Music in office/management settings?

[-Chatterboxx-]

Originally Posted by Quietude

Thanks. You've all reinforced my general sense that this was a very peculiar situation. I've been mostly self-employed for a long time, and have only worked in client/short-term offices at intervals. This was supposed to be a bigger deal and a longer commitment, but the nonsensical noise situation was reaching the status of deal-breaker.

Ah, well. In all seriousness, their loss. but I'm sure the boss/owner with the mayfly attention span has already forgotten me...

Unfortunately, you don't have much say as a temp in these situations. As soon as you start to rock the boat, chances are you'll quickly be relieved of your duties. In your situation, given that you have told us everything, it seems a little rash that they'd let you go for simply asking for a quieter work setting. Are you sure there wasn't more to this story?

At any rate, I think the real lesson here is to learn to adapt to your environment better. Especially when first starting out, or working as a temp. Nobody wants to deal with the new guy or temp worker stirring up things in an established environment. Institutions take time to break down and change, not eight weeks.

[macrodome2]

You asked why the management would allow that. I'm going to throw out two possible reasons. You mention the boss playing the air guitar as he went by. Presumably the sales guys were younger and he wanted to show he was just as cool as they are.

The other reason is sales is a weird animal and some companies want to portray a certain image in the sales department and they encourage any behavior that shows they're keeping up with the latest trend.

[jelenap]

I’m firmly in the “keep your music to yourself” camp. Even driving with the windows down blasting music is rude and obnoxious. Want to enjoy your music - do it in the car with windows up, through headphones or in a privacy of your own home. Even if I share someone’s taste, music can be distracting and annoying.

[Serious Conversation]

I don't want to hear music on a boombox or similar while working. Wear headphones.

[Quietude]

Originally Posted by -Chatterboxx-

Unfortunately, you don't have much say as a temp in these situations. As soon as you start to rock the boat, chances are you'll quickly be relieved of your duties. In your situation, given that you have told us everything, it seems a little rash that they'd let you go for simply asking for a quieter work setting. Are you sure there wasn't more to this story?

I may not have been clear. It was a coincidence - more or less - that I finally decided to ask for a quieter work area, just in time for the boss to pat me on the back and show me the door. Termination had already been initiated; I just stood up in time to take the bullet.

At any rate, I think the real lesson here is to learn to adapt to your environment better. Especially when first starting out, or working as a temp. Nobody wants to deal with the new guy or temp worker stirring up things in an established environment. Institutions take time to break down and change, not eight weeks.

I'm not normally at a temp level. I usually work as an outside consultant or contract vendor. This situation worked better (and had the possibility of a few years of salary vacation) as an employee. And I didn't get in a lather right away; it was only after a full month that the absurdity and pointlessness of the situation started to get to me, and a full two weeks after that when I decided to ask for a change. I also was there to implement changes, not as a desk drone, so it would not have been completely out of line for me to question the situation - with all due tact.

Originally Posted by macrodome2

You asked why the management would allow that. I'm going to throw out two possible reasons. You mention the boss playing the air guitar as he went by. Presumably the sales guys were younger and he wanted to show he was just as cool as they are.

Pretty close to a bulls-eye. The boss and I were of an age, and he was one weird cat - as nearly as I can tell, he's one of those people who have focused on nothing but their (declining) industry for 30 years, along with a few personal interests, and is completely out of touch with most of the world. So his little sing-alongs as he walked through was almost certainly a learned "socializing wit' da guys" behavior.

The other reason is sales is a weird animal and some companies want to portray a certain image in the sales department and they encourage any behavior that shows they're keeping up with the latest trend.

That's probably the reason for the FOAF story above - to keep a bullpen of young sales monkeys soothed, letting them play music is a tool. I can't begin to describe how odd the sales setup was at this place, but it all came down to keeping two relatively useless and minor sales expeditors without enough to do amused, at the expense of seven other significantly older and more important employees, plus anyone who happened to walk in.

Anyway, done and gone. Added to the long, long list of weird places I've worked. On to the next one.

[rummage]

I've always worked in professional office settings and music is never played. It would be considered unprofessional to do such a thing. It was always a quiet environment and that was preferred. I wouldn't work any place where they had music constantly playing regardless how low the volume was, even if it was my favorite music. This is another reason why when you interview, you need to be allowed to visit the actual work environment, because looking around there tells you a lot about the place. Bad management allows this. It is noise pollution.

[Taffee72]

Many work places cater to and bend over backwards for 20 somethings.