Stupid Ridiculous Open Plan Offices

[fizzwheel]

I've been working on a document for most of the day, I've tried and tried to concentate on it but for the love of god can I get it finished.

I work in a huge open plan office and the constant background noise from people

Chatting about what they did at the weekend.
Shouting at each other other 3 rows of desks.
Talking to colleagues on the phone.
Having improptu meetings by my desk.
One of two colleagues find it appropriate to moan about personal issues in a loud voice to seek attention.
Organise their social lives.

Is really starting to do my head in. The noise is just about verging on intolerable now. I copied my document onto my laptop and in the space of 45 minutes at home in the peace and quiet I've finished it.

We used to be allowed to wear headphone's so we could drown out so we could concentrate but we've had a management change and this guy has banned it. Despite people in other teams within my department being allowed to use them to get some peace and quiet and he refuses to back down about it. To be fair it is specifically mentioned in the company handbook / policy that staff shouldnt use headphones whilst at work.

I've really had enough of it now, I'm easily distracted at the best of times and I'm just about finding it impossible to concentrate. Theres no quiet area at work I can go and sit in to escape from it either.

Tomorrow if it gets to bad the ear plugs I use when I'm on the bike are going in my ears, but I bet he'll try and stop me using them as well.

Does anybody else suffer from this, what can I do to try and get some quiet time. I am thinking of asking to be able to work from home when I need to do stuff like this.

Keep cool Fizz, in moments like this just put your lid on, visor down! .


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[timwilky]

I have the luxury of my own office even though I am very rarely there as I prefer to work from home. I cannot work in an open environment. when I visit our HQ I am forced to use the open office and find it extreamly difficult. My boss comes out with all the team crap and if I am not there I am missing out. I give him the usual I don't do teams.

I think there is a place for open plan, however it fails to recognise that individuals have different needs of a working environment.

We work in a very cramped open plan office and suffer the same noise issues. But the deal I struck with our SMT means that although we are wedged into a confined space, we have 'quiet' rooms where we can go and get our heads stuck into stuff if we need to. (and I can work from home as well, for other reasons).

If you're not allowed to wear your headphones, make the point that it's a reasonable idea to have somewhere quiet you can work if you need to. And that you need some ground rules in the open plan about what's a good working environment. Also, make the point that you're being treated differently from your 'phone wearing bretheren across the floor, who are probably more productive.

Take the initiative and ask other colleagues if they feel the same need. You never know, your manager may see reason and/or bow to pressure.

Otherwise, make a point of starting up a loud, inane conversation next to HIS desk every time he's doing something important! :P

oooh I so sympathise. One reason I take my laptop home these days.

Theres one guy that sits there whistling all day, and its awful as hes so out of tune its painful.

The guy opposite me is having dodgy phone calls - think hes in debt to a loan shark by sound of it - and we joke about his "harem" turning up but there is invariably some woman standing there talking to him like no-one else wants to work

Im lucky I can take the CDs in and plug in now. Otherwise Id opt for never being there.

Debs, pointing out the others are allowed to wear 'phones may backfire. Fizz may not win employee of the month award if they realise and stop everyone using them if he points it out to his manager rather than allow him and his team :P

Fizz, I know exactly what you mean.

I changed jobs within the same company and am on regular conference calls with India, China Spain and the states. Now thats a real bunch if different strong accents to get your head around when you talk face to face, on the phone its much harder.

The area I work in one ot two individuals start a discussion over the low level partition instead of walking five feet and it's damn near impossible to understand any of the people participating on the call. A short sharp word normally sorts it out along the lines of "excuse me but I'm on a call ....... and would appreciate it if you could lower the noise, thanks!" That works fine most of the time but I get completely fed up when I have to repeat myself every half hour or so to the same people. Plus it does not help with louder people further away.

When possible I work from home, not that often but you can bet your mother in law that the door bell will be red hot.

You have my full sympathy. I'm half tempted to apply for my old job back! that would have to be bad.

Try and take it easy, and maybe even retaliate by talking on the phone a tad louder than normal. Anyone says anything just tell them its a bad line.

Good luck.

[fizzwheel]

I've already pointed out the unfairness of one team wearing headphones and us not being able to. As have my colleagues, all our line manger says is. Well I dont approve of it and I dont want you doing it. He's made it quite clear that if we do it again we'll get b*ll*cked about it, which TBH I cant really be doing with.

I've also pointed out that we are being set unclear examples of what is acceptable behaviour by the management team in letting one team use them and one team not. He says that we are being managed consistently as far as he is concerned as he's told us as a team not to do it.

We picked his argument apart in a team meeting and he got really sh*tty about it and I decided I didnt want to push the issue further.

I've asked for a quiet area before and got told no. I got told to book a meeting room if I wanted somewhere to work, but they all get booked weeks in advance so thats no good when you want a quiet hour or so at short notice.

I was quite rude to a group of people the other week who were chatting about football after lunch really really loudly. It quietened things down for a while but its started again.

I've asked for low level dividers to act as sound barriers, but we've been told we arent allowed them, yet they have them in different departments.

I think I'll be trying the earplugs next, as theres nothing in the handbook that says we cant wear them. I think what I want is a decibel meter that way I can measure the noise level and then if its loud claim a health and safety issue.

Failing that I'll just sit my desk with my lid on and my dark visor down ala jonboy style

It's quite easy Fizz, tell your boss that to get the work complete you need somewhere to concentrate, and if the company cannot provide somewhere, tell him you'll be an hour late tomorrow as your doing it at home first.

When he starts to argue, tell him if he wants the document on time, it's the only way you can do it because of the noise in the office.

The other way is just to raise your voice above the others and ask them "if they have any f**king work to do?" because your trying to work and they're stopping you.

Both have worked for me. 2nd one tends to pi** a few people off, but you're their to earn money, not be their friend. Sorry if it sounds harsh, but when it gets like that, YOU have to take control...

.

The way to survive in an open plan office (without going mad) is to become the most obnoxious & annoying person there. Once you've succeded, people should soon stop congregating around your desk &, if you're lucky, might complain how crap open plan offices are or even that you should be put in an office on your own


(Disclaimer: this theory has not been tested)