Screeching Work Colleage

[TullamoreDew]

I work in a lovely office with really nice colleagues, doing an interesting job for a cracking boss. All nice, gentle atmosphere..

But…

There is one woman, a 20 something, young wife and mum to an almost 2 year old who is raising my stress levels to 11.

She is just so loud. Excruciatingly loud. She works 6am to 3pm, the morning is her busiest so she is quiet as she gets through the worst part of the slog, and I understand that she is excellent at her work. But come the afternoon she starts screaming, shouting, singing. Rather like an excited three year old at a party.

She has a quite senior position and a very responsible portfolio, dealing with sensitive and challenging situations. Feedback from her manager is excellent. I don’t think she has any issues, I don’t know how to word this sensitively, but she comes across as a normal intelligent person. Until about 2pm and then she starts making loud screeching noises, usually as a reaction to something on an email or after she has put the phone down.

She screams at people as they walk past her desk, calls them silly nicknames in a loud high pitched little old lady voice. Exactly like an overstimulated child high on blue smarties and cola.

My reaction is visceral. It rockets my stress up to the roof. I find it hard to focus. I’ve tried wearing ear pods but her cackling and screeching cuts right through. I feel panicky and close to tears after it has gone on for while.

I have asked a couple of others how they feel about it and apart from one who feels the same as me, everyone else seems to be able to blank her out. Her line manager sits very close to her and doesn’t seem bothered at all.

I presume it might be a result of parenting a young child, disturbed sleep, early starts, I don’t know but it’s awful. Really awful.

Can't you say "have you been on the blue Smarties and red pop again?"

Option 5 sounds like something I'd do (aside from the keyboard throwing!).

I'd bottle it up then act erratically. I had to speak to neighbours today about their noise, to their credit they did listen. They could tell I was unhappy and asked. The noise was so bad that if I can't focus on what I'm doing and put on music they were still louder.

Hope you get this sorted OP, she might not be aware of how bad it is.

Does she make owl noises?

It seems to be such a broad brush I'm surprised we're not ALL ND

Sounds like the normal dismissive shite spouted by these uneducated in ND.

Anybody tried those loop earplugs that are advertised everywhere at the moment? They claim to make everything bearable.

Say you have sensitive ears and say she is a pleasure to work with but could she possibly keep it down in the last hour. If that doesn't work talk to manager.

Can you wear earplugs?

I know someone who is an SN teaching assistant and swears by them.

Do you work the same hours OP? Is it only on hour or so that’s the issue? If so I’d suggest noise cancelling headphones for that hour (which work should supply / reimburse). We’ve been looking at this recently as it’s so hard to focus on the tasks you describe in a kind of open plan office. I wouldn’t want to wear them all day but an hour would be bearable and given the tasks you need to complete, entirely reasonable.

Well so what if she is?

She needs to act appropriately in the work environment. End of story.

A work place can make reasonable adjustments for disabilities, its not reasonable for a workplace to allow that sort of behaviour so she cant do it no matter what the reason.

I assume you didn't read the post properly because I didn't say she is.

Our md’s wife is like this , when she comes in she stands and broadcasts . Thankfully she doesn’t actually do the couple of days a week she is supposed to . Most people then put their AirPods in .

99% of MN, you mean.