Thats why more and more employers are choosing to implement an open ears policy at work. I dont. Provide key information, such as when it is or isnt appropriate to wear headphones, whether it matters if people choose headphones or earbuds, and advice for how to best utilize headphones for deep, focused work. Maybe I read the question wrong. Wearing headphones at work: time for HR to step-in? I suppose they may really be concerned they have an ethical obligation to say something to their employer, but why? Having researched a lot of those as a possible purchase for myselfnoise-cancelling earbuds are frequently bulkier than regular earbuds. Yes, it is exactly the same for me. Its absolutely the most counterproductive thing, and is non-negotiable in any way to our supervisor who will get visibly upset if you bring it up. Evaluation of the effects of gabapentin on the physiologic and The unspoken rule was obviously to be respectful by not turning it up to 11 and to take headphones out when someone came up to your cube or called. Going to HR is the right place to go. With rules, you put a start date into place. They look like headphones (albeit smaller) but they also leave your entire ear open to view. Customer service is about immediately responding. I would take that as a power play by the employee and would consider that going forward with any issues going forward. The manager should have, from the get-go, explained why OP was being asked to do this. He probably thought it was okay to wear them for the rest of the day until he could go out and get a pair of earbuds; thats what I would have done. You have no way of knowing why she was with him and its frankly none if your business. I think more and more people are similarly realizing that they shouldnt provide details (because it invites judgement I have a coworker who needs PT for his knees and he gets judged on it because he behaves as though hes addicted to physical activity and has been known to push his body beyond its limits). 10 Recent studies with gabapentin in feline species have shown that it is a safe and effective short-term . Its work. People in IT need to concentrate, and even one hushed conversation can throw an hour of deep thought off-track. Its distracting for others and super inconsiderate to your coworkers. Otherwise, there's no such thing as true multitasking. I imagine thats at plan here. Team: H! Some people find that listening to music can help to minimize outside distractions such as other employee conversations, which helps them stay productive. Headphones and earbuds offer great musical sound by canceling out most or all of the ambient noise around you. It seems to me that OP simply doesnt like the look of headphones, because the feeling awkward, waiting for him to remove them doesnt make sense. I hurt my knees praying in a Catholic Church. every. Adults can reasonably differ, even over minor issues. Not just a non-perk when you have accommodations. I havent like, timed it or anything, but I really doubt Im faster at removing earbuds since most of the time involved is actually pause music. My dad wore the behind the ear type of hearing aids. This person has unrealistic expectations. The phrasing may not have been particularly gentle, but the point is valid. And that was pure luck. Because in my actual post I am not, in any way, arguing in favor of managers making arbitrary rules, and Im genuinely not sure what point youre trying to make here. They need to be able to work on issues by balancing most pressing/first come first serve/most complicated. The humanity! Earbuds are uncomfortable for me, but people in my office think that headphones = do not disturb (rightly! Those who have never thought to pop a pair in at their desk, however, might not be privy to these potential plus points. ), the majority of tickets actually involve people being unable to use the ticketing system or phone due to network/telephony issues. Its just basically never a good idea to assume that someone owes you their immediate attention. If your workplace is office based, there isn't really any harm in allowing employees to wear headphones as long as they are working efficiently. Its work, not a prison. I literally cant put earbuds in my ears for any length of time without irritation. Most people would say Oh sorry, I didnt realize you meant for this change right away. You cannot use the well my job says no headphones and Im fine, so whats your deal, man? Thats not how the world works. OP doesnt like waiting for acknowledgement, made up her own rule, chastised someone in a ridiculous period of time after addressing the rule, then tried to assert more control by stating outright its her rule and must be obeyed. i recently put a mirror up because my back is to the entrance of my desk and i use noise cancelling headphones. Last summer I had an intern who wore giant (think dj at a turntable) headphones all the time after specifically being told not to. Our management has the same reasoning you do, and say that we shouldnt feel entitled not to be interrupted at any time for a question from anyone, which is super frustrating. This was the OPs random choice and random time to spring a new rule into place. The pattern that I expect is something more like expecting and sometimes supporting highly autocratic behavior on the part of managers Boss is Boss and you better obey Boss instantly without any backtalk because Boss will have you out on your ear if you give them any sass but basically yeah. Most of the time when Im wearing headphones, its because there is so much conversation and noise all around me that I literally cannot hear myself think. Hi! My earbuds are a lifeline for me at work. My ear is always on the verge of being itchy and flaky/crusty and I have gotten infections before from my itching it too much. I was not speaking to accommodations but I would have hoped that would be assumed so that people dont have to make caveats for every opinion presented in a comment section. Based on the note (and I might be wrong) it seems, manager had a conversation with employee. Oh yes. Yeah, this is getting really close to the employees who serve me should never appear to have other priorities besides me area that you see in a lot of customer service jobs. Since when do headphones = not an adult? Can you ask the marketing guys to tone down the GOT off-topic chatter or let me wear them for the couple of hours a day when they tend to go full-throttle? Or even Can we find a way to signal approachability that still allows me to block out background noise?. I was expecting to be interrupted at any moment because it was a part of my job. Arent you a doctor? Ioliq)7~#M7\A\y Other questions Im answering there today include: Yeah, this headphone rule seems sorta crazy. No food or drink at the desk? That. Dont let your headphones interfere with effective communication in the workplace. When I get new phones and they come with earbuds, I give them to my kids. Employees shouldnt have morally charged, pejorative terms lobbed at them over Headphonegate. This means theyre all going to need that moment of transitioning their attention/finishing a line or thought, or some people might be so focused it takes them a moment to acknowledge the sudden white noise in the background is actually someone talking to THEM and not just background noise. There are a ton of ways to get your point that you clearly feel her comments tend to be rude across without being rude to someone who doesnt agree with you. I just found out were moving to an open office plan without seating arrangements and there will be NO MONITORS supplied unless you have a medical need and special request. Umdid you even read my post? Im not doing surgery, Im looking to help. You have two completely separate problems here. Well I relate to you. Id love noise-canceling headphones so I dont have to destroy my hearing but I cant tolerate the headaches headphones cause. Shortly after my promotion last year, I started wearing headphones specifically so people (read: new boss) would actually see that Im listening to something. Right. If I went to HR in a circumstance like this one and my manager openly violated our non-retaliation policy in response, I would call the corporate ethics line and report the violation. When people wear earphones, nobody even realizes it, so (some) coworkers tend to call out someones name Jennifer? then progressively louder and louder until its at a screaming level JENNIFER? I wouldnt have made that assumption. Or possibly eight seconds to remove earbuds, since there is a longer reaction time to realise someone isnt listening because theyre wearing earbuds! I find sometimes that it helps me concentrate; There isnt any noiseit just helps me be in in the zone. It is quite possible that the person in question is on the Autism spectrum, in which case the headphones (specifically headphones, and not earbuds) are an absolute necessity to be able to work effectively (and since most people on this spectrum can concentrate like a computer, effectively is really a misnomer, as their work product is beyond par!). Cheerleader: Gimme an H! I think youre misinterpreting MommyMDs comment its not that people using headphones are not being adults, its that deciding I cant immediately fulfill the entirety of my managers directive (no headphones, only earbuds), therefore Im going to ignore it entirely instead of abiding by the part of it I can fulfill (just the no headphones part) is not a particularly mature way to respond to the situation. Further, even without earbuds, workers must not be on their smartphones while performing work or near any operating equipment. ?, It would actually be much less distracting if Jennifer was wearing headphones. That being said I think the employee is completely in the wrong about going to HR about earbuds. Also: I understand the disinclination to lie but, frankly, you should not have to explain why you need medical time and I would have zeroZEROproblem fibbing about this. Also, low-end noise-cancelling headphones are easier to find than low-end noise-cancelling earbuds, for those on tight budgets. They may have an ADA accommodation that was approved. I think actually would have made more sense if the LW had thought that their co-worker was making the whole thing up but that appears to not be the case. At every organization Ive worked in during my career, the help desk ticketing system was only available to the IS department, and you have to call or email for actual support. Then you suck it up for a few hours. How Employers Enforce Cell Phone Policies in the Workplace Different positions demand different levels of immediate access. I would assume that most people who wear headphones/earbuds use them for that purpose. For me, I disliked new rules and methods the most when I didnt understand WHY they were being done because they just felt arbitrary, and in some cases just as annoyed when some option was taken away without alternatives. Or maybe the headphones are an accommodation in place from when they started and they wanted to check with HR before pushing back. Where I currently work I was formerly at the front desk and was the main phone customer service rep. Employers should evaluate their worksites and consider whether issuing a policy that bans headphone usage is appropriate. I really, really dont. Even though you may not be listening to anything, simply having headphones on or even one earbud in makes it look like you arent interested in whatevers going on in the outside world. We respond to dispatch calls and someone running up to an ambulance screaming that they have an emergency is going to be firmly told to call 911. And thats really the thing: what is the impact, or is there in fact one? They arent there to instantly respond to your every whim at the specific moment of your choosing, theyre there to work. Wearing headphones at work can provide an ideal escape and enable deep productivity. yes, as an IT employee, the real issue is why are there so many people coming to the desk when things like IM and ticketing exist. Domestic violence is so very complex, particularly with children in the mix. I also think this rule is overly rigid, especially since the manager is ok with earbuds as opposed to headphones. The cell phone company policy may also be referred to as a no mobile phones at work policy or a bring your own device (BYOD) policy. This response seems very unduly combative to me. Probably anyone deaf in one ear would still either have to wear one earbud or just go without. Making blanket statements that imply it is ludicrous that any one would need headphones very clearly is not taking people with disabilities into consideration. I think OP1 just feels like time is dragging, rather than the employees actually taking ages to remove and respond. Employees must leave phones in a desk drawer, coat/bag, or a company locker. Dont be that manager. You are at work you should be working not sitting in a cone of silence, listening to music or podcasts unless you have a medical condition that gives you a reason to wear them. But, itd be difficult to wear headphones or earbuds if theyre expected to also answer incoming phone calls at all. If theyre talking to me about it, its obviously something they want done. tl;dr headphones arent the issue, the fact that theres a line of people at ITs desks is. Instead they jump in with a bunch of assumptions that very likely arent true: that the employees arent helpful, that the headphones are a FU, that a lack of immediate compliance is in complete disregard.
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