1

While I've seen lots of answers about dealing with co-workers who talk a lot, I haven't seen an answer for my particular problem.

My co-worker's job requires that she do a lot of packing of boxes, unpacking of boxes, loading things on a cart, and other tasks that are just loud. The person who had this job previously would take items to the warehouse to pack and unpack. My current co-worker is very loud about this.

Think about the sound of a stack of 500 sheets of paper being dropped onto a desk from a couple feet above, regularly, the frequent sound of a tape gun, dumping pens into boxes, ripping bubble wrap... it makes it hard to work sometimes.

I've talked to my boss about it and the solution he and she worked out was to buy tape for the tape gun that was less loud. I haven't brought it up again but the noise is driving me nuts!

She knows the noise bothers me but refuses to consider other options.

How do I deal with this?

ShellyDesigns
  • 31
  • 1
  • 7
    Your problem isn't a noisy co-worker, it's a co-worker with a noisy job – keshlam Mar 23 '16 at 22:26
  • 1
    Why don't you suggest your boss to move your workstation somewhere away from this person's daily hula-baloo ? – MelBurslan Mar 23 '16 at 22:29
  • You are not getting much sympathy from your boss. Less loud tape? – paparazzo Mar 23 '16 at 22:43
  • 1
    In my forestry days I worked next to people with chainsaws, we wore earmuffs. A noisy job is a noisy job. The only thing you can really do you already tried, but you didn't give the solution. So next time give the solution. "Can she do that in the Warehouse?" – Kilisi Mar 24 '16 at 01:09
  • 1
    @Kilisi - that should be an answer, not simply a comment. – AndreiROM Mar 24 '16 at 15:52
  • 1
    Registered just to comment with what I do for this... use an iPod. If your position allows it, bring in some headphones/earbuds and put on some music. I work in a cube farm and the iPod is the only reason I'm able to cope with the noise around me most days. – DragonYen Mar 24 '16 at 17:54

2 Answers2

6

This seems like a training issue, and not yours:

The person who had this job previously would take items to the warehouse to pack and unpack.

Why isn't this solution used now?

The best way to get a solution is to ensure that the person who can solve the problem feels the pain. If there is ever a situation in which you need to call your boss, do it on speakerphone when the noise is ongoing. Point the front base of the phone toward the noise, they're designed to cancel noise to the sides. If there isn't a reason to call, invent one. Noise on phones drives people CRAZY. Then re-assert your suggestion. It's passive-aggressive, but it gets the point across.

PS--You might want to edit your title to "How to deal with a noisy work environment, to avoid getting closed as a duplicate to a previous 'loud co-worker' question. This situation is different. PPS--I'd love to find that "less noisy tape". (rolling eyes)

jimm101
  • 12,000
  • 7
  • 38
  • 63
  • +1 for introducing a variant of "reverse delegation" into fray. It WORKS. – Old_Lamplighter Mar 24 '16 at 12:54
  • I think it is a less noisy tape GUN. Like how can put same tape in kind you press leaver down shoot tape out, and kind you pull to stick the tape. One quiet the other a loud racket – Dan Shaffer Mar 24 '16 at 14:40
1

If your boss isn't willing or able to relocate one of you: a good set of noise-cancelling headphones may be all you can do short of changing jobs. Presumably the packing has to be done somewhere, and they haven't been able to find a wall to put it behind.

keshlam
  • 66,609
  • 15
  • 121
  • 227
  • 1
    This is a good point... but I'd also offer an alternative in case noise cancelling doesn't agree with you (it gives me headaches). I have a nice pair of audio headphones that cover my entire ear and then use Youtube to play white noise or classical music. It's a great solution for when I need to concentrate but 4 of my coworkers are on conference calls. –  Mar 24 '16 at 12:20