AKA almost literaly forced because while there may not be any bullet points in the contract forcing one to use headphones you'll get fired if you don't get your

AKA almost literaly forced because while there may not be any bullet points in the contract forcing one to use headphones you'll get fired if you don't get your job done. And to get your job done in a noisy environnment you need to stick something into your ears. A tacit unwritten condition to get a job done is still a condition. On a side-note I find earplugs don't really work on the long-term. Sound is drowned out but not enough (for me). Moreover, if one has develloped tinitus, earplugs will make bearing it worse over time.