I’ve always had music, a show, or podcast playing in headphones at work. (Office/WFH). Boss never expresses negative expectation. Company policy rather generalized. He snuck up behind me today and launched into a 5-7 min tirade about how it’s unacceptable. Notes he’s witnessed me doing it several times and never said anything. Yet, I complete all my work. Am I in the wrong?

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Rearview mirror - No one should ever be able to sneak up behind you. As for headphones - as long as you remove them when someone is speaking to you, I wouldn't stop.

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Apparently it is a team expectation

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Everyone in my HR office has earbuds, and half the managers have music on audibly when you walk in, lyrics or no lyrics, podcasts or audiobooks! I still answer my phone but a lot of chattery people around me, hard to focus.

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What was HS exact complaint? Many companies used to have strict internet bandwidth policies. I simply got in the habit of using my cell signal for music streaming to avoid any issues. Also I don’t want my company knowing what I listen to if it’s talk radio.

Not at all in the wrong. Everyone works and keeps themselves productive in different ways. As long as your work is complete and does not suffer, then there is nothing wrong.

When I started in my current job my employer had very strict rules on noise in the offices - no sound or speakers/music on. And god forbid you had a conversation with your co-workers during the day.

Suffice to say, people kept putting in headphones to listen to stuff. And just started talking to each other. Over time, the policies were slowly whittled away since the work was never suffering, managers never had an argument against what we were doing.

Keep doing what you're doing, as long as your work doesn't suffer then your manager never has an argument against what you're doing. If they "write you up", challenge the warning by referring to your work record.

Seems silly.. maybe they had a bad day? Who knows. I’m always listening to something if I’m not on a meeting. That’s remote or when visiting the office. Always.

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