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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to want to strangle all the noisy b******* in my open plan office?

36 replies

Boosiehs · 20/10/2015 15:52

I DETEST open plan offices. I can't get any work done, can't hear my own phone calls, and the noise of other people on the phone or having "chats" is driving me insane!

So, AIBU to strangle the next person that starts a noisy conversation?

OP posts:
IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou · 20/10/2015 16:22

lol, I long for the days when each team had their own office - you could shut the door & get on with it.

Open plan, and the fresh hell that is Flex Desking, have made it a right pain in the arse now.

Most people in our lot work from home as much as possible to avoid it all....

NuckyS · 20/10/2015 16:45

I sympathise totally. I work in an open plan office and there is one group that just sit and chatter away all day, either to themselves or on the phone. Some people who can work from home or hot desk don't come in because of it.

Mind you, it did provide an answer to my question about Made In Chelsea - i.e. "who the F**K watches this??"

PastaPrincess · 20/10/2015 16:45

YANBU. The loudest person ever has just moved to my office, and her voice carries for miles. It's very grating.

Must admit though that people who eat apples or crisps at their desk bother me 100x more.

hiddenhome2 · 20/10/2015 17:14

Could you possibly get earplugs or use earbuds with some music or relaxing sounds?

Original poster
Boosiehs · 20/10/2015 17:23

Not really - I can't be on a phone call with ear buds in. :(

OP posts:
Weathergames · 20/10/2015 17:24

My boss has a voice that carries and shout on the phone - she also has a headset which seems to compound the two things and our work is confidential so I might be on the phone to a client and all you can hear is her, vogueing in the background about other clients.

She also chips in and interrupts while I'm on the phone - while she can only hear one side of the conversation Angry

yorkshapudding · 20/10/2015 17:28

YANBU, I detest working in an open plan office for this reason. I can't hear myself think most of the time and it's embarassing when you're on an important call and have to stop midway through to shush people! To cap it all off, all my colleagues seem to have the lurgy at the moment so the usual noise is also accompanied by loads of coughing and spluttering.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 20/10/2015 17:51

I've just moved from an office for 8 to one for about 28 and am struggling with the transition! At the same time my DH has his own office for first time having always been fully open plan and he's blown away how much easier it is to concentrate.

Original poster
Boosiehs · 20/10/2015 17:55

I hate it I hate it I hate it!

tantrum

:(

OP posts:
lastuseraccount123 · 20/10/2015 17:56

this is why we all wear headphones/listen to music in our open plan office.

Hero1callylost · 20/10/2015 17:57

The latest problem in my office is that they've made people hot desk with laptops, but each floor's wifi only allows 15 laptops to connect to it. Genius.

YANBU re open plan, drives me crazy. Thank God for 'quiet pods' to hide in (as if we need any more jargon!!!)

SpanglesGalloway · 20/10/2015 18:00

Yanbu it's really frustrating when you have loads of work to do and people are chatting about Christmas do outfits Hmm especially when you work in a job that requires in depth and thorough investigations and all around is meaningless chatter fume!

Lovemytent · 20/10/2015 18:09

Yep, with you. My colleague is a desk tapper, and an 'ahhh'er when drinking a cup of tea. He's been on holiday for the last fortnight - I always get so much more work done when he is off. I can tune out the other noise, but as he is sat next to me its really hard to ignore.

whirlybird42 · 20/10/2015 21:03

I'm stuck in a ridiculously noisy office.

Last week I ventured to what I thought was a quieter area to meet the constant sniffer and a guy who spent a good 20 mins unpacking and arranging biscuits in an empty sweet tub (unbelievably irritating)

I'm so much more productive at home but we're not allowed to officially work from home.

ilovesooty · 20/10/2015 21:29

I love open plan offices. Unfortunately my new job involves working two days a week in a really quiet one - or rather two adjoining ones. I don't much like the hot desking either. In my old job it was fast moving and noisy all the time.

GloopyGhoul · 20/10/2015 21:59

Our two bosses are both out this week, and it's SOOO much noisier! I'm only part time, so I really don't have time to listen to 20 minutes of "my friend's friend is friends with you on facebook". Gaah.

BillyDaveysDaughter · 20/10/2015 22:04

I don't know, I quite like a noisy office - beats deathly silence and I can tune out noise no problem. What bothers me more is the guy next to me striking up a conversation quite banal every 5 minutes when I am clearly in the middle of something, and doesn't even shut up when I ignore him and keep typing. The responsibility of having to look like I'm listening weighs on me. But people can be as noisy as they like as long as I don't have to interact with any of it.

Booyaka · 20/10/2015 22:06

simplynoise.com/

ThoseAwfulCurtains · 20/10/2015 22:06

Can I put in a request for especially slow, painful and quiet strangulation of the people who moan and whinge and whine for a good 45 minutes about how they're so ridiculously busy that they'll never see the the end of their 'to do' list?

If they'd stfu instead of taking time out to moan, they'd be half way through it and I'd have got a lot more done in the meantime too.

Fuckers.

angelos02 · 20/10/2015 22:09

Put the person you are speaking to on hold and ask the noisy fuckers to keep the volume down. Repeat until they learn how to behave.

wasonthelist · 20/10/2015 22:11

Yanbu in any open plan office there's always at least one person who has swallowed a fucking loud hailer and in fact could save money on phone calls as the person in a faraway place they are talking to could easy hear them without needing a bleeding phone.

Foslady · 20/10/2015 22:15

Our team were recently reminded to keep non work chat to a minimum

The team in the next bank of desks then spent half an hour discussing vegetables and the best way to prep them........loudly......

wasonthelist · 20/10/2015 22:23

Once had to sit next to a woman who spent most of the day gossiping really loudly on the phone. One time a colleague came to ask me about something work related and sat down to discuss it (quietly). Gossip woman demanded to know why we were "holding a meeting" at my desk as insisted we leave and do it somewhere "more apppropriate"

wasonthelist · 20/10/2015 22:24

Once had to sit next to a woman who spent most of the day gossiping really loudly on the phone. One time a colleague came to ask me about something work related and sat down to discuss it (quietly). Gossip woman demanded to know why we were "holding a meeting" at my desk as insisted we leave and do it somewhere "more apppropriate"

Twinklestar2 · 20/10/2015 22:30

Sooooo annoying!!

People eating crisps or apples, yawning loudly, slurping tea, arghggghhhhh! I'd love my own office!