Are you allowed to listen to music at work (with headphones)? | Hacker News Reader

Are you allowed to listen to music at work (with headphones)?

18 pointspanjaro43 comments

I joined a new office since January. Work isn't very exciting but it pays alright although not great pay. However, when I used my headphones to listen to music, the boss said he doesn't like it. So, I don't listen to music at office. However, I sometimes wish if I had some music. On top of that, my office doesn't have any eating area, no kitchen, no fridge, no microwave. No talks besides ones related to work. If something was discussed before, no discussion on same thing again because boss thinks it's waste of time. I got yelled at couple of times because there were some bugs. I'm not sure if I'm over reacting or the office isn't good. We are just 3 in office including boss.

View on HN

Tip of the iceberg. Leave ASAP.

My coworker (a salaried employee) was working on the weekend as a courtesy to my boss (small business). She saw him wearing headphones and told him to take them off immediately and that they weren't allowed.

He never came in on the weekend again.

Rules like 'no headphones' are the signal that the boss is suffering from pathological behavior. This is a very unhealthy environment for the employees. Leave immediately.

+1 I never got my head around to understanding why its hard to understand that each has his own hacks to being productive. Listening to music is just one of the things that just works for me. Moving away from my workstation is another that works great for me when i am stuck with some problem.

But sometimes people frown, its their problem not ours.

This sounds like a very bad workplace. Not just in terms of perks, but in management style. Only talk about work while at work? Mmmm....OK, there's always lunch time. No "discussion on same thing again because boss thinks it's waste of time"...either you're exaggerating or your boss sounds like a deluded-YOLO-Steve-Jobs-wannabe. And the ban on headphones seems like a move out of insecurity, as if your boss can't trust you to stay focused on your job unless he has the uninterrupted ability to get your attention at all times during the day.

And getting yelled at over some bugs? If you have a choice, move out, ASAP.

Sometimes I think I'm exaggerating because all he wants is money's worth. I should be working hard and giving good quality work. But once he explains and we agree to build features in some way, discussion on the same thing irritates him. Once I misunderstood what he wanted me to test. Next day he gets angry and mumbles for 5 minutes and then get's angry because he just wasted 5 minutes saying the same thing. Most of my work is good. There is a senior guy who is nice person. He's been there for 2 years now but last 3 guys hired in my place left within 3 months. One was fired, other two left.

That sounds like a bad place to work. In better workplaces, and in terms of headphones policy, wearing them should be allowed, but it should be seen as a temporary do not disturb sign, and one shouldn't wear them all the time. Being in a shared office implies communication between the other people and wearing headphones all the time may interrupt with that.

In practice, what I've seen is that in the mornings with the stand ups and other meetings and calls with clients nobody wears headphones. Then after lunch and heads go down, the headphones go on.

I don't agree at all.

In an open space office headphones = working. No headphones - temporary you may disturb me now sign. Anything requiring more than 2 people briefly talking -> find an office.

And that's why open offices are horrible for devs - you work on your own 75%+ of the time and you get to choose between slowly damaging your hearing or being distracted and not getting any work done.

That sounds like a toxic environment and my advice would be to move on.

I'd second this advice. Also, did you notice any warning signs during your initial interview? If not, you should consider incorporating some questions that'll feel out the office culture.

No, there weren't any warning signs. Interview went well. The bloke seemed reasonable.

>I got yelled at couple of times because there were some bugs.

I'm having trouble finding words strong enough to convey how absolutely unacceptable that is. I would start interviewing at other companies immediately. When asked why, cite this. If you can afford being unemployed (check unemployment eligibility), I'd walk out of the office immediately the next time your boss yells at you.

"Don't make mistakes" is a completely unreasonable demand. If you want fewer mistakes, implement better processes and teach people better techniques.

That sounds like a really unpleasant work environment. I don't think you're overreacting.

Your employer is paying for your labor, nothing more. If it doesn't impact safety, workplace rights or efficient collaboration, it's none of his business. He doesn't own your time, your sensory experience, or your right to happiness.

Make that clear and if nothing changes move on.

> I got yelled at couple of times because there were some bugs.

This is entirely the wrong way to deal with bugs. Bugs are not the product of bad programmers; bugs are symptoms of bad processes. Bugs happen. The response to them should be preventative, not punitive, i.e., how did this happen, how can we detect it in the future, is it worth not just detecting but preventing in the future, and if so, how do we do that systematically. Of course there will be bad programmers, but environments like this give them the scaffolding to improve, and if they don't there's much more basis for letting them go than just, "you made a bug."

I don't consider myself even a good programmer. I get things done and I want to learn better techniques. However, in the past I have worked in places which had nice perks, nice team, great process ! However, good thing about this office is that I waste no time. I have never googled or open any website except directly related to work.

You don't seem to be overreacting. That's a small, intense, pressure cooker type environment with a lot of control going on.

If it were me, I would be looking elsewhere.

Is your boss over 45? It could just be a generational thing. For context, in my younger days, I worked in offices where no one ever (literally NEVER) took a personal phone call unless it was an emergency (this is before mobile phones and texting). And it still looks strange to me when I see people working at an office with headphones. (Even though I prefer to work with music).

He's definitely above 40 but not sure if he's close to 45. Besides, he used to be a Network guy for long time before starting this office.

I'm in that generation... And I've worn headphones in the office most days for the last 20 years.

What does 45 have to do with it? I'll be 60 this year and I often use headphones in the office, my boss doesn't care as long as I don't drum too loudly on the desk while listening to Deep Purple, Led Zep, King Crimson, Scooter, etc., etc.

I mean really, people my age and older invented the personal music player and so on. You could make a good case for saying that Masaru Ibuka invented the Walkman at Sony and he was born in 1908, around about the same time as my grandfather! He was already 70 when it was launched.

Older people have more experience in old school workplaces. Check out the new Alabama Shakes record, you'll dig it.

Okay, so no headphones. How about playing some music in the open? I've worked in small workshops were we all built a playlist and everyone put in their favorite stuff so the music would rotate. Doesn't have to blast, keep it low so it doesn't bother anyone outside your immediate area.

That'll be a very bad idea. He doesn't even like vibrating phones. One day the senior guy was told to turn off vibration because he was getting multiple messages. This senior guy is amazing. He's cool. He says don't feel bad. Boss gets angry sometimes because may be he is in pressure but he is not a bad person. This guy really has done great job there but even he gets blamed many times.

What if you decided to wear noise canceling headphones to keep you in the flow of work? Which I actually think listening to music does. Your boss sounds like a dick-tator or you're working in some government office in communist China. Leave now.

All the places I have worked allowed headphones. I don't think I'd work somewhere that didn't allow headphones. How do you get in the f'n zone without some awesome music?

Your workplace sucks.Move on as soon as you can. Seriously.

> Are you allowed to listen to music at work (with headphones)?

Really up to the work place I guess. All my work place so far let me listen to music with headphones...

I'd start looking for another job unless you don't have any good resume experiences and having a hard time getting a position. Then you would probably want to stick it out for a year and get friendly with that 1 other worker for a reference.

At every job I've worked that involved programming and working inside of an office, I was permitted to listen to music on my headphones.

How someone gets their work done shouldnt be a concern for your boss, as long as you did it yourself within the reasonable amount of time. Asking you to not listen to music, just because, sounds unfair and ill-advised.

Sounds like you're new to working, so dont make any opinions about work culture from this. Workplaces are much much nicer than what you're experiencing right now.

One office I worked in had a 2 kW sound system and sound proofing. Happy days !

Currently, the open plan office I work in makes headphones a necessity - for focussed isolation and for calls.

So you're lacking basic amenities, your colleagues are antisocial, blame and aggression take the place of thorough testing.

Sounds to me like the office isn't good.

What are you supposed to be doing at said office? Does it involve answering calls or hearing people talking to you?

Not at all. I add features to existing product.

Where I work we have music playing within the workplace through speakers, we're also free to use headphones if we wish. I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed to be honest - that seems a little unfair!

I had to invest in noise cancelling headphones solely to use at work because the office is so damn noisy and so many people lack consideration towards others.

it would sound like as if there could be office environments for you where you would feel better. are you coding? how long have you been in this (or a similar) position?

I would start to ask myself what I'm getting from the job (besides the money) and why I joined in the first place. maybe make a weighed pro's and con's list and see how I score.

does that help?

Yeah, I do coding. I think the same. Nothing except money. The code base is old and I'm advised to follow the same coding pattern, copy paste and make changes. No new looking or different code allowed even if it is new and great technique. Boss doesn't want to learn and manage it if I'm gone. The man is fine during lunch, nice talk but once we get into office, it's pin drop silence. I once asked what should I do today, what should I work on. He says "Sip coffee, lay back and enjoy the day. Can you do that? " I was speechless ! :)

It seems like a very bad place to work in. If you're coder, you can surely find something better. Your boss should be left with no workers so that he can learn it's not the way to run business. This is not even micromanagement. Just take away the pay and it's pure slavery.

What I'm used to is unlimited holidays, time to work on own projects, as many breaks and as long as I need. But this is standard way to treat coders in Dublin (Ireland). Listening to music? Please, we're even given headphones if we want. I hope your company is just the odd one out. Just move asap.

Wow ! I envy you but you must be really good at what you do !

Out of curiosity, what country do you live in?

You won't believe it but this office is in Sydney, Australia. When I told this to some people, they were shocked this kind of office existed here.

Don't walk away. Run.

You are at the very bottom as far as work environments go.

I got yelled at couple of times because there were some bugs

There is no point discussing further or bringing anything up to your "employer". Just leave.

I can even use my speakers. THANKS GOD.

If you are in Europe, your company may forbid listening to music in house rules, to avoid paying a media tax.

That's insane. I live in Europe and I've never heard of such a rule/law (nor any company forbidding music).

Even friends in 'stiff' industries, like banking or law, can listen to music at work.

Start sending out your resumes and taking interviews.

You're working for a control freak. It will not end well.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com