Radios in a office

[TalkToTheHand123]

Hi. Last few months I've been working from home but recently been told to return to the office.

Anyone struggle to concentrate in an office with a radio on? I feel terrible complaining / being a party pooper, but can't help losing my cool as it makes me go crazy. Does anyone else struggle?

Here... https://pplprs.co.uk/report-a-premises/

Hate it. If you want a radio blaring go and work in a factory. It’s inappropriate in an office setting

My colleague is the keep themselves to themselves, one word answer types and if I didn't have a radio on to break the complete and utter silence, I would cry.

It's horrible and awkward.

I love music and always have a radio on at home too.

When others are in the office and it's not just me and the silent colleague, they all like having the radio on too. We all have headsets when we take calls so can't hear the radio when taking a call.

My DDs preferred station to listen to in the car is Capital but we have a standing joke where the challenge is to do a journey (of usually less than an hour) without hearing Sabrina Carpenter or Benson Boon. It's virtually impossible!

No, it drives me nuts. The chatter (and most of the music!) is so inane and I can't concentrate.

I'm also noticing music more in the background on TV progammes when they're interviewing people, or when there's a voiceover. Some people, like me, struggle to separate the two.

I cannot work in silence!
I hate a very quiet office.
luckily I work in a sensible office where we all agree to have the radio on. Sometimes it’s radio2, sometimes it’s absolute 90’s/ Rock. At least they have a no repeat guarantee.

id hate to work in a very quiet office.

on the odd occasion we don’t have the radio on, I’ll put my headphones on for music / background noise.

We love the radio on in our office! Hate silence
It's low enough we can still talk normally and we turn it up for a banger!
Our premises already pays for the licence as my depts have a radio on.

Just turn it off and say you don't want it on all day. You are at work not a popularity contest.

I banned them in mine, there is no way you can concentrate with a radio or podcast in the ‘background’. Not everyone wants it on and it wasn’t a thing pre covid. Fine with talking but not all day, having a mobile on for emergencies etc

They'd just turn it back on and I got told by the manager it was to stay on at my last place.
Today though I popped in for a few mins. No radio in the hall and no radio on in the office. My current managers don't seem to bother with it touch wood.
Working from home at the moment. Had to turn the tv and music off as too distracting.

I find it hard to concentrate with no background noise at all - but I would struggle with having music radio on in the office. At home I listen to podcasts or music that a) I actually like and b) doesn't have any lyrics. I couldn't sit there all day listening to, eg, Radio 2 or something. In the office I'm fine with general office hubbub and if there's overly distracting chat, I'll put earbuds in and listen to something of my own.

The obvious answer is that those who want music/ noise listen to it through their headphones.

Those who don’t want it get to have relative quiet.

Those who want background noise don’t get to force it on others when it’s so easy for them to have their own private noise.

Whatever next?!

I wonder if/how much difference it makes wither you're doing an admin, or desk based job rather than something physical?

I always feel like I need background noise but I work in a fairly noisy (non office) environment. I'm not working with words or figures but doing something fairly skilled, we chat quite a bit too. I suppose it wouldn't seem that odd if a decorater, builder, mechanic etc had the radio on.

When I was a teen I worked in a shop and they had really dreadful music on - not recognisable stuff but their own shit lift style music on a loop so hearing the same thing hourly but I didnt find it too off putting

I wear loop earplugs in the office. The mid level ones that block background noise but still hear if someone calls your name. Absolutely game changing

I tried these in the past. I could still hear enough to massively be distracted and made my ears sore wearing for so long.

Why not try some loop earplugs? Block out some noise to be able to concentrate while your coworkers enjoy the radio.

No way I could concentrate with the radio on, not to mention the disagreements about what to listen to?!?! Who gets to choose?

Surely those want the radio either listen through EarPods or not at all? I love music but at home, not in a professional environment.

Many years ago, I used to work in an office where the radio was on all day. I hated it.

I had my own office for years and played music most of the time I wasn’t having meetings. The background noise helps me concentrate on what I am doing.

Following a reorganisation I got moved to an open plan office where out-loud music or radios were not appropriate, although multiple loud conversations and other distracting noises were the norm.

Noise cancelling headphones were handed out but I found them uncomfortable to wear for prolonged periods. I left.

This radio lover can't cope without the background noise. Working in silence stops me focusing as I can only hear my own thoughts. I can't wear ear buds as I have to take calls.

How often do you take calls? You can take earbuds out of your ears to answer a phone.

Because it doesn't block out enough and makes your ears sore after a lot of use.

Absolute (the decades stations like ‘80s or ‘90s) or Greatest Hits are your friends!