Raido on at work - is it more productive or less?

Errata

It's great in a factory where people are screwing a gizmo onto a gadget once every 5 seconds for 8 hours.
It's unecessary in an office because it can distract from the work that needs to be done and causes endless rows about which station it should be tuned to.
IMHO of course.

fluffnutter

Don't do it! It's utterly divisive. Unless there are a just a few of you (i.e. two or three) and you all know one another well enough/feel confident enough to honestly state your preferences, e.g. volume, station, on/off for meetings etc, then you're heading for conflict.

There have been studies done - music in the workplace can, in some circumstances, increase a sense of well-being and productivity, but only if it's the volume and type enjoyed by all. Control is very important and if the music's not to someone's liking, then the adverse affect for the individual(s) that don't want the radio is huge misery, stress, resentment - far, far outweighing any positive benefits enjoyed by others.

What often happens is the 'majority verdict', i.e. there's an office of, say 8 people, 7 love the radio, one hates it. The majority rule as typically happens in most workplace conflict scenarios. Generally speaking it's an OK rule - we've all got to get along together after all. But for something like this, the adverse affects for someone who doesn't want it are so potentially extreme as to make their working day a nightmare to the point that they might not want to come to work.

If one single person doesn't want the radio, then you shouldn't have it on. And people have to be able to honestly say they don't; people often don't feel able to have a different opinion and just say "It's OK, I don't mind" because they know everyone else loves it. If you do decide to have a vote, make it an anonymous one so people will feel able to be honest.

And another thing; it's highly likely you'll need a licence from the Performing Rights Society.

dickydonkin

Any wrote: »

That would be very counter productive...
You still have to interact with other people, hear the phones and when someone is addressing you...
It's also easier the ignore background noise when needed then actual music on headphones for some reason..

Call me a killjoy, but I stopped fork truck drivers using ipods/radios with personal earplugs - also all warehouse personnel.

For some reason, these had previously been allowed - madness!

Don't forget as well for all of those workplaces that have music blasting out - make sure the noise does not exceed 80dB as this will come under the first action value of noise at work regs.

bristol_pilot

I have also banned my staff from listening to the radio/music (including with headphones on) as it gives a bad impression if bigwigs come round on a tour of the office.

Loanranger

Can also depend on the work being undertaken, I think. If you're doing something repetitive that doesn't require very much thinking then there may be a case for having music. If you're doing a task involving thinking and concentrating and being creative then it's an unnecessary distraction.
I worked with someone who played CDs and it was infuriating and very intrusive.

eamon

At work I converted everybody in the office to Radio 2, except in the warehouse there its Planet Rock or Ed's CD choice (he has great taste)

mjm3346

fluffnutter wrote: »

Don't do it! It's utterly divisive. Unless there are a just a few of you (i.e. two or three) and you all know one another well enough/feel confident enough to honestly state your preferences, e.g. volume, station, on/off for meetings etc, then you're heading for conflict.

There have been studies done - music in the workplace can, in some circumstances, increase a sense of well-being and productivity, but only if it's the volume and type enjoyed by all. Control is very important and if the music's not to someone's liking, then the adverse affect for the individual(s) that don't want the radio is huge misery, stress, resentment - far, far outweighing any positive benefits enjoyed by others.

What often happens is the 'majority verdict', i.e. there's an office of, say 8 people, 7 love the radio, one hates it. The majority rule as typically happens in most workplace conflict scenarios. Generally speaking it's an OK rule - we've all got to get along together after all. But for something like this, the adverse affects for someone who doesn't want it are so potentially extreme as to make their working day a nightmare to the point that they might not want to come to work.

If one single person doesn't want the radio, then you shouldn't have it on. And people have to be able to honestly say they don't; people often don't feel able to have a different opinion and just say "It's OK, I don't mind" because they know everyone else loves it. If you do decide to have a vote, make it an anonymous one so people will feel able to be honest.

And another thing; it's highly likely you'll need a licence from the Performing Rights Society.

I agree 100%, why should anybody have to put up with another persons choice of music/radio station while they are supposed to be working.

serious_saver

I think having the radio on can help improve productivity. It breaks the monotony of boring jobs and people are less inclined to gossip if there's something else on in the back ground. When my OH was a stockroom manager he would bring in a variety of CD's and let his staff take it in turns to pick the next album.

However, I did once work in a shop once where the radio was on all the time and by January I didn't want to hear another Christmas song ever again! That was about 7 years ago and I'm only just getting over it! I still struggle with The Pogues and Mariah Carey and have to switch them off as soon as I hear the intros!

Hermia

I can't stand having the radio playing because I just can't block it out. Where I used to work it was allowed and it took me much longer to do anything. Once I was trying to sort out the £500,000 budget. Someone had made a mistake and I was trying to work out what they had done wrong and where the money was and I just couldn't concentrate with the DJ wittering on in the background. I ended up nearly having a nervous breakdown! I just think in any office there are going to be some people who will have problems concentrating with music on.

I also wonder how people would manage with different tastes in music. The thought of spending all day listening to music you hate just makes me shudder!

Uncertain

serious_saver wrote: »

I think having the radio on can help improve productivity. It breaks the monotony of boring jobs .......

It may well do for you and many others but for some it has the opposite effect.

When I used to work on my own I would go through phases of having the radio or a CD on. However at other times I couldn't stand it and would go days or weeks without. And that it is with my own choice of music!