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. The policy states: Using portable headphones, earphones, earbuds, or other listening devices (except for hearing aids) while walking, jogging, running, skating, skateboarding, and bicycling on. Samesies I did PT for pelvic floor issues. It could definitely be a case of the employee needing time to concentrate on something specific, or time to go out and purchase earbuds We just dont know what the managers rationale for attempting to insist on earbuds is and I think most people would be annoyed to be confronted with a standard that smacks of being micromanaged. If you dont really have an actual, objective business problem being created by the headphones, leave it alone and let people do their work. and Labels No Soliciting Wash your hands Do not enter No Smoking No Parking Cell Phone / Texting Fire extinguisher Payment Policies. 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). I wear earbuds to help me focus at work. 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. It helped me IMMENSELY and my vulvodynia is very well managed these days. They dont generally do in-person support. Do you love office talk as much as we do? +1. Intern after that wore those bluetooth earbuds in his ears all the time, including while walking around the office. This is incredibly unreasonable. So Im very appreciative of having a little music to offset all that booming going on. If I were one her employees Id be pretty irritated too. All you people who want an end to noisy open offices should try approaching the noise as a health and safety problem. (To be fair, headphones will happily take out hair.). I dont know. I would honestly have just done as the boss asked in the moment; but Id be looking for a new job with a leader who wasnt subject to random whims. No wireless or quick charging. This just means people might be stuck standing there awkwardly for a minute or so regardless. If I have to take my hearing aids out to use earbuds, not only do I have to worry about losing the (VERY expensive) little devils, but when someone wants to talk to me, I would have to not only remove the earbuds but put at least one of my hearing aids in before I can converse. The Letter Writer says this: I feel strange saying something like its a private medical issue that Id rather not talk about, because I feel like that makes it quite obvious what the problem is. It seems that she is hoping that her male bosses do *not* quickly jump to this conclusion and that she can both avoid getting into the details, while also not revealing to her manager what she is getting PT for. 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. 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. All comments are moderated before being published, On orders $10 or more within the continental US, Our store is PCI compliant to keep your info safe. Ive been asked to do this in an office setting before and it forced me to disclose my disability to someone who was a complete ass about it. Yes, but how to finish the work day, when one has headphones, and was using them. This whole open office thing is getting to me. Its a stupid, ridiculous rule. Thats what happens when you expect to be able to force someone to change something mid-stream even though its been acceptable until that very moment. It takes but a moment to remove them and were not wasting any time with repeats. Theyre your employees, not your servants. But is it a good idea? Policy brief & purpose And then running to HR? But if were in the same common space, ugggggh I do not want to be the only one having to ask for someone elses time while they can just blurt out whatever/whenever at my naked ears. You still need to be available to others in the workplace. Thats why IT departments usually have tickets. I for one cant stand utter silence (or, alternatively, the sounds of coworkers off in other cubes having conversations), so I need a bit of music playing to concentrate well thus, headphones/earbuds, since Id rather not bother coworkers. If you need to be able to respond to people, having only one earbud in will allow you to hear people enter your office/cube. You will be redirected once the validation is complete. HaHaHa! Id be incredibly annoyed if my boss demanded that I stop wearing headphones because he didnt like them. Its not about adult vs. not adult. Different people have different work, different work requirements, and different work styles. Either you need to be 100% instantly available (no earbuds or headphones) or you dont. As managers were able to make tweaks to rules and limit them if necessary for our departments but you still have to be respectful of the fact that if every other department can use a device like headphones, making it a nope in your department will come with this kind of reaction. 2) Have you put them so their desk is facing away from where people usually approach? Working with a PT, nope.) Cheerleader: Whats that spell? That is why it is not arbitrary. I wouldnt worry about what your manager will think, because odds are he would merely be concerned, not be speculating further. That time i told her to please quit it. How does someone in the office talk to you about an issue that they need assistance with, if they cannot approach you on a phone call? Since this is an old letter, hopefully OP has since learned how to differentiate reasonable requirements vs. unreasonable ones. I probably would go to HR, because at that point my boss has shown themselves to be unreasonable and Id want to cover my @ss. People were expected to do so in order for us to track inquiries and keep appropriate staffing levels. Are the interruptions valid or could it have been handled via email? or maybe employee assumed that the manager was a logically functioning adult who when they DID NOT BAN LISTENING TO HEADSETS ALTOGETHER, made the reasonable assumption that this new rule would take into account that people would perhaps need a transition period of one freaking day and not 10 minutes. She doesnt want me to wear headphones *ever* because I may not hear her greet me the few times a week she comes up behind me to say good morning. They might not have any! If you choose to purchase earbuds, try to make sure they are noticeable, or consider adding a sign to your office door, computer, or workspace to let people know you are wearing headphones. Thats why more and more employers are choosing to implement an open ears policy at work. I wonder how long ago the original letter was. 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. Driving and other activities. There are a couple of problems with this line of thinking: -Someone who needs headphones due to a medical condition often doesnt look any different from their peers. Enter the email address associated with your account. This means that women are underdiagnosed factors such as gender norms make symptoms easier to mask or dismiss. Dont just dictate your preference as a policy, especially when that preference is seemingly not grounded in objective reality. I can definitely imagine a scenario where I weigh the relative pros and cons of one more afternoon with the earbuds, which the manager might see and get upset by, vs the fact that Im about to be on an hour long webinar/conference call/training video and my 2 officemates will definitely have to endure and will definitely be upset by. 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. 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. The next time you complain that your HR team is taking too long with an important problem remember that it could be because of incompetence or it could be because part of their time is spent dealing with someone is mad because they were told to use earbuds not headphones by someone that cant wait 10 seconds for acknowledgment. Yep! Again, the manager really should have addressed the why before asking you to do it, but since they didnt you really need to ask them. Ugh, yes it can be so hard to wear headphones when you also wear glasses. And there's other noises like typing, clicking, splashing. I think a lot of us are confused about it. Apart from anything else, you risk losing good staff. Agreed. I always wonder how many of these NO HEADPHONES types have private offices. I slot them on my head so only one ear is covered. 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. 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. My rule is 1 earbud is ok. Its what I do. Optics are important but Im honestly baffled at how I am shutting out noise, focused and at work on a task comes across as unprofessional. Set the rule either they can wear neither, or either, but choosing which style someone else should use is ridiculous. Earbuds dont work for me either. This response seems very unduly combative to me. Look for soundtracks, jazz, or classical music for tasks that require thought and consideration. Once youve done that, the next step is communicating effectively to your staff about your new policies and marking those areas with signs. I find this unnerving when I approach either of them and have to wait how does this issue not arise with someone wearing earbuds? Talk about making employees so miserable they want to leave. Nor will you be allowed to use/bring your own monitor & keyboard if you bought one as I did when I started. No, its really not. And if youre putting people in an open office format full headphones are a must. When using phones, they must be well clear of any transit paths for vehicles, forklifts, bicycles or even walkways for pedestrians in the plant. 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. @93q9qCD9DCsm'ns,3Qp&3Q8DCtm{dquC3qB!7h 8DC46q98DCD9DD!"s98DCT8DD!""b!BQ9`8DCT8DE!*gb!C)$y!*f"Y! The fib is the price they pay for prying into your business (if they ask). I think going to he was to cover themselves. MommyMD pretty frequently takes the least charitable interpretation of an employees behavior and comments accordingly. Working remotely, Jordan spends half of the year exploring different corners of the world. an Open Ears policy may be an essential safety practice. If there are work issues address those within the confines allowed with FMLA. But OP said they were fine with earbuds. Even if they are perfectly normally shaped, if you have TMJ the ear buds will hurt. And doubling down on what you said- people who come to IT peoples desks to interrupt them jump the queue-i was doing a business critical task for a VP yesterday that i had to stop to attend to someone who had an urgent luxury problem at my desk. And because manager is being ridiculous considering headphones/headsets are also used for online meetings and such. Theres an extra chunk that sits in your outer ear, generally. Helpdesk techs. Boeing employees have a new rule to follow while working: No more headphones. It may not need to be explicitly spelled out, but headphones for ANY usage is still not a perk. I actually do that with headphones, though. If youre fine with people wearing earbuds, you should be fine with them wearing headphones. It binds to the alpha2delta (2) accessory subunit of the voltage-dependent calcium channel complexes, mainly in the spinal dorsal horn and the prosencephalon, 9 and provides an inhibiting effect that alleviates anxiety. by Taylor Soper on April 8, 2014 at 6:10 pm. i should have put it up a long time ago. Im extremely responsive there, because I can see people approaching, and I tend to ull my earbuds out as people approach. Like, not even my first 20 jumps. Vote for the 2023 GeekWire Awards! Yeah Im somewhat hard of hearing, and because Im young people dont realise until they either startle me or I have to ask for them to repeat themselves. But you might not be convinced Earphones and your workplace culture. 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. 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. They save me so much time of getting interrupted, stopping what Im doing, listening through the problem, and then usually telling the person to e-mail me anyways b/c a record of changes need to be kept and then trying to figure out where I left off. The reasons for introducing the ban are: * Wearing headphones make employees seem unapproachable. 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. I dont care if it looks unprofessional in fact, Id rather see an unprofessional employee sitting, than a professional employee standing and making me worry how badly affected their knees and health will be in the long run. It recognizes that many staff and students use audio equipment (audio-visual & multi-media production etc) and other devices (MP3 players, iPods, etc) with headphones/earphones/earbuds and that this may be . While technically I could do this from the devices internal speaker as well, I work in an open office with several other people who have generally similar jobs and if we all did this then chaos would reign. (I only throw this in here because some commenters seem shocked youre even making this is A Thing and surely we all know headphones are fine and lets be grownups but hey, we dont all come from functional work backgrounds and if I worked in an office and was allowed headphones Id cry with joy. is it time to put my employee on a formal improvement plan? I use my AirPods and dial in for audio-only calls, because Im reasonably sure my coworker would be annoyed by listening to the Q2 Sales Forecasting call over my computer speakers. The phrasing may not have been particularly gentle, but the point is valid. And OP also expected instant compliance with the rule, as though one can simply change over-the-ear headphones into earbuds? Is the personal attack (spoiled entitlement) really necessary to the point here? Im not doing surgery, Im looking to help. xrJUKr8VIEXR4ytcf0"%,K@;CP2--w_3z_GhG*m47gS~[}[G9~W-6A;,)rVP&}4U{C\_u4mW? The headphones/earbud thing isnt about listening to something during work but about a power play. They help others see that youre busy and prevent communication confusion. 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. I still had sensory challenges in that position but my duties demanded different parts of my brain so I had different needs. Its not strictly required to do your job but it also makes no sense to have a rule against them or view being able to wear them at work as a favor your employer is doing for you. Who knows, she might have felt that in her car away from where the kids could hear would be the best solution. My noise cancelling headphones are life savers. Most people would just assume its for a knee/back/shoulder problem. Thats my place. Employees shouldnt have morally charged, pejorative terms lobbed at them over Headphonegate. Earbuds, headphones or naked ears, youll still need to make a visual cue to get my attention. At least they do actually act on help tickets now, in less than 9 months. Bc having to have music playing would just replace one source of distraction with another for me. Without music it does not completely eliminate all sound but it blocks most ambient noise and it greatly reduces my anxiety/distraction. 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. It felt like a harmless white lie that I didnt NEED to tell, but if that makes you feel more comfortable, you can go that route too. People in IT need to concentrate, and even one hushed conversation can throw an hour of deep thought off-track. Well I relate to you. 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. I still have to adjust it when someone comes in to chat. Colleagues used to walk up to my desk and if I was concentrating and I didnt see them, I wouldnt know they were there. Signs, Labels, Tags and Safety Products, Open Ears: Reducing the Threat of Earbuds in the Workplace. 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. And as IT people, they really wont lack for other workplaces that do allow headphones. So, can a manager make department rules? Never fear, you won't begin receiving daily sales emails that belong in a spam folder. Im confused about that too. It is earphones this time, maybe next employee doesnt like his hours or his work. In addition, you may request that they listen to music on their headphones at a lower volume so . Pick and choose when you wear headphones. I can hold my breath for two weeks. Are headphones ACTUALLY creating a negative perception about how accessible these team members are? 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? My boss is really close to banning all listening devices so Im trying to get everyone to stick to my original rule. 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. And is a red flag that would make me wary of deeper issues. Does he have a migraine and removal of the offending headphones would send him over the edge of tolerance to pain? If theres a problem, we should definitely solve the problem, but even then, we should articulate the problem and work together to find solutions, rather than just mandating solutions (or non-solutions, as seems to be the case here). Would I run to HR? Thats the signal Im generally trying to send. My advice would be to have a meeting with the manager and one of HR or her one-over-one, and include the magic words, Im the only person in my department being required to do this. Differential treatment is discrimination. That depends entirely on the office culture. And yes, I am at Work and were all Adults At Work, and something Adults At Work get to decide is if their earbuds/headphones are crippling enough to not use them At Work. 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. Its actively awful. 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. They need pants. 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. It just wasnt one he agreed with. Just not I feel awkward; it must be Bobs fault, better make him use earbuds as shes doing now. I tore my ACL and meniscus changing diapers on the floor. The fact that the employees felt the need to go to HR seems to suggest that something deeper is going on here. Why expend professional capital on something minor? Yeah, I read it the other way at first but upon rereading, I think youre right. 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. I can concentrate without them, sure, but its not near as easy. If your manager says Instead of item A, I need you to use item B for something that is totally optional, and you dont have item B available, the solution is not to just keep using item A its to stop using item A, and bring item B in the next day (or whenever you can get your hands on it). Never wear headphones or earbuds when someone is talking to you or during a meeting. Should an IT worker be a grown up and not answer their phone or attend meetings for the rest of the day because her manager has an aesthetic objection to headphones? This is just such a weird, petty, and frankly stupid hill to die on. You can make the manager even more uncomfortable by saying its about my menstrual cramps and heavy bleeding. A written electronic device policy for employees protects you, the worker, as well as your employer and eliminates any confusion about what is acceptable in the work place. I do not assume it includes the reproductive system. Doesnt necessarily warrant a chat with the IT guy (he does his chatting while at his customers desks fixing their issues! Theres nothing reasonable about any of that. U/G. With my headphones (which are allowed and much more comfortable), he gets my attention (knocking on my cube entrance) when he sees my bright red headphones. Does he plan to buy earbuds and need a day? I think plenty of people have been chiming in saying they wouldnt jump to this conclusion if their employee declined to provide details or used a brush off when asked further (also agreed with you that managers shouldnt ask for detail, but some do out of concern/politeness). 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. 3) Is there a ticket system for certain types of issues? I also have issues with people noticing me wearing earbuds since I have long hair and you cant see my ears. Sorry, should have been clearer. But specifically regarding the employee disregarding the rule by continuing to wear the headphones: I have to have noise in my ears to concentrate. If theyre used to using headphones, and you walk in one day and say theyre no longer allowed to with no warning and minimal explanation, you really have to expect blowback and be prepared to defend a significant rule change that will significantly affect the day-to-day work of your staff. Well, jobs, work environments, and people differ. LW1: If you do have a problem beyond just your personal preference surface that problem to your team members and collaborate with them to come up with a solution that works for everyone. Theres no company anything about it. For mind numbing jobs like that, you have to allow the comforts of a personal device or desk decor, etc. If you have evidence that they cant hear people, you could impose a one-ear-0nly rule. Headphones are more visible and therefore more off-putting? (And yes, it feels hella awkward to have to talk to bosses about getting this time off, I know. At home, she's content exploring fictional landsSpark an immediate and detailed conversation by mentioning Game of Thrones, Red Rising, Star Wars, or Lord of the Rings. They may have an ADA accommodation that was approved. Did she just expect all of her workers to be walking around with a variety of different kinds of headphones/earbuds just in case someone complained about their normal headphones? As an employee, I would assume my boss meant ASAP unless otherwise stated. [ticket or email or ping me on IM etc]. And adjust. and I had no idea he had that backdoor distorted-information channel going on. I am getting a lowkey anxiety attack trying to imagine what might happen if an IT support person is working on such a ticket, and random coworkers keep walking up to their desk and interrupting them, because they can. 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. While headphones provide an escape and a chance to get into deep work, they can present safety concerns. And even moreso because the employee ran to HR after their boss emphasized the rule rather than mention he didnt realize the rule began today thats also a bit of a red flag. Disagree. I believe I understand your point about headphones being a productivity tool, but for some positions its not an option and those people still get work done, so sorry, it seems to me like if youre allowed to use a productivity tool that others arent (minus if that reason is for an accommodation), then it is indeed a perk. I think its really just this managers personal bias. Yeah, but Im pretty sure my boss just hates headphones. 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! I work in a reasonable quiet environment consistently punctuated by loud men with booming voices who boom even louder when theyre excited or in a pack. Workers who are listening to their earbuds cant hear whats going on around them. Only if you managed to retain the employee. Understanding your reasoning behind a new policy helps you communicate its purpose and answer any questions about it. 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!). But for high focus tasks where I need to block out noise? Bill to combat youth fentanyl crisis to be introduced after multiple teens overdose in a Texas school district. For more informative articles about work culture and office supplies,subscribe to our email newsletter! JENNIFER!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! If possible, choose headphones over earbuds so your coworkers can clearly see that youre wearing headphones. Be thankful for the graces youve been given in life and dont attack those who are already down. As you mentioned, if youre concerned about interrupting, thats a discussion to have. You do not make the rules. I hear what youre both saying, but were not talking about a rule where an employee runs the risk of walking around half naked. This headphone rule seems entirely capricious and based on nothing more than the managers personal preference. An employee who is asked not to wear head phones and then in defiance promptly does has issues other than headphones. www.ehstoday.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. Clearly, your need to focus and work productively and comfortably the entire day is not as important as my 2-second wait! Your employees safety is your responsibility. Theres a lot of medical issues that a person might not want to discuss openly. To ensure that others aren't distracted by music and/or lyrics, have listeners use headphones. Although there isn't any specific health and safety regulation that bans headphone use at work, in certain workplaces where there are risks it is reasonable to put a ban in place. 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. Follow our. Eh, my husband has ADHD and earbuds help him focus on his work. When you wear headphones or earbuds, you arent able to hear the outside world as clearly. Most places Ive been that had a ticket system *also* utilized some level of phone support. Never wear them while walking around the office, and dont let volume hinder your ability to hear emergency signals. Within that role I was able to work without headphones because the functions of my job required different kinds of focus. Im not sure I see a significant difference. Just a type of work that requires you to act differently than in other jobs. You have no idea what she is doing, and what she is going through, or how much of a dangerous situation she is in. Now I have a wildly different position and I need to focus. But I love mine and they have helped me a lot. 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.
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