View Poll Results: Should you be allowed to wear headphones to listen to music in the office?
Voters: 37. You may not vote on this poll
Headphones at work
Sep 25th 2013 | 12:49 am
#16
MODERATOR
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 31,932
From: Adelaide
Re: Headphones at work
I don't... Blanket everyone with my own perception... Our PhD students use headphones... No worries... They are concentrating in a crowded environment... Kevin HAS to have background noise when she is concentrating... I LOVE music myself.... When I worked on a malleable Iron belt at a engineering company headphones with music kept me sane (NO DONT BLOODY GO THERE)
Just having an off day... I'm pissed coz I am trying to train some one. She is new, in an office of 3 where communication is paramount.... There are lots of other "issues" but the straw today was the headphones.... Loud enough for both of us to hear.... She is in an environment where she could learn much by listening to the work related clinical conversations around her. And her English isn't SO good that she doesn't need to hear spoken English to help improve her own..... Frankly I found it bloody rude... Not to even ask what the Go is.... Just to stick them on full blast and only take them off when SHE wanted something.... And it's not like she is that young ..or what she is being asked to do is THAT onerous that she needs to block everyone else out....
Frankly I am bemused by lots of things about the whole thing and this is just one of them
Just having an off day... I'm pissed coz I am trying to train some one. She is new, in an office of 3 where communication is paramount.... There are lots of other "issues" but the straw today was the headphones.... Loud enough for both of us to hear.... She is in an environment where she could learn much by listening to the work related clinical conversations around her. And her English isn't SO good that she doesn't need to hear spoken English to help improve her own..... Frankly I found it bloody rude... Not to even ask what the Go is.... Just to stick them on full blast and only take them off when SHE wanted something.... And it's not like she is that young ..or what she is being asked to do is THAT onerous that she needs to block everyone else out....
Frankly I am bemused by lots of things about the whole thing and this is just one of them
As for the sanity statement - I'm not stupid - wouldn't dream of questioning it
Sep 25th 2013 | 1:05 am
#17
Mostly Harmless
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 15,111
From: Semi-rural wonderworld, Brisbane
Re: Headphones at work
I don't... Blanket everyone with my own perception... Our PhD students use headphones... No worries... They are concentrating in a crowded environment... Kevin HAS to have background noise when she is concentrating... I LOVE music myself.... When I worked on a malleable Iron belt at a engineering company headphones with music kept me sane (NO DONT BLOODY GO THERE)
Just having an off day... I'm pissed coz I am trying to train some one. She is new, in an office of 3 where communication is paramount.... There are lots of other "issues" but the straw today was the headphones.... Loud enough for both of us to hear.... She is in an environment where she could learn much by listening to the work related clinical conversations around her. And her English isn't SO good that she doesn't need to hear spoken English to help improve her own..... Frankly I found it bloody rude... Not to even ask what the Go is.... Just to stick them on full blast and only take them off when SHE wanted something.... And it's not like she is that young ..or what she is being asked to do is THAT onerous that she needs to block everyone else out....
Frankly I am bemused by lots of things about the whole thing and this is just one of them
Just having an off day... I'm pissed coz I am trying to train some one. She is new, in an office of 3 where communication is paramount.... There are lots of other "issues" but the straw today was the headphones.... Loud enough for both of us to hear.... She is in an environment where she could learn much by listening to the work related clinical conversations around her. And her English isn't SO good that she doesn't need to hear spoken English to help improve her own..... Frankly I found it bloody rude... Not to even ask what the Go is.... Just to stick them on full blast and only take them off when SHE wanted something.... And it's not like she is that young ..or what she is being asked to do is THAT onerous that she needs to block everyone else out....
Frankly I am bemused by lots of things about the whole thing and this is just one of them
I guess it depends on the maturity and motivation of the individual. Even in the most trying times I tried to keep the communication free amongst the team, despite my personal performance being abysmal.
I have a history of being particularly sensitive to (noisy) distraction at work, hence my keen interest. If someone was just blocking with no good reason then there is cause to be concerned.
Sep 25th 2013 | 1:11 am
#18
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 28,998
Re: Headphones at work
I think that 'reason' depends on the kind of work you do. To blanket everyone's situation with your perception of how 'work' should be done is very short-sighted.
I got to the stage where I HAD to work from home because I was so unproductive in the office. Seriously, the noise was ridiculous for the kind of work I needed to do.
If someone had told me to work in the office AND banned earphones then I would not be employed there right now. As it is the higher management saw 'reason' and made some changes, and thankful are we.
I got to the stage where I HAD to work from home because I was so unproductive in the office. Seriously, the noise was ridiculous for the kind of work I needed to do.
If someone had told me to work in the office AND banned earphones then I would not be employed there right now. As it is the higher management saw 'reason' and made some changes, and thankful are we.
I also do a lot of transcription in my job so have to wear headphones. Eddie has seen where I work - my desk is in a corridor in a clinical area where hundreds of people walk by every day. I wear noise cancelling headphones that look like what airport ground crew wear.
Sep 25th 2013 | 1:17 am
#19
Thread Starter
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 10,959
From: Somewhere South... Not Telling YOU
Re: Headphones at work
Me too. When I have something that requires real concentration I work from home. Twice a year I create a roster for 17 consultants across 3 hospitals. It would just not be possible to do that in the area where I work. I take a couple of days at home with no phones or interruptions from people.
I also do a lot of transcription in my job so have to wear headphones. Eddie has seen where I work - my desk is in a corridor in a clinical area where hundreds of people walk by every day. I wear noise cancelling headphones that look like what airport ground crew wear.
I also do a lot of transcription in my job so have to wear headphones. Eddie has seen where I work - my desk is in a corridor in a clinical area where hundreds of people walk by every day. I wear noise cancelling headphones that look like what airport ground crew wear.
I think you need sound proofed, one way, bullet proof glass.....
Sep 25th 2013 | 1:20 am
#20
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 28,998
Re: Headphones at work
I may need to get me a taser.
Sep 25th 2013 | 1:26 am
#21
Mostly Harmless
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 15,111
From: Semi-rural wonderworld, Brisbane
Re: Headphones at work
Me too. When I have something that requires real concentration I work from home. Twice a year I create a roster for 17 consultants across 3 hospitals. It would just not be possible to do that in the area where I work. I take a couple of days at home with no phones or interruptions from people.
I also do a lot of transcription in my job so have to wear headphones. Eddie has seen where I work - my desk is in a corridor in a clinical area where hundreds of people walk by every day. I wear noise cancelling headphones that look like what airport ground crew wear.
I also do a lot of transcription in my job so have to wear headphones. Eddie has seen where I work - my desk is in a corridor in a clinical area where hundreds of people walk by every day. I wear noise cancelling headphones that look like what airport ground crew wear.
I do know that when I'm immersed in a physical task I am totally consumed by it and that I have less angst generally.
I did some early work many moons back (20+ years) on active noise cancellation technology, I remember working in a very rough mock up of an airline cabin in my workplace trying to get to the bottom of it ...
Sep 25th 2013 | 1:34 am
#22
Thread Starter
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 10,959
From: Somewhere South... Not Telling YOU
Sep 25th 2013 | 2:04 am
#24
Thread Starter
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 10,959
From: Somewhere South... Not Telling YOU
Re: Headphones at work
Sep 25th 2013 | 11:55 am
#25
not sure...
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,537
From: out in the boonies
Re: Headphones at work
Absolutely essential in my office. We all have such varied taste in music (ie no-one has any except me!!) that we couldn't agree on a radio station. We do need to talk about work regularly but we judge what's going on and use our headphones or not accordingly. Plus we sell headphones so we often get samples in to try out new ones ; )
Sep 25th 2013 | 4:12 pm
#26
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 16,623
From: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Re: Headphones at work
Depends on the situation.
If you have lots of individual efforts - different people working on different things at different times - and crass management has dumped them in one big room because it's cheaper, then yes, blocking out the noise of the office is obviously acceptable, even wise. Getting a clue about providing the right environment by management is also a priority.
If however they are supposed to be working as a team, and they are instead playing music to drown out the others - well then you have bigger problems than the music.
If you have lots of individual efforts - different people working on different things at different times - and crass management has dumped them in one big room because it's cheaper, then yes, blocking out the noise of the office is obviously acceptable, even wise. Getting a clue about providing the right environment by management is also a priority.
If however they are supposed to be working as a team, and they are instead playing music to drown out the others - well then you have bigger problems than the music.
It's a look I don't really like 100 pc.
Sep 25th 2013 | 4:15 pm
#27
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 16,623
From: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Re: Headphones at work
Ah, I hear ya ... Yes, there are individual circumstances where it pays to be more switched onto what is going down around the place.
I guess it depends on the maturity and motivation of the individual. Even in the most trying times I tried to keep the communication free amongst the team, despite my personal performance being abysmal.
I have a history of being particularly sensitive to (noisy) distraction at work, hence my keen interest. If someone was just blocking with no good reason then there is cause to be concerned.
I guess it depends on the maturity and motivation of the individual. Even in the most trying times I tried to keep the communication free amongst the team, despite my personal performance being abysmal.
I have a history of being particularly sensitive to (noisy) distraction at work, hence my keen interest. If someone was just blocking with no good reason then there is cause to be concerned.
Sep 25th 2013 | 5:24 pm
#28
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 94,307
From: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Re: Headphones at work
I don't... Blanket everyone with my own perception... Our PhD students use headphones... No worries... They are concentrating in a crowded environment... Kevin HAS to have background noise when she is concentrating... I LOVE music myself.... When I worked on a malleable Iron belt at a engineering company headphones with music kept me sane (NO DONT BLOODY GO THERE)
Just having an off day... I'm pissed coz I am trying to train some one. She is new, in an office of 3 where communication is paramount.... There are lots of other "issues" but the straw today was the headphones.... Loud enough for both of us to hear.... She is in an environment where she could learn much by listening to the work related clinical conversations around her. And her English isn't SO good that she doesn't need to hear spoken English to help improve her own..... Frankly I found it bloody rude... Not to even ask what the Go is.... Just to stick them on full blast and only take them off when SHE wanted something.... And it's not like she is that young ..or what she is being asked to do is THAT onerous that she needs to block everyone else out....
Frankly I am bemused by lots of things about the whole thing and this is just one of them
Just having an off day... I'm pissed coz I am trying to train some one. She is new, in an office of 3 where communication is paramount.... There are lots of other "issues" but the straw today was the headphones.... Loud enough for both of us to hear.... She is in an environment where she could learn much by listening to the work related clinical conversations around her. And her English isn't SO good that she doesn't need to hear spoken English to help improve her own..... Frankly I found it bloody rude... Not to even ask what the Go is.... Just to stick them on full blast and only take them off when SHE wanted something.... And it's not like she is that young ..or what she is being asked to do is THAT onerous that she needs to block everyone else out....
Frankly I am bemused by lots of things about the whole thing and this is just one of them
She's training, thus she needs to be listening, picking up on everything she can possibly get hold of, available whenever someone says "hey this is useful".
Plus the volume is unnecessary. We manage with three of us not to have to overhear each other's music choices, thats just rude and unthinking.
We all know there are busy nights when you don't even get the earphones/ipod out of your bag, you need to be able to talk to your colleagues constantly, you need to be able to jump up from the desk at a moment's notice, or maybe you have other newer staff in the office who are likely to want frequent help - times like that its just accepted that the music has to wait. But there are other quieter more appropriate shifts when its OK.
If you are her trainer are you not in a position where you could gently suggest more awareness and attention to the surroundings could help her work?
Sep 25th 2013 | 5:29 pm
#29
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,230
Re: Headphones at work
Of course.
How else are you supposed to watch/listen to random stuff on the internet when you're supposed to be working
How else are you supposed to watch/listen to random stuff on the internet when you're supposed to be working
Sep 25th 2013 | 6:21 pm
#30
Mostly Harmless
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 15,111
From: Semi-rural wonderworld, Brisbane
Re: Headphones at work
I really, really don't do headphones in public - going around normal activities: I like to be aware of what is going on around me. I want to be able to hear that nutter get on public transport - or that car building up speed around the corner. I don't like to isolate myself which is of course what so many people want to do.
2 hours of that a day means I'll take my chances with the nutters.
The concept of a "Quiet Carriage" has to be the most misguided thing Queensland Rail has ever come up with.
