Male co-worker keeps turning our office radio down

[user1471867483]

I've been in my office job now for 9 years, my other co-worker 4 years and another 15 years. A male co-worker joined 18 months ago. We always have the radio on. However, a few weeks ago, when I wasn't there, he told my co-worker that he wanted the radio moved away from him, so she moved it closer to us. Now, today, I went to the toilet, came back, and the radio was turned down by him (my co-worker was present). She emailed me to say he turned it down as it was getting on his nerves. Ten minutes later I turned it back up again (as I am not allowing the newest one in the office taking over). Our boss allows us to have the radio and has done all these years. My co-worker said I'm ballsy to turn it up again, but why shouldn't I? He's the second newest in fgs. Was I wrong to turn it back up or something?

Agree. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been working somewhere, everyone is entitled to a pleasant working environment which enables them to carry out their job without distraction.

*male even

Agreed - playing a loud radio in an office is both inconsiderate and unprofessional. A warehouse, maybe. Though, H&S nowadays probably rules that out as well on the grounds it’d make forklift movements harder to hear…! Also, to play music in a workplace requires a PRS licence which, I think, costs between £150 and £500 for an office. Do you have one OP?

We had one day just before Christmas someone decided to have music on in the office. I could not keep my train of thought for my work it was really upsetting. I am so glad it was a one off. Your poor colleague, he clearly has trouble with it, switch it off and get yourself some headphones.

Wouldn't work anywhere with radio on day hence why we banned them in all our offices. Causes nothing but issues and doesn't give a professional impression if there are any visitors or phone calls being made.

I would struggle to concentrate with a radio on, especially with other people talking, phone's ringing and other background noise. Not everyone enjoys the same thing so having to listen to music or shows you don't enjoy all day everyday is too much.

Nobody is this dense surely. Got to be a reverse.

I don't think this has gone the way you thought it would has it OP. Consensus is you are annoying and arrogant. Who wants the radio blaring in an office environment. Can't believe that it was even a thing in the first place. But more than that can't believe he lasted 18 months before saying anything.

Yeah get headphones.

I have radio on as need someone noise at times.

But only when I'm in my own. I can't wear headphones because I need to hear the radio if I'm called/ paged!

Radio on would be really unpleasant for me. There might sometimes be songs I liked but there would also be many that I really disliked plus the inane chat and repetitive adverts 😱

I’ve had to work jobs where cheesy radio is played all day. Torturous.

I think you're being a bit of an arse to keep saying he's been there less time than you. If it were something about the way you work and he was trying to change it then that's one thing but the radio is an optional thing and if it really bothers him I don't think it's fair to have it on.

Get some Bluetooth headphones and all listen to whatever you like.

No. Just no. This is not reasonable. Radios at work are only ok if you all want it.

What sort of work do you do? If it's the type of office where you're concentrating on a computer and having telephone calls then it would be very disruptive.

Maybe the new person doesn't like your choice of music. Why should everyone be forced to endure your listening choices? Maybe it's just too loud. Maybe he's ND and doesn't like noise. I think you're being unreasonable personally. He didn't ask for it to be turned off, just lower. Having a radio is fine if you're WFH, not so much in an open office environment.

YABU

Also not sure why it matters that he's male.

I wonder if he's telling everyone his female coworker is a twat as she insists on turning the radio up regardless of others' feelings.

I am not allowing the newest one in the office taking over

what on earth kind of attitude is this??

Same.
Having a radio on isn't some kind of employment right.

I couldn’t work with a radio on. Yes I have ADHD (maybe he does) and would be totally over stimulated and unproductive. Ok, I guess i could get noise cancelling headphones (and would do) but that’s a bit unfair to expect someone to sit in isolation all day. Plus i wouldn’t hear the phone ring 😁

someone moved into my office years ago and brought a radio. And yes I to,d her to turn it off when i was in and she did and was fine about it. But in a building with maybe 100 offices she was the only person with a radio. Just wasn’t appropriate in our line of work.

I couldn't work with you.

He absolutely has my sympathy. The bloody radio was my single biggest issue with working in an office. Had it been tuned to R4 it wouldn’t have been so bad, but it was always some ghastly commercial music station which played the same 20 boring cliched songs on repeat over and over and over again all day every bloody day. I used to fantasise about smashing the bloody thing to pieces with a massive hammer.

Having the radio on would drive me crazy, I couldn't work like that all day. Get headphones to listen to music.

I would hate this (the radio being on)
You're at work not in your kitchen!
If I was him and you kept turning it on/up I'd be talking to manager

Was he told when offered the job that the working environment would include constant noise from the radio? Because that would be unacceptable to huge numbers of people and may amount to discrimination against neurodiverse people. He has probably been finding it unbearable all along but was waiting till he had proved his value before asserting his needs

If a radio is on I literally can’t concentrate on anything else. It would be like trying to have two different conversations at the same time. I’d focus on the music and in my head I’d be singing the lyrics and totally unable to think about work.