to think that people should not wear headphones and listen to music in the office

[Jewels234]

I work in a very large open plan office, where we sit in individual teams.

More and more people are putting in headphones and listening to music all day...and it's driving me insane! You can hear the 'tsk tsk tsk' noise of their music (I really don't want to be the grumpy one who asks them to turn it down). And if you need to ask a question you look like a complete idiot repeating their name until they realise they are being spoken to.

I know I can't change it...and probably am BU, but it feels unprofessional and unsociable. Also, hearing faint music constantly is so irritating. I can't beat them...so do I join them?

[LewisNaiceHamilton]

branston presumably the volume in your classroom is a nice, muted one. Nobody is talking on the phone, or having a meeting, or gassing around the water cooler whilst other people are trying to concentrate. It's a different environment - I wouldn't expect your students to need to block out the background noise (sensory issues excepted).

[StealthPolarBear]

I don't use headphones while I work as I dont like listening to music through headphones. But when I work from home I always have tje radio on. When Im concentrating it's backgeound noise, a bit like office chatter.

[Sicaq]

Also, while I'm ranting, persistent background noise can be really tough on some people with dyslexia, dyspraxia or a range of autistic spectrum disorders. Makes it a lot harder to do your job.

[PetulaGordino]

phaedra if everyone else can take on board that it's not appropriate in your industry, why can you not take on board that it is acceptable in other industries/offices?

[PetulaGordino]

i do agree though that anyone who is listening to music through headphones shouldn't have it at such a level that other people can hear it

[StatisticallyChallenged]

Jeeps some people can be really intolerant. You have no idea why your colleagues might prefer to listen to music - I agree that you shouldn't be able to hear it but just the wearing of headphones certainly doesn't make me or anyone obnoxious..

[Cruikshank]

Jewels, if I were you I would maybe have a word with HR - you shouldn't be able to hear other people's headphones and if I could then I would find it really distracting - it irritates me on trains and buses, and I'm not generally on them for seven hours at a time. Or maybe try taking your own headphones in and see if it helps you block out the noise of theirs? Join The Dark Side where people ROB from their employer by listening to music/going to the loo/breathing during the time they are supposed to be working.

[Cruikshank]

DoJo

[LustyBusty]

I have been known on more than one occasion to put my headphones in to attempt to drown out the sound of my manager and the sales manager having a sword fight with rulers. I was concentrating so hard on my work (with the help of the headphones) that I didn't notice them stop. I then got a bollocking for not being able to hear my manager calling my name across the office. I now dont wear them, but because the office is so noisy (sword fights, crude jokes, conversations that are yelled across 10ft rather than someone being arsed to get up) I am so successful at drowning out the "ambient" noise I now can't hear my boss calling my name even when I don't have headphones in.

[LewisNaiceHamilton]

OK then Phaedra, then I imagine your office is pretty quiet. There are around 60 people in mine, which is one of 15 in the building. Phones ring, people talk too loudly on the phone, they have meetings, they talk to each other face-to-face. All 60 of them at once it seems at times

Some of the 15 offices are a lot quieter, thanks to the nature of their work. Mine is lively, due to the nature of ours. There are no special offices for senior management, so they slum it with the rest of us - and use headphones sometimes, too!

[Deverethemuzzler]

I listen to Radio 4 and 4 xtra when at work. We have a massive open plan office. I can't concentrate if I am not plugged in.

It would drive me insane listening to other people's tinny music though. I would have to leave.

[PhaedraIsMyName]

Join The Dark Side where people ROB from their employer by listening to music/going to the loo/breathing during the time they are supposed to be working

Exaggeration does your argument no favours.

[DoJo]

Failing to address any of the questions people have asked you does your argument no favours either.

[PhaedraIsMyName]

Lewis I work in an open plan office. No one seems to have a difficulty blanking out the ambient background noise. It is not "routine process driven work" , very far from it.

[Kerberos]

I'm in IT. It's fairly normal in our office to put headphones in. Generally not all the time but it can be useful to cut out distractions and allow you to get on with a specific task that needs concentration. I sit next to HR. I also always check to make sure the music isn't too loud.

If it's too loud tell them to turn it down. I would and do, and I would be very apologetic if I had to be asked.

[wonkylegs]

I used to work in an open plan studio & listened to music on headphones when I wanted to concentrate. I still answered my phone(light flickered when it was ringing) but it meant nobody chatted or asked a million questions.
I now have my own studio & listen on a stereo.... I am more productive and focused with music than without - believe me I've tried both.
My DH listens to music whilst he does procedures on people's hearts so I hope it isn't that bad for concentration & focus!

[PhaedraIsMyName]

DoJo I did answer questions. Most of the points addressed at me weren't questions however.

The comments about breathing etc are ridiculous hyperbole. Not allowing office staff the choice of listening to music on headphones when "they are supposed to be at work" is not the same.

There is a big clue there ; you are at work, it's not an optional leisure activity.

[LewisNaiceHamilton]

How many people are there in your office? And how loud is it?

[PhaedraIsMyName]

Large building, 6 floors, around 50/60 people on each floor. No music in background, no-one listening to private music on headphones.

[DoJo]

I asked several questions that you didn't answer:

Why are you sceptical that listening to headphones aids some people's concentration?

Why do you not believe that it is common in some industries/working environments?

How can you assume that your experience is the only valid one (admittedly this was not posed directly, but I am consolidating a lot of points into one which I think covers the gist of them)?

You just seem remarkably certain that wearing headphones is not and can not be a good thing and I am curious as to why that might be.

[Inselaffe]

OP - YANBU if it's so loud you can hear it. We're allowed to listen to music to drown out the rest of the office (we have a large team near us who take calls from customers and they are a right PITA - singing to each other, shouting etc.). I also use it as a sign for people not to randomly start chatting to me when I have a lot of work on as it's difficult to book a meeting room for personal work.

It's a good idea to get HR to send out guidelines - we will be doing the same thing in our team as we have noticed people definitely taking the piss in terms of constant use, whereas IMO headphones are the exception rather than the rule, when you genuinely can't work in the office environment.

[MyFairyKing]

I work in social services; my 3 jobs so far have all been in massive open plan offices. I often wear earphones to block out the background noise when I have to focus. Believe it or not, the dulcet tones of the Spice Girls (joke!) impede my concentration less than the office noise. I purposely invested in some decent ones to ensure I don't bother anyone else.

[PhaedraIsMyName]

Right DOJO.

As I said before I've worked in offices all my working life in one sector. Husband and several close friends in same sector. Workers in that sector apart from possibly the very routine , process driven background sections with no client ir colleague interface, such as the mail room, requiring little concentration might have the radio on. No one else listens to music, either in the background or on headphones.

Music is not just an an ambient background noise to block other noise. Music can and does inspire sadness, rage, enthusiasm and all sorts of emotions. That is what the best of it is intended to do, whether it's a well-crafted 3 minute pop song or The Ring Cycle.

I love music, all sorts of music, I listen to music a lot and attend lots of concerts. When I listen to music I concentrate on the music. When I am at work I concentrate on my work. I do "routine process driven" things like house work listening to music as that requires no thought whatsoever.

I'll turn your questions back- prove to me you are concentrating on your work and not the music.

And as music is something which is a major part of my life I doubt you will convince me. I actually feel a bit sorry that music for some of you is apparently just background noise.

[mrscog]

Yanbu about the tsk tsk tsk but overall yabu. I'm a manager and actively encourage my team to listen to music to prevent distractions from other noise (which there is a lot of) so long as a) they can still hear their phone and answer it and b) be aware of people who've come to see them.

[Ninjabread]

So grateful Phaedra isn't my boss.