Problem with noisy co-workers at new job

E

EuroEnthusiast

Banned
I'm hoping to get some advice from those of you who work in an office or have had to deal with coworkers who drive you crazy with their noise to the point where you feel that an intervention is necessary.

Briefly, I changed careers by going back to school and moving to start new jobs, first in QC and now ON. I recently started a good job with plenty of learning opportunities. Before accepting the offer, I asked for a tour of the office (operations and sales staff in a big carpeted room with mini cubicles) and the volume was low so I thought good, it won't bother me.

However the last several weeks I discovered that the office isn't calm at all and it's a problem because I have a health condition called hyperacusis which is very sensitive hearing to the point some sounds like sudden high/sharp cause pain. It's annoying and wears you down. I've tried to ignore it, worn earphones, but the young colleagues' behaviour make it hard to enjoy the work - I find myself clock watching frequently. The noise that bothers me the most is a young woman's tapping bangle (heavy ring around her wrist) each time she moves her mouse. I mentioned it to the office manager and she talked to her. It improved 1 day and since Friday she's banging that metal against her desk again.
The colleague is young, whiny and unapproachable, she doesn't even acknowledge my presence.

There are also 2 guys who frequently whistle and it feels like my ears are being stabbed with knives. Since one is my supervisor and both are senior employees while I'm new, I've kept my mouth shut.

What can I do to stop the noise, especially that banging bangle? It's so easy for the woman to remove it or stuff it under her sleeve but she's a difficult person to deal with who probably doesn't like to be told what to do. Advice on how to resolve these issues diplomatically?
 
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I used to work in an office where guys would yell across the cubicles, throw shit, curse or even blast music through their headphones so loud people on the other end could hear it. We all managed.
Not to be an ass but it seems like you want the whole office to change for you. I get that you got a condition (is there no remedy for this?) but in an environment like that you'll have to adapt.
 
I thought about earplugs but the more you rely on them, the more difficult it is to go without (sounds suddenly seem louder). Best solution is to eliminate noise at the source. I don't know who thinks it's OK to whistle all day long in an enclosed space with other people around.
I'm guessing these young colleagues are semi deaf from overexposure to loud music? Either way, it would be nice if they kept quiet and let their fellow colleagues concentrate on their work.
 
If you speak often with customers on the phone tell your boss to enforce no whistling in the office because it's very unprofessional.

For the rest, you'll have to find a solution for yourself...you can't ask everyone else around you to be quiet or not make noise with a bracelet, doors, hard keyboard typing, etc...
 
dit leur de se fermer la yeule et d'arrêter de faire du bruit de marde.

Siffler quand tu travailles dans un cubicule? really?
 
Ask for a private office. You'll probably end up in the basement but it'll be quiet.
 
EuroEnthusiast said:
I thought about earplugs but the more you rely on them, the more difficult it is to go without (sounds suddenly seem louder). Best solution is to eliminate noise at the source. I don't know who thinks it's OK to whistle all day long in an enclosed space with other people around.
I'm guessing these young colleagues are semi deaf from overexposure to loud music? Either way, it would be nice if they kept quiet and let their fellow colleagues concentrate on their work.
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I work in a cubicle farm with +- 100 persons on the floor.

What you are requesting, fuggetaboutit.

Your only way out is to either get ear plugs or get another job.

Or you can labeled as the whiner(you probably are already), and see if you can get a closed office to accommodate your medical condition... But going that way will paint bulleye on your back. Or an even bigger one anyway.
 
Tell them to shut the fuck up. Done it before and would do it again anytime.

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Have you ever tried musician earplugs? They are basically high fidelity earplugs, meaning that you hear pretty much everything clearly but just at a lower sound.

If you want to try them you could get a pair of Etymotich Research ER-20s earplugs, they are pretty cheap and work well. They lower sound around you by +-20 decibels.
Ive had a pair i use for music shows, raves, concerts, etc for years and I really like them.

https://www.amazon.ca/Etymotic-Earp...D=415c%2BVhCy8L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

If that works for you then you can get some custom made and molded to you hear so they are more effective and more comfortable
 
x2 for musician's earplugs.

I just wear headphones all day long. Only take them off when there's a phone call or someone's here to see me.

Otherwise the chattering from the reception desk just outside of mine would drive me nuts.
 
OP I think you're asking too much.
You want total silence? lol
Yea try to get a closed office because of your condition like the others said.
Or try to find a job that can let your work from home?
 
Noise cancelling over-ear headphones or earbuds, because if that's their normal daily behaviour then it will stay like that and the more you complain the more you are going to be the whining bish in management's eyes to deal with. I used to have a job where I finished a crazy amount of audiobooks with earbuds because of a whistling coworker, he whistled the same thing over and over every day, all day.
 
You can ask HR for an enclosed office and you can have a conversation with all your colleagues (not just the noisy one's) explaining your medical condition.

But you're not in a position to demand anything.
 
P_KK said:
OP I think you're asking too much.
You want total silence? lol
Yea try to get a closed office because of your condition like the others said.
Or try to find a job that can let your work from home?
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This. Either apply to work in a library or from home. You're asking too much. You could try over the ear headphone with noise cancelling but it will cancel every sound. It might piss off anyone who need your attention. Complaining about a ring/bracelet banging on the desk, lol, really?

EDIT: did you try explainging your condition to your co-worker?
 
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