Yes, but how to finish the work day, when one has headphones, and was using them. If OP had just said I feel like the headphones are a signal not to interrupt they could have been reassured as to the contrary or opened up a win-win dialogue. But specifically regarding the employee disregarding the rule by continuing to wear the headphones: I have to have noise in my ears to concentrate. Of course, the people who wear them nowadays are usually in noisy environments and just trying to get some work done, and arent aware of these old associations, and often respond with a combination of bafflement and resentment that anyone would object to OTE phones. I was speaking to the tons of people in this comment section acting like noise in an office is a brand new phenomena and there is clearly no way to get work done without headphones. I have a physical therapy appointment X day in the morning for the next 8 weeks.. That said, larger headphones can be expensive, and they are tough to take from place to place. I try to be responsive so I take my headphones off if it even seems like someone is coming to speak to me. Im not saying people shouldnt have a certain level of professionalism but honestly the obsession with over professionalism in the workplace is too much. Say my name. Not even trying to imagine if theres an expectation of and then he needs to pause work on his production server or whatever and start working on my issue, because I physically came to his desk I start dry-heaving when I try to think of that. Ohit takes them 5 seconds to remove their headphones and that annoys you?? To me, its like listening to the TV and the radio at the same time and makes it more difficult to concentrate. Does he have a migraine and removal of the offending headphones would send him over the edge of tolerance to pain? of the two it is. But I may have misinterpreted what you said. Im not sure I see a significant difference. I suspect that if you say oh, just some boring stuff, everythings fine, no one will guess its about your Lady Business. Award Score. i should have put it up a long time ago. Twenty minutes later Cheerleader: Gimme an H! 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. Regarding the question about the employee who was spotted with her abusive husband: Speaking from personal experience, leaving an abusive relationship is much harder and more complicated than it seems. employees who like to wear headphones, not earbuds, at their desks during business hours. I am more than a bit taken aback that you seem to have trouble empathizing the circumstances in which people are wanting/needing headphones do not affect you in the least. Welcome to your new favorite office supply store! Frankly many of the at-home exercises are the same as what I used to do for my lower back. Telling me I had to use earbuds would be functionally the same as telling me I couldnt block out distracting noise, and my productivity would drop. They arent there to instantly respond to your every whim at the specific moment of your choosing, theyre there to work. Seems like a truly bizarre thing to need to get a Drs note and ask for an accommodation for (though my ear issues are medically documented already, so I guess I could). I could go on &on but I had to get physio for all those injuries. This just means people might be stuck standing there awkwardly for a minute or so regardless. If headphones are a sure sign youre busy, people will be less likely to approach you when youre wearing them. Thats my place. Decide why you want to introduce these guidelines for your employees. I feel like if we all worked on our internal communication, wed have a lot less of these kind of things pop up. Yes, its unnecessarily rigid to expect instant compliance with something that isnt a safety or legal compliance issue. Theres nothing reasonable about any of that. Whats the goal? If so, its reasonable to sit down with the team member and say something like I know you like using those over-the-ear headphones. This policy is ridiculous. Cheerleader: Gimme an A! Theyll be thinking, what new rules will you suddenly impose next week? When Im wearing the earbuds, Im able to keep a slight bit of my attention listening for cues that someone needs me. Youre there to do a job, and if you cant concentrate because Bob across the aisle cant be bothered to wear headphones while listening to music, its worse than two people standing directly behind you yapping away about every topic under the sun except work. Headphones shouldnt be worn while walking around the workplace, and they shouldnt be worn when using potentially dangerous equipment. Does your concept of work not include the need to ever listen to sounds? They dont generally do in-person support. Im sure this LW would find me a very frustrating employee. Until there is a formally accepted job offer, the employer should be aware that at any point they could lose their leading candidate to another offer. My question iswhat is the difference, to you, between headphones and earbuds. That depends entirely on the office culture. A policy that places reasonable limits on headphone use can pacify workers and ward off serious OSHA fines that can be as high as $13,494 per violation, as set by OSHA on January 15, 2020.. Not just a non-perk when you have accommodations. My boss is really close to banning all listening devices so Im trying to get everyone to stick to my original rule. He would need that evening to either buy earbuds or retrieve them from his home. I prefer earbuds too, headphones crush my glasses against my skull and cause me pain. I think the earphone/earbud could have been nipped in the bud if the manager included their staff in coming up with a solution, not just decree one to satisfy her (since she had not heard any complaints from end users). Oh, and for many years I was undiagnosed so I didnt have this as a special accommodation. To the woman needing PT I too had to have some female-anatomy related medical care. 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. And as IT people, they really wont lack for other workplaces that do allow headphones. 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. Also when boss has demonstrated how they do things bloody sure Im going straight to hr as a basic cya move. The devices may be especially helpful for workers performing solitary tasks (like cleaning the building after hours) or repetitive chores (like filing), particularly if their accuracy won't be affected. Making the break involves so much more not to mention completely re-wiring a learned behavior. Ok, I admit that Im the Queen of weird injuries. Does the company has a support ticketing system, IM, phones, anything other than physically walking in on a support person when you have an issue? Its work, not a prison. They probably dony have them at work. So should I go ask why someone is using a mobility device because well I dont need it and work fine standing on my feet, why do you need that cane? Thats pretty severe of course but in a lot of cases, if you read the comments, youll see that some people with ADHD or sensory issues do require a quiet space to work and concentrate. *fr! Theyre your employees, not your servants. Rolleyes. I%m83M~UrIosU9$N3M~*4)&q They could very well have white noise or something else calming playing. Be thankful for the graces youve been given in life and dont attack those who are already down. OP2: You really need to dial it way back. Or possibly eight seconds to remove earbuds, since there is a longer reaction time to realise someone isnt listening because theyre wearing earbuds! This seems like a normal/fast timeline. Jordan's passion for travel led her to design a career as a remote content marketer. Just because it does not occur to you does not mean that disability is not an important part of these kinds of conversations. I agree that it should have been explained to the employee, but it could be for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with discrimination. Even if they are perfectly normally shaped, if you have TMJ the ear buds will hurt. Going to HR is the right place to go. 8.7. Hopefully, it isnt anything like that, maybe they are asking you to track to justify a new headcount since you are working so hard! I think employee went to HR to check the policy facts. Were in an extremely loud open office, and my back faces a busy thoroughfare leading to one of the few meeting rooms on our floor. 10 0 obj This means that women are underdiagnosed factors such as gender norms make symptoms easier to mask or dismiss. In regards to the co-worker experiencing domestic violence it feels like the OP needs to do some self analysis on what theyre trying to accomplish. Another generational things. Suffer in silence. 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. Its external earphones or nothing. but please dont. And before we launch into whether or not the employee needs headphones as an ADA accommodation, Im not going to assume they do or dont (theres no detail that provides that information) What I will assume is that there is potential an issue of trust and communication between the manager and their employee. Headphones have been a natural part of the office in every job Ive held. Yes, this. The point Im trying to make is that unless theres an accommodation, an employee doesnt need to use headphones to do their job. And the 5 seconds to take off the headphones and switch their mental process to whatever the manager wants to talk abut IS responsive. Based on what we do know Bad rule boss, uncommunicative employee both acted poorly and could have avoided such drama. I read it that way too but then I re-read and I think its two weeks between INFORMAL offer and FORMAL offer. I dont 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. When I approached him, I startled him over and over, didnt matter how I did it calling him name, knocking on his cube wall, tapping his arm. Response: No, there is no specific OSHA regulation that prohibits the use of headphones on a construction site. The completion and signing is able manually or via a trusted solution e. g. PDFfiller. Its not causing any problems beyond startling me when they get impatient and touch me, or my neighbor says She cant SEE you from behind. Do you love office talk as much as we do? As a note on this too there are definitely work environments where its not allowed to wear rings. 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. Would it make me dust off my CV and have a look at what else was out there? There are other reasons, not all of which fall under ADA, why an employee would strongly prefer over-the-ear headphones over earbuds, such as poor fit, concerns about hearing loss over time, the fact that the headphones ARE visible having their own benefits, etc. This. If its no big deal and HR was all meh managers call, sorry dude. then its just one of those things. that is not cool and frankly extremely rude. 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. Furthermore, making a beeline to HR is overkill when the problem was at least partly due to your failure to communicate relevant information. 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. Going to the desk of one of the support staff was a way users would try to jump the ticket queue and get their issue taken care of immediately. do I need to wear nylons to a job interview or are bare legs OK? Oooh, the You May Also Like algorithm brings up the letter from the employee whose boss watched her all day by video call as a form of mentoring. I wonder whatever happened with that situation. Be considerate of other peoples time. 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. That doesnt necessarily make it a perk to wear a ring to the office, though. Regarding safety issues: Obviously, headphones and heavy machinery don't go well together, but over-the-ears hearing protection exists. This is a pretty clear case of a manager shifting the onus for their uncomfortable feelings to their employee instead of handling it themselves. Weve become a very plugged-in society. If they came up to me in a huff about how I was in complete disregard of their new mandate? Yeah, I think for this LW its the look of it, but I think its a distinction without a difference. 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. I hurt my knees praying in a Catholic Church. This letter touched a nerve for me because I am having a similar battle with one of my managers. Also, if you are facing away from the entrance to your office/cube and have headphones in, Im sure its very difficult to get your attention, so Id prefer to use one earbud in that case. Oh, I agree, I was just noting how they come off to some people. Louder noises and lyrics are distracting when you need to solve a problem, but moderate, How to Implement Headphones and Earbuds in the Workplace Policy, Best Noise-Canceling Headphones for Office Environments, Keep in mind that in an open office environment, noticeable headphones can be an asset. When a new male manager questioned me about it in front of literally everyone including the male head of the department I said its about my period very even and deadpan. There would be a mutiny and certainly an ouster of the CIO. endobj Settle down. I am on the spectrum, and I dont know whether my distractability from people talking around me is due to that or just bc, but I have been considering purchasing a pair. This can mean missing certain sound cues that keep us safe. Regarding the second letter, that was NOT where I was expecting that one to go! The OP needs to accept she cant change her co-workers behavior and like Alison suggested, limit her effort to focusing on remedies to address what is actually impacting her. perceived both these types of headphones as making the person not approachable. To remove headphones on Windows 10, open the Action Center and select All settings > Devices > the name of your headphones > Remove device > Yes. I cant compare them to the more expensive/better known ones as I have not used those. But that sounds like two grownups having a conversation about their relative needs, whereas this situation sounds like a parent/teen power struggle. Now, remember all those comments above from people with small or oddly-shaped ears/ear canals who just cannot do earbuds, period? Especially in light of yesterdays letter about the IT support setup with no ticketing system I was really starting to wonder about the processes at this place too. Manager isnt a synonym for absolute monarch. Theyre adults for goodness sake, treat them that way. I also have ADHD and have a very hard time focusing because of this. Nope. I think you would be hard pressed to find a manager who doesnt feel that way. Retaliation is your word. Sometimes people need to remember they are at Work. Did not know it was a generational thing makes sense; thanks! Free shipping on orders over $9.99 within the continental US, New customer? To ensure that others aren't distracted by music and/or lyrics, have listeners use headphones. Or, you might opt for a more flexible policy. Nobody should be trying to get IT supports attention in person so frequently. This Employee Cell Phone Policy is ready to be tailored to your company's needs and should be considered a starting point for setting up your employment policies. 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). I didnt even know that was a thing. Bosses overstep all the time, you know this, youre on AAM! Because youre being very nit picky LW#1. I met with one of those employees today to discuss my management rule to use earbuds instead. I understand it can feel awkward to approach someone wearing headphones, but I do not think its reasonable to enforce an arbitrary rule on an employee because you feel a little uncomfortable. Most adults prefer to make their own choices about earbuds/ headphones, coffee/tea, type of pens this seems to fall in that category. I wonder if OP is also unnerved by approaching a techie, finding them on the phone, and having to wait before interrupting them since presumably waiting for a telephone conversation to finish takes longer than the four seconds it takes to remove headphones. Never wear headphones or earbuds when someone is talking to you or during a meeting. 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?. These things take time and a lot of courage, usually multiple attempts. I have no idea if thats this employees primary role or not though. Adults can reasonably differ, even over minor issues. And, if i am on such a call i think it is rude to just hover around me waiting to finish the call. This leads to turnover and workplace drama over a ridiculous powerplay. I think its really just this managers personal bias. That doesnt work as well with earbuds hidden by my hair). I /hate/ it, and everyone else does too. Never wear them while walking around the office, and dont let volume hinder your ability to hear emergency signals. It could definitely be worth the money if it helps you. Instead of wearing them on top of your head, you wear them around the back of your neck, and the headphones clip over your ears from behind, so it puts less pressure on the top of your ears which are supporting the glasses. Also, low-end noise-cancelling headphones are easier to find than low-end noise-cancelling earbuds, for those on tight budgets. Twice a day reporting: if that is something new that has never been asked of you or anyone else before, you need to have a conversation. *M07SMao If they say Actually, sometimes its a bad time, if its not urgent, can you do it this other way instead? You still need to be available to others in the workplace. Im confused about that too. I wear my over ear headphones most of the day because the music/podcast I like to listen to is not the most appropriate for the office and to not distract others with my music/podcast. Work doesnt have to be a nest of distractions either. But I love mine and they have helped me a lot. Part of that means respecting our team members autonomy, and it means not making policies to micromanage peoples lives for no good reason. Headphones are healthier. 9rM5SM>&o Quite a few people have, actually. I can see how this is an issue. 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. I wish that worked in my office. Id love noise-canceling headphones so I dont have to destroy my hearing but I cant tolerate the headaches headphones cause. The wailing and gnashing of teeth over headphones is kind of mind boggling to me. My team is chatty by nature, and not allowing them to focus using headphones (something weve all literally begged for) actively causes 20-minute cubicle conversations, office gossip, debbie-downer-style complaints out loud, and just general TMI talk. If you need more assistance or theres a burden now placed on the department, thats always a company issue not an employee issue. Domestic violence is so very complex, particularly with children in the mix. Right a civil conversation gets more respect than any manager title. This is micromanaging. 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. All Rights Reserved. In fact, a recent survey suggests that 71% of staff are more productive when they use their headphones at work. So, Im not surprised that the manager was then surprised by an employee who made a passive aggressive challenge to the rule without attempting a professional conversation. 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. Headphones over my hearing aids is the only thing I can do when I want to block out outside noises and concentrate. they both present the same exact problem. I have plenty of DV clients and they still need to talk to their ex about the kids. And that was pure luck. Especially is it ONLY because LW doesnt like it versus any real practical reason. That is quite a long time for an email when youre raring to go. Either you need to be 100% instantly available (no earbuds or headphones) or you dont. Will you tell me more about your headphones? My compromise is, if Im doing stuff that can be interrupted but also want to listen to something, to either wear my over-ear headphones on just one ear (with the other side askew, resting on my head behind my ear), or wear over-ear headphones where the two ears are connected by a flexible wire rather than a curved band and keep one ear on and the other clipped to my shirt. Same! This is all true but if the internal clients are coming over for help on the assumption that IT = helpdesk, the problem of interruptions wont be solved by saying its ok to wear headphones! 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). Unless the idea is that they can always hear you through earbuds, it is unreasonable to insist on them when the issue is getting their attention and wait time. (X0NRscWcoRv!7x)(I+_RXNaEZ6bsHLDtbbDkWU"J+;GWv(@DLq&Y)4e-"wQrugl`}e/qPUo(CO,6[O}m*d7U,} XB[lu\ ]F8:,tl`Qkx2 Like a lot of other readers, this seems like an insecurity around their managerial authority to basically expect their reports to immediately provide their undivided attention the second they walk in the cube door. 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. I listen to music at work. And thats really the thing: what is the impact, or is there in fact one? Others are not. %PDF-1.7 (To be fair, headphones will happily take out hair.). If possible, choose headphones over earbuds so your coworkers can clearly see that youre wearing headphones. Use them to create bursts of productive worknot every moment of every day. Thats how you get angry, frustrated, disengaged team members. 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. Your immediate jump to wanting to instigate punitive actions against her is frankly disgusting and shows a marked ignorance of the cycles of abuse and what it takes to get safe. how can you get around automated screening questions when youre actually qualified for the job? OP needs to BUTT OUT. Useful, yes. Youre the boss. From the title I thought this was going to be about wanting to intervene. All calls/emails are logged for tracking and trend analysis purposes. Earbuds may not be noticed, which can cause confusion or result in someone trying to speak to you when you cant hear them. Thats extremely rare. So for me it doesnt make a difference. That's my bit. Requiring me to use earbuds would mean that I need to remove my hearing aid. I dont. They need pants. If you dont like headphones, you have to say you dont like headphones. Noise-cancelling headphones are a reasonable accommodation for many issues; such as anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, others. I dont think that at all. I would not have thought oh hey my manager wants me to switch over to earbuds that must take effect right this second and not tomorrow after Ive had a chance to buy a pair of earbuds.. i recently put a mirror up because my back is to the entrance of my desk and i use noise cancelling headphones. I do not have earbuds at all. While occasionally what their asking is important enough to do this with, its very rarely the case. 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. If they push further then say Its just an old injury you know how it is, you assume itll get better and then realise ages down the line that it never quite has, see a doctor and realise you should have mentioned it ages ago (which if its childbirth related probably isnt a lie) if they push further, reiterate about the note if its needed, say how much you appreciate their support, and offer to ask the doctor if there are any accommodations they can think of which would help. Our company has a Walk In Center for people to go to with computer issuesbut they have their own room and can focus and are expecting people to walk in and then have a seat across from them. And if you lose interest, it's always easy to unsubscribe with a single click. There was most likely a misunderstanding involved. Good managers dont make up rules for the heck of it. It seems to me that earphones would be quicker to take off because you just grab the band and pull it backwards down to your neck vs. pulling out two separate earbuds. Also also, she got annoyed because she saw one of the offenders wearing headphones ten minutes later? If you cant point to a serious, concrete reason for this rule, itll appear arbitrary and youll burn up any goodwill you had with those employees and be in danger of losing them quickly. Earphones work better because it also signals to other people that I cant hear them initially. Cheerleader: Whats that spell? 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. OPs suggesting other people are probably just as unnerved by this as they are but are they actually, or is OP just projecting? Its just basically never a good idea to assume that someone owes you their immediate attention. Headphones and earbuds offer great musical sound by canceling out most or all of the ambient noise around you. This is an example of When I say jump, you say, How high? 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. They help others see that youre busy and prevent communication confusion. Therefore, it's only fair that headphones are banned for everyone else too. Just a type of work that requires you to act differently than in other jobs. When someone is wearing headphones at my work, I gently wave at the side of them to get their attention without touching them or scaring them. Granted, the employee should have also responded better (first, not ignoring the manager, and two, prompting a more productive discussion as opposed to running to HR)both need a reality check.
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