Listening to music at work -- dos and don'ts

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Mar Mon 23, 2009 10:16 am

I figured this would help some of you at work!

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife ... index.html

casrin · Post by **casrin** » Mar Mon 23, 2009 11:01 am

I have two part-time jobs right now.

At the one (in the computer lab), my boss is okay with the staff wearing headphones to listen to music. Her boss, however, makes us all nervous about doing that, so I tend not to if I know she'll be around...

In my office job, I opened up Subsonic one morning. We're a two-person office, just my boss and me. She didn't know what the music was, but she really liked that it was on! I put the Background channel on so that dialogue from the rides/shows wouldn't distract us on the phone (haha) and she's been glad I knew of a "different" sort of online station we could listen to.

Thanks for the article!

Jacca5660 · Post by **Jacca5660** » Mar Mon 23, 2009 3:53 pm

casrin wrote:I have two part-time jobs right now.

At the one (in the computer lab), my boss is okay with the staff wearing headphones to listen to music. Her boss, however, makes us all nervous about doing that, so I tend not to if I know she'll be around...

In my office job, I opened up Subsonic one morning. We're a two-person office, just my boss and me. She didn't know what the music was, but she really liked that it was on! I put the Background channel on so that dialogue from the rides/shows wouldn't distract us on the phone (haha) and she's been glad I knew of a "different" sort of online station we could listen to.

Thanks for the article!

Welcome! I figured this could help some of you office types.

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Mar Mon 23, 2009 9:54 pm

I wish some of the people I work with would read this. Particularly the 'don't sing along' part. Some of the things I've heard...

Post by **js3901** » Mar Mon 23, 2009 10:49 pm

I only wish I worked in an office where we could stream music. the closest I got to that was when I was working in (telephone) customer service. We were allowed to have radios at our desks, but they had to be turned down very low. I found a nice clock radio with a CD player and a jack for an MP3 player for like $20 at walmart that I used. worked great. I haven't needed it since late 2006, though. and can't rightly use it in the hospital. patients need their rest and all. that, and working in the kitchen doesn't exactly make listening to music ver easy (at least if you actually want to HEAR it)...

Post by **Len90** » Mar Tue 24, 2009 1:40 am

These tips also work well for being in a computer lab at college. It is very important that you keep the volume turned down even when you use headphones or you will get dirty looks. I know this from experience!

Thanks a lot Jacca!

casrin · Post by **casrin** » Mar Tue 24, 2009 9:14 am

Len90 wrote:These tips also work well for being in a computer lab at college. It is very important that you keep the volume turned down even when you use headphones or you will get dirty looks. I know this from experience!

Thanks a lot Jacca!

Was it me giving you those dirty looks?

As a comp. lab proctor, I've often had to send out messages via PC (like an IM) to the users, saying, "I don't know who has their headphones so loud, but we're all 'enjoying' your musical selection. Can you turn it down, please?"

If they had subsonic on, I wouldn't say that though.

wdwannabe · Post by **wdwannabe** » Mar Tue 24, 2009 9:29 am

Most of the time I am by myself at work.....

Lucky me, so I can choose what music to listen too! But, I do have times that I need to turn it down.

Post by **Dr. Ravenscroft** » Mar Tue 24, 2009 11:40 am

I'm stuck in one of two offices. One is REALLY small, about 12ft x 12ft, with four people working in it, most of us use headphones. The other office is much larger with the same number of people, but one of the people we work with likes his Reggae and he doesn't believe in volume control, all his volume settings in the computer are MAXED and so is the speakers that he plugs into. Headphones don't equal silence. I bought a set of Shure SE110's about a month ago, they are sound isolating earbuds, Holy bearded mosses I can't hear anything external through them.

The phone has a flashy LED in it to indicate ringing. And everyone faces eachother so you can see if someone wants you. Makes my work environment a little better.

elizabethswann · Post by **elizabethswann** » Mar Tue 24, 2009 2:04 pm

My stepdad has a stereo player that he uses to play for his office. The past few times I visit, he usually has the radio playing but low enough for him to hear.

Nz58cl · Post by **Nz58cl** » Mar Wed 25, 2009 5:43 am

I think in our office we have more problems with people leaving their cell phones on their desks and walking away.

Most people do follow the rules and listen using headphones. Of course one employee is a band and thought she had the right to sing out loud to get ready for an evening proformance, this did not last long since she was right outside a manager's office.

wdwannabe · Post by **wdwannabe** » Mar Wed 25, 2009 9:21 am

Nz58cl wrote: Of course one employee is a band and thought she had the right to sing out loud to get ready for an evening proformance, this did not last long since she was right outside a manager's office.

I guess she wasnt that good.......

cccmouse · Post by **cccmouse** » Mar Wed 25, 2009 9:44 am

Thankfully, I can listen to whatever I want, whenever I want and at whatever volume I choose. Sometimes there are benefits to being the boss.

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Mar Wed 25, 2009 10:33 pm

Nz58cl wrote: Of course one employee is a band and thought she had the right to sing out loud to get ready for an evening proformance, this did not last long since she was right outside a manager's office.

We had someone like that where I used to work. She actually was pretty good but it was like "This is not an animated feature. Please stop randomly bursting into song, lest you attract friendly squirrels."

Of course where I work now, well ... you haven't lived 'til you've heard middle-aged men sing along with Britney.

emnbensdad · Post by **emnbensdad** » Mar Mon 30, 2009 10:46 am

I'm usually at the store working alone. I have SR on and some customers have noticed.

I do it to help pass the time between customers on slow days. On busy days, I honestly don't recall what I have heard.