no headphones at work policy sample

The point Im trying to make is that unless theres an accommodation, an employee doesnt need to use headphones to do their job. My desk faces my door and my computer monitor setup allows me to see when anyone walks by or enters my office. Jeez. One the employee wants to keep confidential. 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. Im sure you dont intend to come across as patronizing, but you are nonetheless. Yep! 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. I had a spontaneous bleed in my middle finger. If you dont trust them that much, maybe look in the mirror and ask yourself why not. 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. theres a brief waiting period for the employee to remove the headphones and acknowledge the person. Yes, this. I can see how this is an issue. 8.7. This is not someone I trust to be reasonable. 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. I can concentrate without them, sure, but its not near as easy. Earbuds are SO uncomfortable and the manager is coming off as a micromanaging jerk. Yes, its unnecessarily rigid to expect instant compliance with something that isnt a safety or legal compliance issue. OP #2: you dont have any way of knowing whether it was her or her abuser who broke the no-contact order. Its obvious that they are going to push back hard on this, especially if you end up pushing further and banning earbuds too cause surprisesurprise, earbuds didnt solve the unnerving problem whatsoever. The headphones question in general (ignoring the weird earbud/headphone distinction) is a real choose-your-battles issue. You still need to be available to others in the workplace. And especially with the fact that the employees response was to argue about company policy (???) I hope you can find something that helps you. If you have evidence that they cant hear people, you could impose a one-ear-0nly rule. Samesies I did PT for pelvic floor issues. Zeroing in on construction sites makes sense due to the nature of the work and all of the moving equipment, but its not the only situation where earbuds can pose a problem. Your employees safety is your responsibility. For any business, it pays to look for situations where listening to earbuds or headphones may be acceptable and others where an open ears policy should be in place. If they are needed due to ADA, that is an accommodation, not a perk. We pulled together a list of some of the best headphones, earbuds, and headsets available. Nope! On top of open office too no less. No five second wait while they pull out their earbuds or take off their headset. When you dont need to get in the zone, keep the headphones off so that people can approach you or ask you a question if they need to. But leave her personal life alone. 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. These applications help to submit . So I dont think that you can reasonably roll the eyes and toss off a assertion of defiance. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to write a policy for mobile phones in the workplace: 1. I stand by what I said, based on the information provided. But without clear guidelines or a headphone policy at work, employees are left to decipher best practices on their own. However you could play music or have talk radio on as long as it didnt disturb the others. I agree. exactly. -Neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD were developed based on boys, and that stereotype persists, even in the medical community. Be considerate of other peoples time. Thats unreasonable and bordering on tyrant levels. #4 If I were told Its a private medical issue and I dont wish to discuss it, I would absolutely not jump immediately to the conclusion that it was pelvic floor therapy. Its entirely possible to say I think OP has unrealistic expectations for hiring timelines without calling them spoiled or entitled. Noise is at levels requiring hearing protection - 85 decibels or more for an eight-hour day 2. 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 think this manager is being needlessly draconian. Was this a nesting fail or something? (Exercises, sure. Its productive for some people to work with noise. Over the ear headphones also enable me to hear more of what is going on around me, thus making me MORE responsive. Bc having to have music playing would just replace one source of distraction with another for me. Its HR, its not like he went to the managers boss. People in IT need to concentrate, and even one hushed conversation can throw an hour of deep thought off-track. Headphones and earbuds offer great musical sound by canceling out most or all of the ambient noise around you. That said, larger headphones can be expensive, and they are tough to take from place to place. I found that people think twice about stopping by just to chat when people have their headphones on. Establishing open ears rules that keep them focused on the job can help you avoid costly accidents and create a healthier work environment. Around-the-ear headphones may be sound-cancelling / sound-reducing compared to the average earbud. 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. You cannot use the well my job says no headphones and Im fine, so whats your deal, man? Thats not how the world works. I do so because my office is full of people who love to pop in for nothing at all or really unimportant things. 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. In between policies have unforeseen consequences. 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. As someone who also cannot use earbuds, Id be upset if using listening devices were allowed for some people but not for others because it seems an arbitrary rather than a policy based rule. Someone might work in a small IT department that supports internal clients and also performs maintenance and upgrades that require some time to concentrate. 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. People look at me strangely when I talk about my injuries. It also signifies a generational desire to avoid anything communal and have everything in their world exactly as they would curate it. Different positions do demand different levels and I was presenting the side that has to do their job without them since very few in this comment section seem to have such jobs. I dont understand this bosss issue. and for the third time I will ask, theres a brief waiting period for the employee to remove the headphones and acknowledge the person. Youll make him faint right there. If both parties actually discussed the issue there would likely have been a better outcome. ), so they sometimes dont come to me with questions I do actually have time to answer. So for me it doesnt make a difference. People were expected to do so in order for us to track inquiries and keep appropriate staffing levels. I would definitely be visualizing funding vanishing, or the CEO who needs to do a sign off changing her mind. I certainly would be extremely impatient in that scenario. At this point, I told him this was my rule and he then made a beeline to HR. I /hate/ it, and everyone else does too. I torn ligaments bowling. Jordan's passion for travel led her to design a career as a remote content marketer. can we talk about GOOD companies for a change? (Which again, we have no information about). ), OP#4: Hands up here as another member of the needing regular physical therapy for pelvic floor issues club. Pay close attention to the type of work you are trying to complete and adjust your playlist as needed. Im not sure that its rude, per se- maybe just a bit myopic in its assertion that instant compliance is either virtuous or possible. Do you love office talk as much as we do? It irritates me no end that my spouse has taken to wearing headphones, all day, every day, but could not articulate exactly why. If you require deep concentration, try listening to ambient sounds. I have a friend at work who is an older gentleman he doesnt have earbuds, but his hearing is impaired enough to require hearing aids. If it is the case that the internal clients are coming over for immediate help, there could be a few other ways forward I think that the breezy, not too serious just something I need to get taken care of is vague enough and shouldnt prompt further questions, and also shouldnt prompt the manager to think ah, female issues immediately, which is something it seems the Letter Writer is trying to avoid. I will say, it definitely sends a signal I am trying tune everybody out and concentrate on something else. So if these IT roles are solely to provide support to internal customers, it is kind of off-putting. 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. Never wear them while walking around the office, and dont let volume hinder your ability to hear emergency signals. So creepy. Earbuds can be really inconvenient for some people, and I agree with the people above pointing out that earbuds are barely noticeable and can thus cause more awkwardness as colleagues of cliente will sometimes keep on talking until they realise the other person is still not listening. For more informative articles about work culture and office supplies,subscribe to our email newsletter! Employees shouldnt have morally charged, pejorative terms lobbed at them over Headphonegate. The best thing you can do is be patient, and offer nonjudgmental support if appropriate. Im very not clear on what the time difference between removing headphones and removing earbuds is? In general, we should trust the people we hire to be mature, respectful, professional adults who exercise good judgment. Appearance? If I wasnt able to listen to music, Id be far more stressed than I already am. OMG I dont know how you do it. While you may decide to simply ban earbud and headphone use at work entirely, thats not always the best option. Probably anyone deaf in one ear would still either have to wear one earbud or just go without. 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. It can apply to any device that can download files from the internet or send and receive text messages, emails and phone calls. 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. Even though earbuds are more portable and easier to store, headphones block out more outside noise, and they indicate to others in the workplace that you are busy. I dont think that at all. That doesnt work as well with earbuds hidden by my hair). Or are you banning their use for meetings as well? I always wonder how many of these NO HEADPHONES types have private offices. 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. Dont be that manager. Rolleyes. But I see nowhere on this letter where the OP is like, "we can hear their music!" 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. (To be fair, headphones will happily take out hair.). The earbuds vs. headphones thing makes literally no sense for the reason the OP is complaining about. And if you lose interest, it's always easy to unsubscribe with a single click. 100% agree to this and going by your username, it sounds like were both in positions where wearing headphones could actually be harmful to our work. I was scrolling to see if anyone brought up the hearing aid issue. Again, this is assuming that the role doesn't REQUIRE incessant interruption. perceived both these types of headphones as making the person not approachable. It doesn't work that way. I find this unnerving when I approach either of them and have to wait. I came here to say this, too. 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. People shouldnt be launching into requests as soon as they waltz up to a desk either you try to grab the persons attention first. Also, low-end noise-cancelling headphones are easier to find than low-end noise-cancelling earbuds, for those on tight budgets. Based on the note (and I might be wrong) it seems, manager had a conversation with employee. Every letter posted here is one side of a story and we all have to deal with the fact that were not going to get more information. In those environments, nobody is permitted to wear a ring as a perk because the reason for not wearing them is to avoid a type of incident that I shall refrain from describing. I doubt this manager ran the idea by HR before doing it. I dont think its helpful to make up our minds that there must be one particular thing going on when we just dont know enough. should I even consider interviewing somewhere else if Im happy with my job? Putting on over the ear (OTE) headphones appears as though the wearer is deliberately shutting out the rest of the world, and was a common way to message 'eff off and leave me alone.' So they can appear to some people as a minor but in your face gesture. It is not clear in your comment that you are only speaking to the people you believe are just being babies whining about noise and headphones, and not to the people who actually need them. Regarding the second letter, that was NOT where I was expecting that one to go! I also have ADHD and have a very hard time focusing because of this. I dont think that I would immediately jump to Oh it must be a female-anatomy related issue if someone didnt want to get into the details of their medical care with me. Theyll be thinking, what new rules will you suddenly impose next week? I respond to any of those quickly. Not just a non-perk when you have accommodations. You will be redirected once the validation is complete. Dont discourage others from making sure theyre not being bullied or unfairly treated by a boss. If we consider every possible scenario, then were just spinning wheels to validate, justify one side vs. the other. This just means people might be stuck standing there awkwardly for a minute or so regardless. Earbuds are incredibly uncomfortable for me because I have an ear canal deformity which makes it almost impossible to find comfortable earbuds. But a few coworkers try to get my attention by coming in through my meighbors cube, and standing silently, sort of behind me in a blond spot. 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 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. My rule is 1 earbud is ok. Its what I do. I suspect that if you say oh, just some boring stuff, everythings fine, no one will guess its about your Lady Business. Please tell me you dont actually manage people. Then you suck it up for a few hours. HR is always the right place to go for this kind of issue. 2) Have you put them so their desk is facing away from where people usually approach? Earphones are worn over hearing protection devices. Which would you rather have someone not wearing headphones and not working as hard due to distractions or anxiety or would you rather get the job done? I can hold my breath for two weeks. I wear a hearing aid, so I can not use earbuds. I was performing well, was well-liked by end users and teammates and getting good marks on my performance reviews, when all of a sudden my boss started requesting status reports, pulling me into his office to ask what I was working on and such. Otherwise, accept that this is a reasonable consequence of putting people in cubicles and open offices. Yes. Or even things that are less life-and-death, like a receptionist or the host at a restaurant. At least headphones or earbuds can provide background noise to drown it all out or at least give the brain something else to focus on, like music, and I see no reason unless you are an in person customer facing employee (like at the DMV) that you shouldnt be able to use this method to cope. I know this is weird, but my ears are oddly shaped, and earbuds are painful for me to wear. OSHA says, Listening to music may produce a safety hazard by masking environmental sounds that need to be heard If your workplace has sounds that need to be heard (backup signals, machine alerts, etc.) It makes it hard to focus and easier for folks to interrupt you with non-sequitors or generally disrespect your time/lunch breaks. A good manager would have explained it up front, but since they didnt, you are you going to have to ask. tell the internal clients office hours are X-Y; otherwise use the ticketing system One is that youre frustrated because your employee seems to be spending time with the person youve arranged to make it easier for her not to spend time with. Original letter appears to have been posted in July 2015, so just about 4 years ago. Like me. Would it be difficult for the employee to tell the boss about such a scenario? Boss never asked anyone else for their assessment of my work (like, maybe, the end users?!) Yeah, I get the word choice too, but its one of those things where LW just has to decide on a course of action and determine not to let it be weird a brisk tap on their desk/cube wall and a cheery wave? Its what Ive okd for my team. Are you saying there shouldnt be any consequences for an employee that disregards a direct instruction minutes after its given? Arkansas is AR (Ark. Headphones and earbuds both have pros and cons, but in general, over-ear headphones are better for office environments. ticketed support system = no headphones or earbuds, you need to be interruptible at all times. While OSHA doesnt have any specific rules or guidelines on the use of headphones at work, it did state a position in the fall of 2019 stating, Listening to music may produce a safety hazard by masking environmental sounds that need to be heard, especially on active construction sites where attention to moving equipment, heavy machinery, vehicle traffic and safety warning signals may be compromised.. I get it that its frustrating for those on the outside to watch. Most of the time when Im wearing headphones, its because there is so much conversation and noise all around me that I literally cannot hear myself think. If they say Actually, sometimes its a bad time, if its not urgent, can you do it this other way instead? Yes exactly. 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. That way you have one ear that people can get your attention from, and you can hear whats going on around you. It seems to me that OP simply doesnt like the look of headphones, because the feeling awkward, waiting for him to remove them doesnt make sense. Not to be dramatic, but please, PLEASE dont be like our management team. That being said I think the employee is completely in the wrong about going to HR about earbuds. Oh yes. Would it make me quit on the spot? If there is an actual performance issue, this is not how to solve it. JENNIFER!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Just anecdotally, this is not at all true ime. That can be very dangerous in some work situations. You couldnt normally tell that Im autistic, for instance, and I have the legal right to the accommodation of headphones without it being obvious that they are medically required. There are days where I am unable to focus on my work at all without my noise cancelling headphones because of sensory overload. Different people have different work, different work requirements, and different work styles. Yes, it is exactly the same for me. %PDF-1.7 an Open Ears policy may be an essential safety practice. Even if Im not wearing earbuds, I might be reading something or in a state of deep focus while writing/thinking and it takes me a few seconds to transition out of that state anyways. 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. If your job is more independent, is in a large open space, etc, then I can see the uses for it, but otherwise I find it kind of ridiculous. She is the boss. Construction sites are dangerous - OSHA chose to focus on the obvious industry and for good reason. Most people would say Oh sorry, I didnt realize you meant for this change right away. 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. 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. I think the headphones/ear buds at work thing is something that has changed somewhat rapidly, and in the last 3-5 years. This headphone rule seems entirely capricious and based on nothing more than the managers personal preference. 2) Ive seen the IT tickets at my workplace: a good deal of them have to do with upgrading or deploying software on production servers. I also agree that the distinction is weird because the net effect (people have to wait to talk to you, you look unapproachable) is the same. Im not in IT, but I have a very similar role. Im confused about that as well wouldnt it defy the purpose of a ticket? ' style of leadership. OP doesnt like waiting for acknowledgement, made up her own rule, chastised someone in a ridiculous period of time after addressing the rule, then tried to assert more control by stating outright its her rule and must be obeyed. There is no company rule about it. Just because someone is in it support or customer service, it doesnt mean always immediately immediately available, no exceptions. 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. Its about the quality of work and its about the quality of life the people who are doing the work have at the office. The ones I got were made by Sony and about $40 from Best Buy. As an employee, I would assume my boss meant ASAP unless otherwise stated. If the answer is no, then running to HR is an extreme response. 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. I think it is the visual of headphones, they are more obvious and some people see them as sending out a do not disturb vibe. If they banned headphones at my boyfriends IT office, people would definitely push back hard. 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. Theyre headphones, theyre not a necessary accessory like pants. 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. Wearing personal headphones in the workplace also presents a hazard for the operation of moving equipment such as golf carts; security vehicle's; bikes; buses; etc. if youre an AP-phile).). Im just pointing out that the employees behavior was highly unlikely to be linked to an accommodation considering the conversation leading up to the employee going to HR, and this doesnt at all read to me like a legit reason to go to HR. 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. Nowaday most headphones/earbuds come with microphones built in so its super easy to answer phone calls. Earbuds just irritate my ear and make it itchy. While headphones provide an escape and a chance to get into deep work, they can present safety concerns. But the LW may not be crazy to want to ban big headphones but not earbuds, depending on the details of the job. Thats why IT departments usually have tickets. People are different from each other and have different needs and abilities. HR is always the right place to go for this kind of issue.. I would rather have a quiet office so I didnt need headphones, but since that will never happen. As for seeing her with her ex, you have no idea what they were talking about. 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. *I know I used the word boom a lot, I just cant think of any other word. I wont say that this is absolutely factually the case, but at least I usually consider a perk to be something more like my company gave me a pair of expensive noise-cancelling headphones rather than Im allowed to do a normal thing that theres no business reason for not allowing me to do that latter (and also, that if there is a business reason that its not appropriate to grant exceptions as a reward) I do consider to be a given. Thats not a normal reaction. and I had no idea he had that backdoor distorted-information channel going on. 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. I try to be responsive so I take my headphones off if it even seems like someone is coming to speak to me. I think this a problem generally in corporate America today: We see the boss as the person who has to have all the answers and make all the decisions, and their team members as the worker bees who get told what to do. Curious why the employee didnt push back? 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. 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. endobj I do recognize that this isnt the way everyone lives, but I think that where thats the case its a problem. 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. I cant wear them because I have eczema in one ear. n;H, At least in my field, that timeline is not weird. I think that even saying its a physical therapy appointment would invite more questions, especially if the boss is worried this will be a workmens comp issue for a repetitive motion injury, or that the company should provide some sort of accommodation like a standing desk or special chair. When I get new phones and they come with earbuds, I give them to my kids. To the woman needing PT I too had to have some female-anatomy related medical care. Ear Bud Policy. (I can also generally hear a little bit of whats going on outside of my music or podcast, and thankfully, the human brain is excellent at listening for its own name!). And then running to HR? How can the employees raise logistical matters, like accommodations or simple workflow tools, in those circumstances? Yes, and I can imagine a something else that involves the employee being immature or insubordinate, and I can also imagine a something else that involves the boss being abusive or refusing an accommodation. They would still have to take the earbuds out just like taking headphones off.

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