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It may feel like fourth grade all over again, but it’s better than listening to classical music all day long when pop is your thing. The entire concept of office neighborhoods focuses entirely on this sectionalization.Ĭonsider rearranging desks & putting talkers or music lovers together. Just like how many families have places within the home that are zoned for quiet (a reading nook, perhaps) and others zoned for noise (the family room where the television and video games reside), you can divide your office the same way. In this case, better zoning within the office environment may be the best solution. If your open office has lots of noise, including your coworker’s music, it might not be enough to simply ask them to turn it down or use better quality headphones. Boom, problem solved for a couple hundred dollars-far less money than training a new employee or dealing with a significant drop in work productivity.Ĭreate Workspaces Zoned for Specifically for Noise If you are particularly sensitive to sound, maybe the noise-canceling headphones shouldn’t go to your coworker but to you instead. Some companies may even be willing to pay for them if they help keep employees happier, which can boost productivity over the long term. If their apparatus isn’t blocking the sound, perhaps a pair of noise-canceling headphones are in order.

Your coworker should probably not be listening to music without some type of headphones or earbuds, although some workplaces do allow small radios, CD players, and speakers. If your boss isn’t willing to intervene, or if the noise continues (or worsens), you may have to file an EAP complaint. It’s possible your boss may be able to move your coworker or relocate you to another area that’s quieter. Know, however, that the other person may figure out it was you who complained. Leave it to management to talk to your coworker. If you frame the issue in terms of company output or goals, management is much more likely to be sympathetic. If talking to your annoying coworker doesn’t work, or if you feel unsafe doing so, you may have to approach your manager or human resources department.Įxplain that the loud music is affecting your productivity. Some employees just don’t care about others or may take your request for peace and quiet the wrong way. This way the impact of several conversations over a day or two registers gradually with them. Instead, each person can pick a time to approach them about their noise. If other workers are also bothered by the music (not uncommon), don’t gang up on the one loud employee. Pick a relaxed time to chat up your office neighbor, not when they’re on a deadline or stressed about their work. If you both like the same musical artists, perhaps you can agree on a playlist. Maybe you can ask them to turn it down or to limit playing music to morning coffee times and the end of the day. They might not even realize their music is as loud as it is. The first step is to talk to your colleague.

Hopefully one will work for you, so you can focus appropriately on your work and keep your productivity up. Here are some solutions, ranging from the simple to the more complex. It also determined that only one percent of employees are successfully able to block out noise and other distractions on their own, without taking additional measures. (That can actually be worse because all you hear is the tiny percussion or the music’s bass line.)Ī recent study by Oxford Economics showed that noisy open offices negatively affect employee retention. Sometimes it plays via desktop radio or mobile phone speakers, or it might even seep through earbuds that don’t contain enough sound. One of the most annoying elements of office noise pollution is music being played too loudly by coworkers. If you work in an open office environment, it’s inevitable that you’ll have to deal with the excessive noise factor.