Use them to create bursts of productive worknot every moment of every day. Not IT staff. OP would also have to wait if the employee were on the phone to a client, or if Grandboss were standing at employees desk discussing a different project. Im one of the people that cannot wear the over-the-ear headpones for very long because they get uncomfortable; they press on the stems of my glasses, and I get headaches more easily. However, major safety authorities like the Occupational Safety and Health . Working remotely, Jordan spends half of the year exploring different corners of the world. If I wasnt allowed to wear headphones, everyone else in the office would also be listening to a man with a monotone voice explaining how to set up a new enquiry feature on our case management software, or watching a step by step guide on how to set up your workspace (this was in my first week, obviously Im not doing that every day). They probably dony have them at work. Lost password? If you have any questions or want to talk to someone about office supplies, send us an email or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Im glad you left. She is the boss. 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!). It makes us feel like children, and like we dont have a right to take a second to compose ourselves, or to ask them to come back later. Theyre pleasant people and do a darn good job, why would I rock that boat!? Using audio headphones, earphones or earbuds in the workplace Speaking as a former EMT, literal emergency responders emphatically *do not* work on a drop everything basis. Its awkward when someone approaches them for support and theres a brief waiting period for the employee to remove the headphones and acknowledge the person. Smiling and saying other than needing the time off, its not something that should affect or be exacerbated by work, its just one of those annoying niggles thats better taken care of now so it doesnt become a serious nuisance. then changing the subject basically assuming that the manager is asking from a place of concern and checking if you need any accommodations and assuring them you dont should satisfy most people? Ill act like a normal person and walk over to her., (Personal opinion anyone should wear what they want. This, exactly being forced into open spaces, no sound deadeningof course managers have their own offices, often away from the cube farm, but the rest of us have to listen to Jane cough all. There are people here who wait months. I think it simply looks bad for I.T. Ah, I see youre familiar with my company! Making the break involves so much more not to mention completely re-wiring a learned behavior. I still had sensory challenges in that position but my duties demanded different parts of my brain so I had different needs. Its external earphones or nothing. Match the task to the music. Stop acting like your good employees dont know their own best work habits and cant manage their workflow, stop acting like your employees are children that need to be lead along by the ear. If I had an employee who heard the rule and then walked back to their desk and used a stapler, I would wonder why and ask. Music should aid your productivity, not serve as another distraction. We have a ticket system and it means Im NOT supposed to go up to IT and ask them for help. Its funny you say ticketed support system, because I was thinking that when Ive used ticketing systems, we were constantly redirecting users to input their issues directly into the ticketing system so we could prioritize and organize the requests. Never fear, you won't begin receiving daily sales emails that belong in a spam folder. Youve said youre not talking about disabilities that would require accommodation but theres a whole range between not disabled at all and completely disabled. Im not saying people shouldnt have a certain level of professionalism but honestly the obsession with over professionalism in the workplace is too much. He may be like me, and the sounds of people working behind me causes me to have startle reactions all day long and its really anxiety inducing. Presumably, there would be a period of acknowledgement required before responding if the techies were interrupted while wearing earbuds. I cant see how headphones would interfere with the ability to read an email or a ticket notification, or prevent people from sending them over through the system. Like me. If this is just an optics issue, please rethink. People very quickly lose interest in my physio appts! Then you expect them to be truthful to them. Though if I had a job that allowed you to listen to your own music/sounds while working, thatd be cool while working nightshift at a hotel, I was able to listen to the webradio after the hotel bar closed for the night. I wear earbuds to help me focus at work. Follow our. That should not be happening! I have no idea if thats this employees primary role or not though. Im anxious AF when Im lurking around waiting to get someones attention but I shoulder that burden myself, I know its a me thing. Privacy Policy and Affiliate Disclosures, my boss told me to stop wearing headphones at work -- but I wear them to drown out my coworker's noise, my boss watches me by video call while I work, how much noise is too much, and more, my coworker plays Christian rock all day, contacting strangers on LinkedIn, and more. Different people work, and indeed concentrate, differently. Plus if theyre wired, you end up with a bulky battery pack attached to the cord (Im not sure where they put it on wireless pairs). For mind numbing jobs like that, you have to allow the comforts of a personal device or desk decor, etc. Was this a nesting fail or something? Thats my place. I wanted to reply to this. Im not sure that its rude, per se- maybe just a bit myopic in its assertion that instant compliance is either virtuous or possible. Horrid. q(NF7^Mi>JR$C/}vfUOO)9Q o}N/iovF=.o$V )#o}}j5]"WbcK"hW7QX`>^vsZg^cc7[Jzj.b;$ss)$]4V/ZIXJ}my$l/bx(N}\C'n:,n1{g4|jonv/Ndt*^oU\\o`8Jy!m_)1?,oY>\nX8l7F|Q+ bJ|QVs,Er7;MbNMZ8 ^rjv,N>mqKjE5+:DBt1*e8u{sNzf6c[k9.\&]A! My coworker can ignore it even when theres four or five of them clustered around the area, just banging on at each other. I wouldnt have made that assumption. I worked Help Desk for 3 years People asked for help by calling in or sending an email. This is so many comments deep forgive me if this has already been said, but Id say the headphones arent an issue, the issue is you have an employee you explained a rule to and rather than express their concern regarding company policy they just totally ignored you OP. If we do not have enough information, maybe we should not use labels on people, such as , insubordinate , etc. Especially is it ONLY because LW doesnt like it versus any real practical reason. employers usually. Most people will either say no its no problem to get my attention, thats what Im here for then you take it and go about your business. Just a type of work that requires you to act differently than in other jobs. Award Score. +XeiJt|}V-+6vfeQSYE-+r!u 'x/&EUEeQUdu"B{^$#Xx; },z2";_>l)wS[VegUU1n%, Construction sites are dangerous - OSHA chose to focus on the obvious industry and for good reason. Wearing headphones at work: time for HR to step-in? Or, you might opt for a more flexible policy. is it unprofessional to get a tattoo on a work trip? Our IT has their own office and its usually one person at a time [they roam from office to office], they still all use headphones because its their zone and how they operate the best. My boss is really close to banning all listening devices so Im trying to get everyone to stick to my original rule. Pick and choose when you wear headphones. Which is pretty long. So, youre saying you would retaliate against an employee who reported a problem to HR? I dont even think you need to specify what the physical therapy is for. I dont understand this bosss issue. LW 1 Id be pretty upset if I was told I couldnt wear headphones at work (particularity when on deadline). But I know its not like that everywhere, which goes back to your main point, it depends. I would take that into consideration going forward when it came to things like raises and promotions My noise cancelling headphones are life savers. I had the exact same conundrum. ADA issue? Just because she is the only woman in the department doesnt automatically mean shes being discriminated against. Forget the headphones, I want to know what the expectations are if the employee is working on support issues A, B, and C and someone approaches them about support issue D. Are they expected to drop A, B, and C and start working on D? that is not cool and frankly extremely rude. If both parties actually discussed the issue there would likely have been a better outcome. And I work in retail, where its very much what managers say goes and how you look to customers is more important than whats practical, so Im used to managers sometimes enforcing rules simply because it looks good and I can absolutely imagine a manager feeling that headphones just LOOK unproductive, but the commenters and Alison are right that you should overcome this impulse and let the headphones stay. Personally, Id be leaning toward the latter; if I need someone for something, its not going to make any difference to me whether theyre using earbuds or headphones, the act of getting their attention is all the same. Yep. and I had no idea he had that backdoor distorted-information channel going on. BTW my posts on this arent meant to be arguing overall, just filling in the user side of the perspective. But then I realized this was probably not customers coming up with questions but colleagues dropping by with IT requests/questions in the middle of other, more headphone-appropriate work. 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. (X0NRscWcoRv!7x)(I+_RXNaEZ6bsHLDtbbDkWU"J+;GWv(@DLq&Y)4e-"wQrugl`}e/qPUo(CO,6[O}m*d7U,} XB[lu\ ]F8:,tl`Qkx2 I work around a few people who will, in lieu of saying something to a persons face, choose to stage a conversation that they intend to be overheard instead. A Wall Street Journal piece on the "officeless office" had a sidebar with six new rules for office etiquette which included #1, no sneaking up; #5, limit chit-chat; and #6 use headphones. Within that role I was able to work without headphones because the functions of my job required different kinds of focus. It doesn't work that way. Talk about making employees so miserable they want to leave. support. No Headphones Safety Signs from ComplianceSigns.com It's been found to improve employee morale, enhance retention, and even promote a positive company culture. CAN she make a policy edict that her preference for earbuds over headphones should be enforced for her team? They need to be able to work on issues by balancing most pressing/first come first serve/most complicated. In addition to the other reasons people have listed below, any number of people in my office also use their earbuds/headphones with our videoconferencing and phone system. Should I Let My Employees Wear Earbuds? | IndustryWeek Not everyone needs them, not everyone wants to wear them, but if there is nothing in your job description that headphones would be incompatible with (front desks, customer-facing roles, what have you), why force people to go above and beyond to get their headphone usage approved, therefore noticeably "special" or "rule-breaking", when most people could benefit from similar usage? Removing the over the ear headphones requires reaching up, lifting then off and setting them down, or lifting them off and draping around your neck. But we dont have enough information to make any judgment at all is what Im saying. Given the awkwardness and wait time, Im picturing the employees in their own office, facing the wall opposite the door. I saw my coworker with the spouse who assaulted her, My manager is asking me for twice-a-day reporting on how Im spending my time, I dont want to tell my manager what Im getting physical therapy for. Just confused as to why is one okay but not the other? Maybe I read the question wrong. Arent you a doctor? I wear a hearing aid, so I can not use earbuds. Im going to push back on your statement because he probably DIDNT wear them in defiance. I get the feeling they had really high turnover. But I think a communication protocol would be better than an outright ban. Keeping them engaged is crucial. The point Im trying to make is that unless theres an accommodation, an employee doesnt need to use headphones to do their job. Thats why IT departments usually have tickets. If they are needed due to ADA, that is an accommodation, not a perk. If you are thinking of establishing policies that allow music in the workplace, keep in mind the following considerations: Mandating the use of headphones. 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. When you work on an open plan, noisy floor you may actually run into some coworkers who need some help blocking out all the distractions so they may better get their work done. Studies show that listening to music can relieve stress, relieve tedium and even mask tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Im sympathetic, but the manager could deal more constructively with his/her anxiety. Employers will be liable for a violation of the general duty clause if headphones-wearing employees are exposed to the hazards outlined in the letter. Yeah, I read it the other way at first but upon rereading, I think youre right. Ear buds versus headphones really? There would be a mutiny and certainly an ouster of the CIO. Employees deserve better than being punished for reporting problematic situations to HR. Yeah dont get me wrong, thats how we use them in our open office: they literally mean, Im really trying to pretend were not in an open office, please dont interrupt me / pretend Im not here / just go away k thanx. For that reason, we prefer to use big bulky visible ones. Instead, we promise a fun weekly roundup of our latest blog posts and great finds from across the web. tl;dr: It seems like it should be a one-to-one replacement but its actually not. Im confused about that as well wouldnt it defy the purpose of a ticket? Because they will. Opt for music without lyrics or very familiar music when you need to concentrate. My workplace implemented a headphones ban. : r/AutismInWomen - Reddit Im not sure IT support is always much less should be that kind of job; not all IT support units are or should be front-line helpdesks. If you have evidence that they cant hear people, you could impose a one-ear-0nly rule. And to the OP as an HR professional, I agree with Allison. Came here to say this; earbuds are far, far worse than headphones, because they still cant hear, but people cant see that they cant hear. I prefer earbuds too, headphones crush my glasses against my skull and cause me pain. what are the minimum benefits an employer needs to provide? It is a signal for I am actively trying to concentrate and block out distractions. People know they can interrupt if it is necessary, but they do think twice about non-essential things. Either way, neither outcome would really change the OPs situation and likely would not change the co-workers behavior. 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. I know this is weird, but my ears are oddly shaped, and earbuds are painful for me to wear. This letter touched a nerve for me because I am having a similar battle with one of my managers. I realize that might seem silly given where Im nesting it, but I think its the worry projecting that shes assuming hell jump to the correct conclusion about why she doesnt want to name it, when really if shes casual and just doesnt specify a reasonable manager, and a good boundary respecting manager will not ask for further detail. Unless the employees are sitting at their desks with their hands clasped constantly awaiting a new task theyre likely working on things between the in-person visits. If theyre talking to me about it, its obviously something they want done. If they came up and said oh hey, I meant for that rule to take effect this minute, please dont use your headphones. I would use one of those lines you suggested. I7f interviewing with a service dog in my lap, boss thinks Im a stonerbecauseI called out on 4/20, and more, I desperately need breaks between my back-to-back meetings, I manage a gay employee and our company is homophobic, a coworker told me I talk too much, Im still ruminating over a job I didnt take, and more, should I invite my team to my home for dinner, will my company expect me to work with my ex, and more, after I hired someone, a mutual friend told me Id made a huge mistake. Customer service is about immediately responding. My understanding is that to get a similar level of noise reduction in earbuds, you need active noise cancelation. I torn ligaments bowling. -Neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD were developed based on boys, and that stereotype persists, even in the medical community. Its polite. 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. This response seems very unduly combative to me. Just saying, legit reasons to go to HR exist MommyMD, Legit reasons to go to HR do exist, yes, but the employee didnt just go to HR, he argued that theres no company policy about it (the implication being, I dont have to do what my manager says unless the handbook also says it, which is borderline insubordinate), and THEN went to HR. 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. In additionearbuds are uncomfortable as heck for a lot of people (me included) and over-the-ear headphones are typically far, far better for your ears and hearing. Defiance? You would say that is petty, and it is probably, but I am not going to put up with that kind of insubordination. There was no policy, therefor I didnt ask for accommodation for my [fill in teh blank.] Driving and other activities. Ugh, yes it can be so hard to wear headphones when you also wear glasses. In fact, I now have the ok from my manager to wear them for exactly this purpose (including as a signal to her to not interrupt me) on days where I cant simply work from home. IF there seems to be some discrimination or some unfair treatment, then bring in HR, but until that conversation has been had, she has no idea what is up. When I get new phones and they come with earbuds, I give them to my kids. It is not immature to want to be ablee to focus on your work. MommyMD, you do understand that sometimes people want to block out distractions so they can Work better, right? There are tons of noise-cancelling earbuds, though. They could have handled it better, but maybe they wanted to discuss with HR as to how to discuss with their manager in a tactful manner, especially if their tenure started prior to the manager beginning. In general, we should trust the people we hire to be mature, respectful, professional adults who exercise good judgment. Completely cover your ears to block outside noise, Provide a clear visual indicator that youre not available, More portable and better for frequent travel, The larger size can mean better sound quality, You dont need to put anything inside your ears, Earbuds can be shared with another person. i recently put a mirror up because my back is to the entrance of my desk and i use noise cancelling headphones. That is what I would do if I had HR and I felt my boss was trying to take away a necessary tool for me to work for no reason other than what he likes to look at. PDF Safety and Use of Personal Headphones and Earplugs for Everyday Use. - MCCC But buds definitely dont work for my stupid ear holes at all. Regardless, the main point of putting anything in or over my ears is to block out the noise of my coworkers (foot tapping, pen tapping, pen clicking, paper shuffling, conversations between coworkers, phone conversationssomeone is beatboxing right now, Im not even joking) so I can actually concentrate on my work. Quite a few people have, actually. My issue with DCers comment is that its strongly reinforcing LWs worry and essentially telling them Yep, if you dont provide any details your manager will immediately jump to assuming its about your uterus. Which Im pretty sure is exactly what the LW does not want to hear!
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