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?

Sometimes we have the radio on in our office, we have some real music lovers. The way it works is that someone asks "shall we have some music?" and we all say yes or no. If anyone says no thanks, it stays off, no issues. None of us want it on all day everyday because we all agree it an be annoying and distracting sometimes.

So, yes YABU, sorry.

I work in an admin office in the NHS. Background is that my team (2 people) have moved offices several times over the last 3 years due to freeing up space for clinical areas. Another admin team moved into our original office and we have now been put in with them.

Two of that team always have the radio on, no choice, they don’t ask if anyone minds. It is always Capital (you can hear the same song 4 times a day 😲)and they play it through a computer so it is really tinny sounding as well.

I would prefer not to have it on as it is a very busy office, several phones going at the same time and lots of traffic. I also have to minute meetings on teams which is problematic with all the noise.

I would be happy to compromise (say a day about or a morning or afternoon, or even a different blooming station) as we all have to share the same office space - but that isn’t possible as they see it as their right to have it on as they were there “first”. Although it was our office originally 🤷🏻‍♀️.

One of my co workers had the blooming radio on all the time, I found it very difficult to concentrate, really slowed me down. It was a constant could you please lower the volume several times a day, using ear plugs didn’t help.

On my last week at work, he really made a point about having the radio at its loudest, I was leaving so why would he care? I left him to it. On the last day, he exceeded himself really trying to made a point so I said, be my guest… whatever I do not finish by 5 will land on your desk on Monday.

He turned it off after a few minutes but it was too late: I didn’t do ANY work while the radio was on, on that week and the previous 3 🤣

Your attitude!! “Not allowing the newest one to take over”…. He’s been there 18 months, he’s not trying to swap your chairs after his second shift! Do you refuse to accept him just because he’s a man… or is there some other reason?

You are being selfish and inconsiderate.

If you want to listen to music, and not everyone else does, then you need to sort yourself out some earphones.

Why have you put that he is a 'male co-worker' in the title ? What difference does that make ?

I don't know the nature of your work but honestly I would find it really hard to concentrate with the radio on so I really sympathise with him. I think you can be the bigger person and use headphones if you really want it that much.

We have the radio on all day in our office. It's too quiet without it. Professional office. No one complains and if it's not on it's noticed quickly. There was talk recently of two teams merging and a downside several people noted was the team manager of the other office doesn't like the radio on. If she came in and tried to stop it she wouldn't be popular

This post is a mirror of everything that's wrong with society at the moment in terms of use of common spaces.

Why can't you be considerate? Some people need to focus. And don't start emailing your coworker about him. That's bitchy.

Surely the default position should be no radio? It's a workplace, not a bloody disco.
If, and only IF, everyone (regardless of length of service) elected to have one playing and Management agreed, then maybe?
But in this instance, no. Turn it off or get yourself some headphones.
Radio or not, you don't sound a very pleasant workmate. "Not allowing him to take over," emailing with colleagues bitching about him, referring to his sex when it's surely irrelevant? Unprofessional.

I would have probably taken a hammer to the sodding radio by now. Good on him for speaking up. You and your colleagues sound awful.

Office Radio wars only end one way….those that don’t like it are the winners and the radio goes/ volume gets turned down…..…..I’m 59 and have years of experience with this…..me I can take it or leave it….it’s usually Smooth fm and easy listening….. but them that don’t like it will always be very vocal and get their own way

It would be noticed by me. I like the quiet and I never listen to the radio even when I'm driving. I can listen to podcasts or audio books but not music.

I have to listen to other people’s shit music at work and it’s painful. Good on him for turning it down.

Hate the radio on in the office, can't concentrate. Are you sure it's not on too loud? Honestly, it would drive me demented.

Jeezo, you sound nice! Having a radio on should be something everyone agrees on, or you don’t have it on. Surely that’s obvious, and just common courtesy. Some people would really struggle to work with music on - I certainly couldn’t do it. You sound selfish, and very entitled op.

Yup - me too. This would drive me bananas!

YABU

I don’t get why it’s not common sense and obvious to you that some people don’t like noise or music on while they are trying to concentrate on work.

Nothing to do with how new they are. The only work environments i’ve been in where the radio is on is retail stores, or Saturday overtime in the office where no other teams are in.

That's you.

Many, many people have difficulties concentrating when there's a radio on, let alone loud.

And who's to say he doesn't have, for example, autism/ADHD/dyslexia? It would be a reasonable adjustment legally for the radio not to be on.

You're v selfish and sound v arrogant to boot.

I don't blame him. I'd be seriously unhappy if I had to listen to the inane drivel that most radio stations put out.

I'd go absolutely insane having to listen to the radio at work.

Listen to it with headphones in if you must. I'm with the coworker. And how is this a male thing?

Actually I get the feeling your (Female) colleague wouldn't mind if there was no radio.

I hate music to work to - every now and then a class requests music and I hate it. I hate having to talk over the music, I find it so distracting, so I'll turn it off and 'forget' to turn it back on again.

I think you should invest in some headphones and let your colleague(s) get on with their work.

I also re-enforce the point about the Performing Rights licence - last time I paid, it was £150 pa and it's a shed load of paperwork too.

I think having the radio on all the time in an office environment is mad. Surely you could use headphones rather than inflict your choice of music/inane chat on an unwilling colleague and distracting him from work.

I’d like music on in the office but it would disturb people and be inappropriate background noise for meetings and teams calls… so I wear ear pods if I want to listen to something.

Seems unreasonable - in my view the person who doesn't want the radio on trumps all who do. Given they can put headphones on but he's stuck with the radio he doesn't want on.

For some people having radios on is distracting, and primarily it is a place of work - lowering the volume seems a fair compromise from him