no headphones at work policy sample

So, i could be working -listening to a call in issue which you may not know. but please dont. 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). CAN she make a policy edict that her preference for earbuds over headphones should be enforced for her team? Its asking for clarification and mediation. #2, never ever meddle in someones FMLA or Safe Leave. How can you look at someone wearing headphones and know whether it is an ADA accommodation or not? Its a preference like setting the thermostat to 71 rather than 74. An employee who is asked not to wear head phones and then in defiance promptly does has issues other than headphones. Then you expect them to be truthful to them. Just because someone is in it support or customer service, it doesnt mean always immediately immediately available, no exceptions. Around-the-ear headphones may be sound-cancelling / sound-reducing compared to the average earbud. Do you have to listen to music in order for the noise cancelling to kick in? To remove a Bluetooth pairing on a Mac, select System Preferences > Bluetooth > your headphones' name > X > Remove. We dont all automatically know this stuff so hopefully you see the comments and learn. This wasnt bullying (based on the information in the letter). I think the headphones/ear buds at work thing is something that has changed somewhat rapidly, and in the last 3-5 years. 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. I7f My only exception is if theyre literally a help desk. Most adults prefer to make their own choices about earbuds/ headphones, coffee/tea, type of pens this seems to fall in that category. 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. So, if this rule stays, should the employer or the employee pay for them ? The problem is that this manager is imposing a requirement on one staff member, and that person is the only one who belongs to a protected class. Its external earphones or nothing. It's been found to improve employee morale, enhance retention, and even promote a positive company culture. They probably dony have them at work. Its one thing if you want to cultivate a certain professional presentation in your department, but unless you are subsequently sending them home and/or giving them a stipend to immediately update their possessions, expecting same-day compliance is really over the top. The Etymotic ones, for example. I always wonder how many of these NO HEADPHONES types have private offices. So, can a manager make department rules? And if youre putting people in an open office format full headphones are a must. Its not when the company rule is that headphones are fine. Better advice would ask LW to reflect on what was said and possible explanations/context for the behavior in deciding how to handle responding to it, not to give advice that assumes theres only one explanation when were filling in a many blanks due to the lack of detail in the letter. I think this manager is being needlessly draconian. I dont know that its universal code. I hurt my knees praying in a Catholic Church. Most places Ive been that had a ticket system *also* utilized some level of phone support. at least with over-the-ear headphones everyone can see that they need to get your attention first. Earbuds hurt my ears. Create your account I just think earphones and headphones both pose this Oh I have to get their attention thing.). Then you suck it up for a few hours. It is an ableist mindset. If theyre talking to me about it, its obviously something they want done. Either way, neither outcome would really change the OPs situation and likely would not change the co-workers behavior. Im confused about that as well wouldnt it defy the purpose of a ticket? 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?. 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. For mind numbing jobs like that, you have to allow the comforts of a personal device or desk decor, etc. What make/model are yours? 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. We have one supervisor who, like you, feels awkward asking people for their attention, or, god forbid, having to wait or come back at a later time. I simply expected managers to have common sense (they did) and to know that noise + high level of accuracy for detailed tasks = disaster even for nuerotypical people. 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. Oh, I agree, I was just noting how they come off to some people. When it comes to headphone please alway either go for all or nothing. Thats really bad policy for an IT department. Its work, not a prison. Part of that means respecting our team members autonomy, and it means not making policies to micromanage peoples lives for no good reason. 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. If you dont trust them that much, maybe look in the mirror and ask yourself why not. Again, I understand they are a tool, but they are a tool that not everyone has access to and yet those people are still held to the same production standards. Sometimes I need to wear headphones to do my work. These applications help to submit . Not IT staff. Just anecdotally, this is not at all true ime. I once felt extremely bad at work and needed to go home. endobj Some people find that listening to music can help to minimize outside distractions such as other employee conversations, which helps them stay productive. 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. 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. My rule is 1 earbud is ok. Its what I do. Its not that headphones are a natural part of an office, but more that managing your employees to a totally unnecessary level for no reason other than a personal preference is, well petty. 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.) Itsnot hard. I cant compare them to the more expensive/better known ones as I have not used those. 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. Often if people see I dont have my headphones they will walk in and start talking right away, but if they see I have my headphones in they will wait a second or two until I have them off. It wasnt customer facing, I didnt have a team to communicate with, and didnt have to be on the phone. 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. Yes, this. 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. Then we can have a great debate when a manager starts with we dont have a policy to keep the door open but I prefer it, it unnerves me with closed doors and knocking vs just entering, etc. If they banned headphones at my boyfriends IT office, people would definitely push back hard. Theyre not precisely bellowing or yelling at each other; they all have very deep, resonant voices so boomy was the best I could describe them. No five second wait while they pull out their earbuds or take off their headset. I wont even go into how much less enjoyable listening to music would be without said devices, but forcing me to do so would definitely make me anything BUT a happy camper. But the defiance! 9rM5SM>&o perceived both these types of headphones as making the person not approachable. I actually left a job because they had a rule that you couldnt listen to anything while at work. Bc having to have music playing would just replace one source of distraction with another for me. At Blue Summit Supplies, our companys purpose-driven model and lean manufacturing methods have been carefully engineered to directly feed the extraordinary value were able to provide you, our customers. Ok, I admit that Im the Queen of weird injuries. Its just basically never a good idea to assume that someone owes you their immediate attention. But, again. When using phones, they must be well clear of any transit paths for vehicles, forklifts, bicycles or even walkways for pedestrians in the plant. 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. What, exactly, is the unnerving part? The headphones question in general (ignoring the weird earbud/headphone distinction) is a real choose-your-battles issue. 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. Or even things that are less life-and-death, like a receptionist or the host at a restaurant. That said, larger headphones can be expensive, and they are tough to take from place to place. And then running to HR? You might agree, especially if staff work with customers or the general public. But without clear guidelines or a headphone policy at work, employees are left to decipher best practices on their own. I dont have any better advice to offer than Alison has already given, but I just wanted to let you know you arent alone. A manager cant suddenly conjure up a different office design and theres nothing to suggest that the LW wanted an open office in the first place. And, if i am on such a call i think it is rude to just hover around me waiting to finish the call. The wailing and gnashing of teeth over headphones is kind of mind boggling to me. No. tl;dr: It seems like it should be a one-to-one replacement but its actually not. But how many internal users are just approaching IT with an issue? That doesnt work for everyone. My earbuds are a lifeline for me at work. 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). Just yikes. And only one earphone being used, so I was always able to hear people approaching. Yes, I am at work and I dont work in a dungeon as a submissive, so I expect my boss to stay out of my ass on certain things. Sometimes, MommyMD, you genuinely have valuable insight, but you often deliver it so unpleasantly. Another tiny ear person chiming in! Enter the email address associated with your account. It is possible that wearing either type of headphones in a noisy environment can exacerbate hearing loss. I doubt this manager ran the idea by HR before doing it. Its what Ive okd for my team. 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. They might not have any! The reasons for introducing the ban are: * Wearing headphones make employees seem unapproachable. When in doubt, aim for lower volume, especially if you are working close to others. HR may even know about a disability he has disclosed and that is why he went to HR. Located in Huntsville/Madison, AL? Why? made a beeline for HR could mean so many things and have so many possible explanations.

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