Earbuds are worse for ear health, so if the headphones are not noise-cancelling headphones that prevent a person from having normal workplace communication, it doesnt seem like a hill to die on. Should I let a company know that Im declining their offer because of how long they took to get it to me. (P.S. For workers who currently use radios or speakers that might . And unless the rule encouraged bullying, harrassment, discrimination (which it might have, but we have no information to support that) hightailing it to HR seems VERY extreme for this situation UNLESS, theres a history of difficulty between these two. Something besides earbuds was going on between this employee and boss. This is a fantastic phrase, and you seem like a great boss. Thats my place. I agree that its polite and frankly, its good business sense. Another generational things. Maybe not right, but what can one do. There are large numbers of people with only one functioning ear, myself included. I recently took a different position and their existing policy is that 0 employees are allowed to listen to music on headphones. 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. Often if people see I dont have my headphones they will walk in and start talking right away, but if they see I have my headphones in they will wait a second or two until I have them off. Others are not. With some engineering and technical jobs no. Does your concept of work not include the need to ever listen to sounds? Thats why they have rules for which companies are required to accommodate the leave, you have more than 50 employees so you should be able to figure out coverage issues. and then go to HR (??????!?!?!!? If there is an actual performance issue, this is not how to solve it. Its probably best to be as vague as possible using Alisons script, weekly medical appointment for the next eight weeksI can definitely get a note from my doctor if you need it.. Working remotely, Jordan spends half of the year exploring different corners of the world. But when I do, Im as transparent as I can be about the why so the team member can learn, because part of exercising good judgment is learning to know when you need to ask for additional information. I think the difference between headphones and earbuds is silly too. Not only are workplaces creating these horrid wide open spaces without privacy no one likes, they are also enforcing all kinds of rules about headsets and monitors in them to boot. She is the boss. Its entirely possible to say I think OP has unrealistic expectations for hiring timelines without calling them spoiled or entitled. All Rights Reserved. Nope! Yeah, 99.99% of people are going to assume its for an old wrist injury or something, even if we know about the pelvic floor therapy. Just yikes. If this is the condition I think it is, I have/had it, too, and I just told my supervisor that I was going to need days off at regular intervals for PT. If you really, REALLY want this though I think youll have to address the whys to the employees and do it in a way that doesnt leave them feeling targeted, and be ready for the discontent as some might understand your reasons and others will be ready to label anything and everything as stupid in their book. 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. IT support can include positions with that kind of dedicated concentration, depending on what exactly theyre doing and if theyre in that sort of position, headphones would be super justified. Disagree. Give me a break. Sometimes I need to wear headphones to do my work. 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. Others have pointed out that they would have to remove an earbud, so still a delay. I dont. Managers shouldnt be making arbitrary rules that get in the way of doing a job without a business justification. Advantages of PLD use. 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. I respond to any of those quickly. But I know its not like that everywhere, which goes back to your main point, it depends. I certainly would be extremely impatient in that scenario. I get the feeling they had really high turnover. 9rM5SM>&o So for me it doesnt make a difference. Maintain a reasonable headphone volume and never let your music interfere with those around you. *M07SMao People very quickly lose interest in my physio appts! Regarding the second letter, that was NOT where I was expecting that one to go! This is a pretty clear case of a manager shifting the onus for their uncomfortable feelings to their employee instead of handling it themselves. I agree that you cant stop people from speculating, but if youre breezy about it and maybe add a topic change to something work-related, they wont have enough details, and will assume its something uninteresting and not worth their speculation. I find sometimes that it helps me concentrate; There isnt any noiseit just helps me be in in the zone. Thats really bad policy for an IT department. Headphones over my hearing aids is the only thing I can do when I want to block out outside noises and concentrate. 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. With workers so much more plugged in than ever, headphones are a way to help manage the constant flow of information and stimulation coming from all directions. I think this falls in the category of you may find it unnerving, but the employee is not actually doing anything wrong. Waiting a few seconds for someone to take off their headphones is not a big deal. 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? Earphones work better because it also signals to other people that I cant hear them initially. Where I currently work I was formerly at the front desk and was the main phone customer service rep. MommyMD, you do understand that sometimes people want to block out distractions so they can Work better, right? Oooooh I know I shouldnt pick up on spelling, but the idea of hiring a Dead employee would unnerve me too! Yes, this. Boss never asked anyone else for their assessment of my work (like, maybe, the end users?!) Its against the grain in our office culture (academia). I imagine thats at plan here. I actually understand why earbuds can be better than headphones. Listening devices for personal use are not. But theres other people who work better without noise. Not IT staff. Its just basically never a good idea to assume that someone owes you their immediate attention. Yeah, kind of surprised the headphone thing is getting more attention than question 2. OP needs to BUTT OUT. I dont know if Id characterize OP as acting spoiled but it sounds a bonkers reason to decline an offer you really want. you know what, a good chunk of this might be frustration at the awful new uniforms my store is making us switch to but in response to the headphones thing.. suck it up. Blunt? It would be one thing if listening to something to focus was banned for everyone, but only for people who cant use earbuds? I dont know. The ones that seal in your ear mean you cant hear much at all. They could very well have white noise or something else calming playing. I tore my ACL and meniscus changing diapers on the floor. Create a clear policy about headphones and ensure the rules apply to everyone. Id be incredibly annoyed if my boss demanded that I stop wearing headphones because he didnt like them. Earbuds can also raise ear wax accumulation, cause ear infections, gather dirt and bacteria, give birth to germs and make your eardrums burst even if theyd feel completely comfortable. Well, I dont have any earbuds and Ive got that conference call later today or I cant wear earphones and its really distracting in there. Arguments for Headphones at Work People who regularly use headphones (or more commonly earphones/earbuds) while working will tell you that there are numerous benefits to doing so. Should You Allow Your Hourly Workforce to Use Headphones on the Job Was coming to say exactly that for me, its a very deliberate signal, please only interrupt me if its important because Im concentrating. Sometimes it takes half an hour to get back into the zone, when Im working on a tough patch, and thats not always obvious to folks who just need me for a second. Bc having to have music playing would just replace one source of distraction with another for me. Granted that this has some to do with that Im definitely autistic and possibly also ADHD, but nonetheless I am a person who exists and has a job and a sort of person that one can reasonably expect to encounter in the work environment, particularly in my industry. How can you look at someone wearing headphones and know whether it is an ADA accommodation or not? The no headphones at work policy sample is a writable document that has to be filled-out and signed for specific purposes. Ive had front desk jobs and, even with ADHD, I can do them without noise-blockers because its my job to seek and welcome interruption. Different people have different work, different work requirements, and different work styles. Sorry, should have been clearer. That can be very dangerous in some work situations. All you people who want an end to noisy open offices should try approaching the noise as a health and safety problem. Theyre headphones, theyre not a necessary accessory like pants. I think employee went to HR to check the policy facts. It in fact makes me want to double down on my stance that the original comment wasnt rude. I agree with this as I also work in IT, and think we need to be aware of what is happening around us, though we also have days where we can work on projects and it helps to have something as a buffer for distractions. %PDF-1.7 9 0 obj I actually do that with headphones, though. 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. There are people here who wait months. Solike, I get what people are saying about the earbuds vs headphones being a capricious point, but I cannot get behind people acting like headphones are -necessary- to produce work. So especially in a role like IT, where they need to focus on finding issues that may be buried goodness-knows where, why would you want to make their lives difficult because of optics and some self imposed discomfort by having to wait a few extra moments for them to pay attention. I cannot function with one earbud/headphone on. Particularly, if there wasnt a conversation about it. A good example: texting and driving. Popular safety products. Save the lyrics for completing repetitive or monotonous tasks. The headphones/earbud thing isnt about listening to something during work but about a power play. I get it that its frustrating for those on the outside to watch. The point Im trying to make is that unless theres an accommodation, an employee doesnt need to use headphones to do their job. The cell phone company policymay also be referred to as a no mobile phones at work policy or a bring your own device(BYOD) policy. Its about the quality of work and its about the quality of life the people who are doing the work have at the office. And anyone who presses for specifics after the phrases Alison suggested is either completely clueless of social norms, or totally lacking in boundaries. They help people get into a groove, and they send a clear sign to others that you're busy. Im a QA for a mobile multimedia app, for instance, and so sometimes it is literally part of my job to be listening to the audio output from a device. And my option would then be earbuds or nothing which would be sensory hell for me and probably cause me to burn out and lose my job after a few months. Im also not bluffing. You may be happy to work without them. Im confused about that too. I hope that people who do this know that many of the rest of us have to listen to the psss-psss-tsst-pss-ts of their dangling earbud and its super annoying. That is why it is not arbitrary. . They dont generally do in-person support. If I have to block out everything on my own (without the earbuds), then I really DO block out EVERYTHING. Ughhh, I shouldve just waited for this comment and agreed instead of writing mine. We recently covered Shanling's M0 Pro, and the M3 Ultra DAPs but the recent Shanling pocket-friendly DAP line doesn't stop there. I laughed out loud at this because its so blatantly much ruder than Mommy MDs initial comment. I dont think that at all. Feel free to borrow one of my injuries & claim it as your own. Being unnerved by headphones but fine with earbuds seems a very specific unnerving. 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People also have different jobs and have different responsibilities. Yes exactly. Yeah, but Im pretty sure my boss just hates headphones. And the 5 seconds to take off the headphones and switch their mental process to whatever the manager wants to talk abut IS responsive. Aug 29, 2014 at 15:29 . And because manager is being ridiculous considering headphones/headsets are also used for online meetings and such. If I werent allowed to wear the earbuds, Id have to work harder to block out the ambient noise, which would make me LESS responsive to people trying to get my attention. LW 1 Id be pretty upset if I was told I couldnt wear headphones at work (particularity when on deadline). Thats not a normal reaction. Which, they probably are, in the sense youre using the to be focused. From the title I thought this was going to be about wanting to intervene. The change will have exactly zero effect on performance, since employees would still be wearing (smaller, less visible) headphones, and still have to stop to take them off. Im very not clear on what the time difference between removing headphones and removing earbuds is? If they say Actually, sometimes its a bad time, if its not urgent, can you do it this other way instead? Honestly, is this a hill youre willing to die on in order to enforce? I think LCL is saying the strong negative reaction to seeing someone in headphones may be generational, not the choice to wear headphones over earbuds itself. In my experience, when Ive notified my manager I have PT, no further questions are asked. While occasionally what their asking is important enough to do this with, its very rarely the case. Its a requirement where I work, and you can only use one earbud. The new policy is important, but not so important that work should be inconvenienced for the sake of it. This is not a hill to die on. All are excellent points. My coworkers know that if they need my attention, they should do one or some combination of the following: Wave in my line of vision (but NOT close to my face). All I know is, anytime Ive seen someone put on that aggressive of a reporting schedule its because they arent meeting goals and accomplishing projects. I agree the earbud/headphone rule is silly. On occasions I have worn earbuds, or hooked earbuds that are less noticeable and people have walked in and started talking before I have taken them out, when this happens I have to ask them to repeat themselves. The Etymotic ones, for example. I dont know how Id survive being slotted next to the conference room and the bathrooms and the main path around our cube farm without them. Award Score. I think that DCer might have wanted this comment to sound reassuring, but I guess I find this idea of a universal code where if you dont provide details then it must be about your reproductive organs to be a bit unsettling and the opposite of reassuring? Choose music that aids your productivity. People shouldnt be launching into requests as soon as they waltz up to a desk either you try to grab the persons attention first. I dont care if someone is listening with headphones or not, I just start talking. If youre the help desk and your primary role is to help people with IT issues, I guess. When I get new phones and they come with earbuds, I give them to my kids. Both these things offended a lot of older people in the office (including my boss) who perceived both these types of headphones as making the person not approachable. I am EMPHATICALLY opposed to open office spaces. I work with a lot of gentlemen who were in different branches of the service. 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. OSHA Issues Guidance on the Usage of Headphones on Construction Sites He stated there wasnt a company policy about it. I put on my noise cancelling headphones. That. You would say that is petty, and it is probably, but I am not going to put up with that kind of insubordination. It should come as no surprise that many employers permit their hourly workers to wear headphones on the job or play music across worksite speakers. It doesn't work that way. Are you happy with them? Its like, if Im wearing blue jeans right now and if my boss pulled me into their office right this minute telling me that the new rule was to wear red pants, I would not assume it has to happen ASAP, because I dont have red pants. Is the personal attack (spoiled entitlement) really necessary to the point here? If I tell him I cant he will ask why, and I will need to justify to him my physical and sensory limitations. But without clear guidelines or a headphone policy at work, employees are left to decipher best practices on their own. There are, I hasten to say, plenty of jobs in which drop everything is indeed the expectation, and for good reason. In fact, I put an incredible amount of conscious work into cultivating my team members ability to exercise good judgment and make good decisions, and as a result theyve achieved some fantastic results so far this year that would have never happened if Id been the one dictating all the things. I read it that way too but then I re-read and I think its two weeks between INFORMAL offer and FORMAL offer. A manager cant suddenly conjure up a different office design and theres nothing to suggest that the LW wanted an open office in the first place. You might think no one will notice one earbud in, but since you shouldnt be listening to anything during a meeting anyway, its best not to wear them at all. Signs, Labels, Tags and Safety Products, Open Ears: Reducing the Threat of Earbuds in the Workplace. 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. So, i could be working -listening to a call in issue which you may not know. 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. I know its not always the default; there are plenty of shitty managers out there, but really the default should be NOT inquiring for more specifics. Huh, count me as another one who would think that the point of a ticket system is that it routes through the system so you DONT have to go down to IT and chat with the IT guy. I agree with Fae, I read it is as they didnt have earbuds, so they would make the switch when they got some. should I wear my wedding ring to an interview, client demands unlimited time, and more. And if you lose interest, it's always easy to unsubscribe with a single click. Now, remember all those comments above from people with small or oddly-shaped ears/ear canals who just cannot do earbuds, period? endobj It makes it hard to focus and easier for folks to interrupt you with non-sequitors or generally disrespect your time/lunch breaks. 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! Part of that means respecting our team members autonomy, and it means not making policies to micromanage peoples lives for no good reason. Specific types of clothing arent essential. I met with one of those employees today to discuss my management rule to use earbuds instead. I dont think the manager really has room to get mad about insubordination unless he was still wearing the headphones the NEXT day. 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. I have no idea if thats this employees primary role or not though. She is. I just think earphones and headphones both pose this Oh I have to get their attention thing.). The ones I got were made by Sony and about $40 from Best Buy. This is a really important point! TWO WEEKS? The LW writing in about a direct report wearing headphones didnt articulate a reason for the rule, just a preference. So. I also use AirPods so I can hear people if my volume is low enough, which it usually is. day. I have both contact and atopic dermatitis. support. I would argue that in most workplaces the number of people that have duties that require them to be immediately available for walk-ups is considerably fewer than those that do not. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to write a policy for mobile phones in the workplace: 1. Like, not even my first 20 jumps. Personally I like the clip-on over-ear phones for when Im on-the-go but they dont sell them in stores anymore so I have to order them online. Twenty minutes later Admin in AK, I think youve missed my point. If they cant solve the problem, they still create the ticket. I would not make this a rule. 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. I actually have a bunch of ADHD students who would disagree. They would still have to take the earbuds out just like taking headphones off. But specifically regarding the employee disregarding the rule by continuing to wear the headphones: I have to have noise in my ears to concentrate. Yeah, I was thinking the manager would do much better to set up a ticketing system where people can put in a request in an orderly fashion rather than running up to the IT folks desks. Allowing things that can be accommodations for some / perks for others when possible can be a really important way to be a more genuinely inclusive workplace. I wonder how long ago the original letter was. Looking back, the random status update requests were the first sign that something was off, but I was new to the work world and assumed it was normal process, and so never asked him why he was doing it until one day he had me in his office and was threatening me with termination. Maybe, depends on the tone they used when they corrected me. My friends and family didnt understand which lead to intense shame and further feelings of isolation, both of which just made me feel I needed my partner even more. Also, low-end noise-cancelling headphones are easier to find than low-end noise-cancelling earbuds, for those on tight budgets. Why couldnt it wait until the end of the day to have a meeting to say Okay so starting tomorrow, were going to only use earbuds.. Save your headphones for when you need to find deep focus.