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I am currently working in a very crowded open office. We have small desks where we sit almost elbow to elbow, the place is all hard surfaces (it's an old indust
by nisse72 10y ago
I am currently working in a very crowded open office. We have small desks where we sit almost elbow to elbow, the place is all hard surfaces (it's an old industrial building made into office space), and there is a fair amount of noise.
But none of this would bother me except for the fact that one senior person has decided to have speakers installed in the ceiling, and we have to listen to non-stop spotify playing top 40 or whatever, all day every day.
The constant music drives me insane, it just drones on and on. I wear noise cancelling headphones with rain sounds to drown it out but I don't like wearing headphones all day and it hinders collaborating with my neighbours. I can't tell if management is clueless or simply does not give a toss. Probably both.
- digler999 10y agoIf you don't like them, and you have no hope of using direct methods, you might be able to turn them in to either spotify or ASCAP. I think they might need a special license to play music for more than one person. It's dirty and it's snitching, but it might make your problem go away.
- nisse72 10y agoI would love to do that, but even though my opinion is shared by possibly 80% of the staff here I would also be the prime suspect since I've been quite outspoken about it. In fact there's a note on the back of the amplifier telling me specifically to keep my hands off the speaker cables! (They have been unplugged on a few occasions, but not by me). My manager is sympathetic but powerless. However we're expecting some major changes soon so I am cautiously hopeful, but I'm also keeping my eyes open for other opportunities in my area. This will sort itself one way or another.
- keithpeter 10y agoSuggestion: you and the rest of the 80% arrange to wear headphones all the time for one day. (No need to have any sound in the headphones) and conduct all exchanges via email/internal messaging. Sort of silent protest? Might get the message through...
- PetahNZ 10y agoYou can never please everyone, I personally am the opposite, I any music playing rather than no music, but also dislike wearing headphones for the same reason as you.
- ghaff 10y agoI'm no fan of open plans in general but that sounds truly horrifying.
- Florin_Andrei 10y agoFranz Kafka meets Silicon Valley.
- ArkyBeagle 10y agoNo, David Mamet meets SiVa :)
- boyaka 10y agoThis is what I hate about Starbucks, and the fact that it's pretty much the only place I can go to work / get out of the house when the library isn't open.
- keithpeter 10y agoIs there not an independent cafe somewhere near with no music? I've noticed that the independents tend to either not have music or have less intrusive music compared to the chain cafes. Latter have a 'format' they are required to keep to. I made a significant discovery last night: Franky and Bennys restaurants in the UK do not have background music inside the restaurant (unless the one we ended up in just had a fault with the system). Bliss
- misja111 10y agoHave you tried talking to your senior colleague about it? If your colleague can't be without music, then it seems a better solution that he starts wearing headphones instead of you.
- nisse72 10y agoHaha, the senior colleague in the story is the CEO, and my manager is the CTO. The CTO is on our side but the CEO cares only about 1 person and it's not us. Hence: clueless and does not give a toss.
- keithpeter 10y agoDoes the boss have a theory about universal music? Has anyone suggested piping nature sounds/sea sounds through the loudspeakers as an experiment (you know, a bit of disruption)?