Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Are you allowed to listen to music at work (with headphones)?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 45 posts

Re: Are you allowed to listen to music at work (with headphones)?

#21

Post by panjaro »

danso wrote: post #11

This sounds like a very bad workplace. Not just in terms of perks, but in management style. Only talk about work while at work? Mmmm....OK, there's always lunch time. No "discussion on same thing again because boss thinks it's waste of time"...either you're exaggerating or your boss sounds like a deluded-YOLO-Steve-Jobs-wannabe. And the ban on headphones seems like a move out of insecurity, as if your boss can't trus…

Sometimes I think I'm exaggerating because all he wants is money's worth. I should be working hard and giving good quality work. But once he explains and we agree to build features in some way, discussion on the same thing irritates him. Once I misunderstood what he wanted me to test. Next day he gets angry and mumbles for 5 minutes and then get's angry because he just wasted 5 minutes saying the same thing. Most of my work is good. There is a senior guy who is nice person. He's been there for 2 years now but last 3 guys hired in my place left within 3 months. One was fired, other two left.

Re: Are you allowed to listen to music at work (with headphones)?

#23

Post by panjaro »

psmech wrote: post #20
panjaro wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I do coding. I think the same. Nothing except money. The code base is old and I'm advised to follow the same coding pattern, copy paste and make changes. No new looking or different code allowed even if it is new and great technique. Boss doesn't want to learn and manage it if I'm gone. The man is fine during lunch, nice talk but once we get into office, it's pin drop silence. I once asked what should I do toda…

It seems like a very bad place to work in. If you're coder, you can surely find something better. Your boss should be left with no workers so that he can learn it's not the way to run business. This is not even micromanagement. Just take away the pay and it's pure slavery. What I'm used to is unlimited holidays, time to work on own projects, as many breaks and as long as I need. But this is standard way to treat code…

Wow ! I envy you but you must be really good at what you do !

Re: Are you allowed to listen to music at work (with headphones)?

#24

Post by panjaro »

joezydeco wrote: post #19

Okay, so no headphones. How about playing some music in the open? I've worked in small workshops were we all built a playlist and everyone put in their favorite stuff so the music would rotate. Doesn't have to blast, keep it low so it doesn't bother anyone outside your immediate area.

That'll be a very bad idea. He doesn't even like vibrating phones. One day the senior guy was told to turn off vibration because he was getting multiple messages. This senior guy is amazing. He's cool. He says don't feel bad. Boss gets angry sometimes because may be he is in pressure but he is not a bad person. This guy really has done great job there but even he gets blamed many times.

Re: Are you allowed to listen to music at work (with headphones)?

#26

Post by aschampion »

Your employer is paying for your labor, nothing more. If it doesn't impact safety, workplace rights or efficient collaboration, it's none of his business. He doesn't own your time, your sensory experience, or your right to happiness.

Make that clear and if nothing changes move on.

> I got yelled at couple of times because there were some bugs.

This is entirely the wrong way to deal with bugs. Bugs are not the product of bad programmers; bugs are symptoms of bad processes. Bugs happen. The response to them should be preventative, not punitive, i.e., how did this happen, how can we detect it in the future, is it worth not just detecting but preventing in the future, and if so, how do we do that systematically. Of course there will be bad programmers, but environments like this give them the scaffolding to improve, and if they don't there's much more basis for letting them go than just, "you made a bug."

Re: Are you allowed to listen to music at work (with headphones)?

#27

Post by jimmydddd »

Is your boss over 45? It could just be a generational thing. For context, in my younger days, I worked in offices where no one ever (literally NEVER) took a personal phone call unless it was an emergency (this is before mobile phones and texting). And it still looks strange to me when I see people working at an office with headphones. (Even though I prefer to work with music).

Re: Are you allowed to listen to music at work (with headphones)?

#28

Post by panjaro »

aschampion wrote: post #26

Your employer is paying for your labor, nothing more. If it doesn't impact safety, workplace rights or efficient collaboration, it's none of his business. He doesn't own your time, your sensory experience, or your right to happiness. Make that clear and if nothing changes move on. > I got yelled at couple of times because there were some bugs. This is entirely the wrong way to deal with bugs. Bugs are not the product…

I don't consider myself even a good programmer. I get things done and I want to learn better techniques. However, in the past I have worked in places which had nice perks, nice team, great process ! However, good thing about this office is that I waste no time. I have never googled or open any website except directly related to work.

Re: Are you allowed to listen to music at work (with headphones)?

#29

Post by panjaro »

jimmydddd wrote: post #27

Is your boss over 45? It could just be a generational thing. For context, in my younger days, I worked in offices where no one ever (literally NEVER) took a personal phone call unless it was an emergency (this is before mobile phones and texting). And it still looks strange to me when I see people working at an office with headphones. (Even though I prefer to work with music).

He's definitely above 40 but not sure if he's close to 45. Besides, he used to be a Network guy for long time before starting this office.
Post reply on HN