Headphone Policy at Work and the Best Headphones for Noisy Offices

Manage Volume — Only You Should Hear Your Headphones

The purpose of your headphones is to help you listen to something exclusively. They pull you into another world to help you focus on important work. Make sure whatever you are listening to stays with you. No one should be able to hear your music through your headphones. It’s distracting for others and super inconsiderate to your coworkers.

If you’re unsure how loud is too loud, ask the people around you if they can hear what you’re listening to. When in doubt, aim for lower volume, especially if you are working close to others.

Don’t Let Headphones Interfere With Office Communication

Headphones can impede organic collaboration. Finding time for deep work and concentration is important, but so is office communication. Don’t let your headphones interfere with effective communication in the workplace.

Pick and choose when you wear headphones. Use them to create bursts of productive work—not every moment of every day. You still need to be available to others in the workplace. If headphones are a sure sign you’re busy, people will be less likely to approach you when you’re wearing them. This is great for when you need to get stuff done, but when you wear them all day, it can begin to interfere with other people’s work.

When you don’t need to get in the zone, keep the headphones off so that people can approach you or ask you a question if they need to.

Never Wear Headphones During Conversations or Meetings

Be considerate of other people’s time. It’s rude to wear headphones when other people are talking to you. Even though you may not be listening to anything, simply having headphones on or even one earbud in makes it look like you aren’t interested in whatever’s going on in the outside world.

Using headphones or earbuds sends a clear sign you’re not listening. Never wear headphones in meetings. You might think no one will notice one earbud in, but since you shouldn’t be listening to anything during a meeting anyway, it’s best not to wear them at all.

Choose the Right Type of Music

Choose music that will increase your productivity, not hinder it. Match the task to the music. Music without lyrics or music you are very familiar with is best for enhancing your concentration. Look for soundtracks, jazz, or classical music for tasks that require thought and consideration.

If you require deep concentration, try listening to ambient sounds. Louder noises and lyrics are distracting when you need to solve a problem, but moderate ambient noise can enhance your performance.

Music with lyrics, on the other hand, can help you complete repetitive, monotonous tasks. The lyrics provide an unstimulated mind with a slight escape. Pay close attention to the type of work you are trying to complete and adjust your playlist as needed. Music should aid your productivity, not serve as another distraction.

🎧 Learn what type of music is best for productivity and How to Choose the Best Playlist for Work.

Understand Safety Implications

While headphones provide an escape and a chance to get into deep work, they can present safety concerns. When you wear headphones or earbuds, you aren’t able to hear the outside world as clearly. This can mean missing certain sound cues that keep us safe.

Headphones shouldn’t be worn while walking around the workplace, and they shouldn’t be worn when using potentially dangerous equipment. Ensure you aren’t listening to anything so loudly that you aren’t able to hear emergency alarms.

Set Policies and Best Practices

Don’t expect your team to know what’s expected if you haven’t set any boundaries or policies around headphones in the workplace. Create a clear policy about headphones and ensure the rules apply to everyone.

Managers should be held to the same expectations as the rest of the team. Provide key information, such as when it is or isn’t appropriate to wear headphones, whether it matters if people choose headphones or earbuds, and advice for how to best utilize headphones for deep, focused work.