones when you are doing jobs you can concentrate on such as writing reports or whatever and take them off to listen to some calls for training. This way you get breaks from the music rather than hearing it continuously.

This is horrible, antisocial and inequitable. Obviously you couldn’t all have speakers on your desks! Is there no HR!

I’d be tempted to drop the thing into a bucket of water but if there is a way of blocking it from your phone as suggested above that sounds good.