iPods in the Workplace—When is it a good idea?
iPods in the workplace are “hot” and getting “hotter”
If you are looking to hear a great debate carried on by passionate people, ask a bunch of business managers what they think of employees wearing iPods or other music- or programming-playing devices while on the job and in the workplace. We call them all iPods, like we call all facial tissue Kleenex and all photocopies Xeroxes. These devices have become so present in our culture that the dominant trade names have become household words. There is no question that there are two views to the question and the arguments to both sides seem just as valid.
The number of people using iPods, MP3 players, or other personal stereo listening devices has grown substantially and the devices are more popular now than ever. A full one-third of all workers are tuned-in. About 80% of those insist that doing so improves their productivity. In the age range of workers from 18 through 39, 90% agree that it improves productivity, according to a recent (2006) Spherion Workplace Snapshot survey of 1,613 employees conducted by Harris Interactive. Higher income workers (those above $35,000 per year) are more likely to say it improves productivity and work environment. Many people claim that listening in does so many good things to their productivity, job satisfaction and personal happiness. When that appears to be the common response, then maybe there is more to it than meets the eye. Employers owe it to themselves to be sensitive to that.
Not a new phenomenon but it has never grown faster than in the past five years
iPods and ear buds in the workplace comprise a phenomenon that seems to have exploded in the past five years, although it didn’t just start with the introduction of the iPod. Even in the years before, radios, tape players and CD players have found their ways to the desktops. Even the desktop computer itself can be used as a CD, digital music, or podcast player. However, the proliferation of digital music player technology has made it more compact while providing a greater reservoir of programming and, thus, more attractive.
Besides the claims that iPod use adds to work productivity and job satisfaction, many make the claim that it reduces the distractions of irregular background noises and voices, making it easier to concentrate on work. That is an even more understandable argument than most others, and for that reason employers are more agreeable about allowing iPod use as long as work is being completed and safety and security are not compromised.
IPods give their users a sense of privacy
In today’s common office with pen-like cubbyholes that offer no privacy, the use of an iPod-like device, with ear buds inserted in the ears, can provide a safe-haven from the omni-present speakerphone user with the loud voice and volume. In fact, iPods have no outward-focused distraction as do speakerphones. Also, in a modern office environment, there are no doors to shut while the next-door cubbyhole partner has a constant visitor sharing every bit of office gossip. Under these conditions, an increase in productivity for users of iPods would seem inevitable.
Not everyone agrees the use of iPods in the workplace is a good idea
Although the evidence in favor is intriguing, not everyone is in agreement that this craze is a positive change. The arguments against are just as convincing as the arguments for. In the Spherion survey, 24% of adult females and 18% of males reported they felt that productivity and job performance were either not affected or adversely affected by iPods in the workplace. Although the pros outnumber the cons by 2 to 1, that is a sizeable portion of the population having diametrically opposed points of view. Some managers and coworkers complain that everything has to be repeated twice because the first thing that happens after the ear buds are popped out of the ears is the question, “What?” Of course, getting one’s attention before speaking is a quick remedy for having to repeat what was said before the ear buds were popped out.
Other people tend to lump iPods together with 2-way text pagers, Blackberries, and cellular telephones and computer instant messaging technologies as great detractors that rob productivity from a company’s employees. Many companies would prohibit iPod listening just as quickly as they would block instant messaging use. Not only do many companies consider these things non-productive, but also would consider them a risk to security in the workplace
Are iPods and other listening devices good or bad? Well, they are both. The problem is that the difference in opinion is largely divided along the same lines as the learning and study styles of the population at large. Ask any elementary school teacher and he or she will tell you some people only seem to be able to concentrate when all about them is silent, while others find a little background music soothing and calming. Even others find complete silence disturbing and distracting. As adults, we fall into the same groups. Since human behavioral likes and dislikes are so diverse, good management dictates a compromise on allowing the use of iPods in defined circumstances. The one thing that seems clear is that ignoring the situation and not clarifying perceived policies would be a negative action. Certainly, lines have to be drawn around interactive work groups, customer service staff, telephone service staff, and others requiring consistent and timely communication. The use of iPod-like equipment would block good customer service or interpersonal relationships.
A company should have a policy surrounding personal stereos in the workplace. Because the views surrounding the issue seem to have so much passion, companies should establish expectations as well as allowances that all employees can understand and accept concerning when it is appropriate to use (and not use) personal stereos at work.
In the movie, Office Space, based on Mike Judge’s Milton animated shorts, the character of Milton is very possessive about being able to listen to his radio “at a reasonably low volume” since one of the file clerks “can listen to her Walkman while filing.” In the backdrop of the scene is a woman, occupying a neighboring cubby, loudly and incessantly answering the incoming telephone lines, driving all who are within ear-shot to distraction. Ear-buds and great tunes, blocking out such a distraction, would be a life-safer. Each person on each side of the issue will have just as strong of a position as the other. Management needs to step in with understanding and clarification.
For more information about how we can help you with your Human Resources and the new immigration laws, call us at 888-700-8512, request a proposal or contact us.
