I didnt even know that was a thing. Headphones and earbuds offer great musical sound by canceling out most or all of the ambient noise around you. Follow our. I agree. And OP also expected instant compliance with the rule, as though one can simply change over-the-ear headphones into earbuds? Yep, exactly. 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. you know what, a good chunk of this might be frustration at the awful new uniforms my store is making us switch to but in response to the headphones thing.. suck it up. I guess it could be interpreted as in the moment though. 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. Apparently there was a lot of misunderstanding in how the PM perceived my work performance. Headphones are Not Hearing Protection - Jobs that require hearing protection such as noise-canceling headphones should not allow workers to substitute music headphones or use earbuds inside of the hearing protection. An adult assessment can be upwards of $4,000 (yes, this is an actual figure quoted), meaning that its infeasible for many to get the legal protection of that diagnosis. 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. Communication instead of just throwing around rules and adjusting to your comfort level by flexing your management powers is how you avoid people storming off to HR on you. I Don't Want My Employees to Wear Headphones | Inc.com If Im actually on a call or doing something that shouldnt be interrupted, I wear my headphones fully. And the do not disturb vibe is a bad thing why? Helpdesk techs. exactly. Give me a break. Clothing is essential. Headphones have been a natural part of the office in every job Ive held. Otherwise, there's no such thing as true multitasking. My dad wore the behind the ear type of hearing aids. Id be in defiance over such a stupid and petty rule too. Not permitting me to listen to music at a low enough volume that I can have both pods in and still carry on conversation would be a petty dick move. As a note on this too there are definitely work environments where its not allowed to wear rings. And the other is that you dont have enough staff to get all of your work done. Headphones over my hearing aids is the only thing I can do when I want to block out outside noises and concentrate. So creepy. 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. If I had an employee who heard the rule and then walked back to their desk and used a stapler, I would wonder why and ask. If we do not have enough information, maybe we should not use labels on people, such as , insubordinate , etc. Youve said youre not talking about disabilities that would require accommodation but theres a whole range between not disabled at all and completely disabled. 9 0 obj Useful, yes. The idea of asking them to change because I have to get their attention is flooring. A good manager would have explained it up front, but since they didnt, you are you going to have to ask.