While there are instances when your right to free speech will be protected, it's important to know what the laws are. If you are working more than 50 hours per week, you are inefficient, period. Well a wedk or two goes by and I go into "super introvert mode" where I'm saying literally nothing to coworkers unless it was work related. I’m leaving this camp soon, but this will have been the worst five months of my life only because for some odd reason the dumbest examples of humanity were dumped in here with me. When work gets slow, many of my co-workers IM about non-work related stuff, sometimes the whole day. Wear earplugs. She said it makes it hard for her to concentrate and that it gets on her nerves, which is a legitimate work-related gripe. I have seen and heard about many occasions when a above average performer does not advance in their career and the only thing holding them back is the socialising. ... (CW2) talking about their compensation. But talking isn’t just a problem here. CW2: I bet I make less than you CW1. You know the type. I am actually one of those people who likes a little steady background noise usually, but my office is pin drop quiet save my noisy eating/grunting/coughing coworker who grates my nerves. Although their conversations usually last 10 minutes (or less) at a time, maybe several times a day (and not necessarily always the same people). Even though that work space had tall cubicles around each desk, my coworkers would talk, talk, talk all day. She has been asked for 9 months now to do our SOPs and did not do them. It is a very, very visible “do not disturb” sign. This is totally the bane of my existence too! Brilliant. I could do these tasks and carry a conversation at the same time. Of course in such an environment, combined with the complete lack of training in a job that needs management’s guidance I cannot even dream advancing in my career. Good point. There is no escape from our rampant ear-splitting “culture of personality.” Aside from impaired work performance and intensified cognitive demands to filter out loud, persistent and often startlingly unpredictable distractions, unwanted indoor noise is associated with adverse health outcomes, reduced self-rated health and job satisfaction. Noise canceling headphones Do Not Work On Voices. In fact, at my last job, two of the other dept. I work in a cubicle environment next to a coworker who I like a lot—but she talks allllll the time, and it makes it difficult to concentrate and to hear when I talk on the phone. This was the gist of the exchange. My coworkers go on and on. My job never stops. I hung up. I imagine it would look unproductive to many people, though. High performing people need to work where that is what is rewarded – of all the aspects of cultural fit this is the most critical, imo. Got in trouble at work for telling my coworker they should make more money than me. But in my experience you don’t have to do a ton of networking — just enough that you have a reputation. I could hear all the conversations going on around me. I have requested to be moved and they wont move me, the only other option I have is to look for a job somewhere else! I have worked at a French company based in London, and getting ahead was ALL about networking. It’s got F-ALL to do with him what I keep myself busy with, and I hate it when he comments on it or just doesn’t go away. (I usually agree with you.) That’s my Hell. No-one cared what you did day-to-day, so long as you were socialising with the right people. I don’t know what to tell you. I know of people who don’t care how much you have on your plate. Follow me during me week of on call hospice nursing. The sales guy whom I displaced couldn’t have cared less. I can’t stand ear buds and EngineerGirl is right – they are a giant not so subliminal message. I am usually the first one here and that way I can get through most of my emails and get a few things done right away before everyone else comes in. I’m the kind who would just say “hi how are you. On a general note can I add “people who constantly eat food out of rusting packets *just after* lunch” to the list of distractions? This type of environment is quite common in my field, and while I fully concede that it is not the same in every environment, I think it just becomes too easy to blame others and sometimes people need to work on their self and move on or move to a different job. Get yourself a big headset with squishy comfortable ear mufflers (aka “portable quiet room”). Some days, talking about your problems may just be complaining about something that happened at work, but others it may involve crying into someone’s shoulder for an hour. And because it can’t be said enough – the bathroom?! My solution to this is to come into the office early. Hell no, that would invite them to shout louder. *holds up sign: “WILL SHUT UP FOR BAGELS”*, I think we need a different sign for us non-talkers: “Will talk when fed.”, Yes, that’s what I wanted to say also. “I find that if I don’t look up, they won’t come in.”. I can’t wait for the day when I have that glazed over pretending to care look over boring tales from the weekend regardless of whether it’s two men, two women, or one of each who went to Home Depot to spruce up the deck. Goes with the job. I’m going to dig out my giant headphones and hope that helps me concentrate on my work. Interesting. Noise isolators block noise (including talking). Look, I’ve work in many different places and some can be dead quiet and others very busy, chatty. IN fact, that’s been the case everywhere I’ve worked. With limitless appetite for self-referencing talk and need for constant attention, contemporary social life is mostly about the explication of what “I” did, feel, plan, feel good or sad about. 3. Office culture. I was going to suggest headphones too! I like this so I’m stealing it. I’ve worked in other types of jobs where my tasks involved filing, data entry etc. We’ve actually confronted these blabber-mouths and now they won’t speak to us at all and glare at us like they want to slit our throats. That IS the main point – to block out talking. I know that I did not call you! Yes, thank you for the link! Farting constantly and screaming examples of ones own stupidity is how these people engage each other socially. I stay longer to make up for my constant break-taking, and my boss doesn’t care because my work gets done well. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies.Learn More. I’m WAY too easily distracted, even in an office with a door, to engage in more chit chat than necessary. They pay me to work, I don’t know why that is so hard to understand! I love these. And +1000 to not trying to score points with this. Incidentally, where does one have to go to find a bathroom with a couch? That way I feel productive and I can participate lightly in the morning chit-chat when everyone else gets in without feeling distracted or annoyed. Bane of my existence here too. You have to otherwise you can’t do your job effectively. I’d rather have headphones. Sometimes that was OK, but several of my co-workers couldn’t pick up on my visual/body language cues for when this was not OK, leading to me having to be quite blunt at times. Quiet everyone, I can’t hear myself think! And it really cuts down the questions. How do you ever get anything done? I’ve got several multimillion dollar projects moving along and failure is not an option. Why should a person have to wear a headset instead of enforcing office policies. Yeah guys so I'm under investigation by Kroger for quote unquote talking about inappropriate subject matter. “people who socialize, no matter how little work they do, get ahead regardless because they talk to everyone and network” — that is absolutely not true in most industries, not at the places you want to work. They essentially have you overseeing work, not managing, it sounds like. Even if it were perfectly acceptable, it really comes down to one thing: if they don't want to talk, then they're not going to talk. (employee, debt, employer) User Name: Remember Me: Password : Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Thank you for the white noise generator!! Do you think that people would choose to leave the position if the supervisor cracked down, managed them firmly and consistently and just rode their tails? My other pet peeve is when someone plays “soft” music at their desk, but other people can obviously hear it no matter how low it is on. On the topic of productivity, what do you think about longer hours with more breaks for chatting, phone calls, Internet browsing, etc.? But, what about when your co-worker or boss is the one to flip his lid in the middle of the workday? 2. LOL Brady headphones. Mine are more the $16 on sale JVC variety and make me very happy. So … can you try wearing noise-canceling headphones? The one who workplace drama and just crap at work seems to be drawn to, attracted like a magnet. Can I work with you two too? Took me 2 days to do them. “It never occurred to me that I could just set up camp in a (nearly) empty office and it never occurred to my boss that I wouldn’t simply move if I wasn’t happy.”, I think it’s because having an office is usually considered a privilege and (most of the time) being granted an office is usually a sign that someone is “moving up” in the world. I second this! I have just one question for YOU. Here, earbuds are for old fogies and the kids “gotta have” Dre Beats or 5o cent headphones. I love my ‘quiet time’ and I feel the most productive in that hour.