No music for our department

I'm writing to both tell my story and get some feedback from other folks out there. I'm not sure if I'm in the wrong on this one.

When I started with my new company a few years back, one of the coolest features I noticed about the place was how they played music over the intercom all day. It was nice since we all lived in cubes, and normally could hear every little breath of the folks around you. The music helped me get more work done by drowning out the distractions. Plus I just like music!

Well most the folks in my department hate the music. They hate it so much they went as far to muffle the speakers with clear tape, they stuffed insulation in the speaker, anything they could think of to stop the music. I complained to them that I liked the music, it helped me work. They all said too bad, we don't like it... They told me to use my head phones if I wanted to listen to music.

Fine. So weeks go by... I decide to start using my headphones since I can't concentrate with the 5 different phone conversations going on all around my cube while my co-workers all chat with their boyfriends, wives and friends. About half-way through the day one of my co-workers pops around the corner into my cube yelling at me... she blurts out something about how she has been trying to yell over the cubes to me for 5 minutes and because of my stupid headphones I couldn't hear her... Then she stomped away apparently not needing to talk to me after all.

I mentioned as she was stomping off that I only use them to drown out the 50 conversations going on all around me all day long...

Am I in the wrong here? The whole company gets to listen to music all day, and most folks like it... our department blocked the music (against company policy, since the intercom is a security measure).

Should I simply give up the headphone usage and spend my days distracted ... or is there something else I can do? Maybe I'll ask for my own office... =)

JobSchmobber Community Comments

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Freedomringer (02/28/2007) I agree with you twiz, music helps me through the drudgery of every day! I listen to head phones but at a low level in case of an emergency. It sounds like this chic is pissed because you don't take part of the fun and games during work hours. You know talking on the phone to husbands, wifes, girlfriends etc gossiping and making fun of others. I could be wrong on this, it is just that I love music and it helps me get through my day without having to listen to all the crap generated by the gossip mills. avid reader (02/28/2007) Twiz, I'm gonna back you on this one too. I woud LOVE IT if they played music at my job! I use headphones to make up for it. Fortunately, they do have a ventilation system that is fairly loud so it helps with white noise to mute other people's keyboard clicking, throat clearers and spousal phone conversations. BUT that shuts off here and then and it promptly shuts off at 5 PM so if you're there later than that you hear every little noise of those around you and it is so hard to work! The people you work with sound like morons. bigblue (02/28/2007) Listening to music at work would be so awesome! Do people object because they dislike the type of music? If it is that "muzak" or elevator crap--eventually you don't hear it anyways--it turns into white noise. I think it is great that you get the option of wearing your headphones. What is wrong with those that you work with? twiz (02/28/2007) Yeah some folks complained about the type of music... Others just like it quiet so they can hear every conversation that is going on around them (ie - very nosy people). In any case, I'm still using my headphones regardless of who it ticks off... =) Not The Best.... (04/23/2008) I can't even fathom a professional organization that would let music play. And I say this from the customer's point of view. Music, television, talking to someone else while I'm speaking with you -- all shows 100% disrespect to the customer who is inquring about business related matters. We need your full attention. In my opinion, the only place that music is acceptable are department stores, restaurants, children's playspaces or the circus --- even then, it should be "lightly" in the background. I also think headphones at work are criminal. You are physically tuning people out when all of you should be working together. When it comes to headphones, no matter how nice a person, it is ALWAYS an inconvenience when someone interupts our favorite song and we have to physcially remove the headphones. And it is equally uncomfortable for someone to approach you about a business matter when you are wearing headphones -- jamming to your favorite tunes. I'm sure you omitted telling us that you had the music at full blast in your ears -- especially since someone had to call your name more than once to get your attention. What kind of business are you in? I'm sure you don't have to relate to the public or have a direct report to the boss. The person who called you name had SOMETHING to say ... but like me, she probably walked off because she was irate about the whole situation and needed to cool down before speaking to you. Not everyone who post on JOBSCMOB are in the right and the office is the bad guy. Sometimes, there's just another side to the story. We all just may be somebody's "Co-Worker From Hell". the confessor (04/23/2008) Unless it is a very important meeting like the reading of a will, music is quite appropriate in a business setting. That's why you hear carefully selected tunes in a variety of places-supermarkets, restaurants, even funeral homes. It has been shown numerous times that music can improve mood, productivity, and even the rate at which a consumer, client, or guest accesses and uses the product or service at hand.This sounds like a classic case of a worker that doesn't fit into the workplace culture, even though I think these people suck for not enjoying the tunes! 1anonymous (04/24/2008) personally, I don't care if a person uses headphones or whatever. As long as it does not interfere with clients phone conversation. We had clients with different accents hard to understand even in ideal situation. The loud elevator music certainly did not help. Office workers concentration was poor, many serious mistakes were made. This in a municipal law office. POST A COMMENT »