Employees reveal the noises that annoy them most in the office – from coughing to loud eaters and people who say ‘Happy Friday’
- Office workers have revealed the noises that annoy them most in the office
- Coughing, sneezing and not answering phones were among the biggest gripes
- Others said loud eaters, keyboard smashers and door slammers are annoying
- Experts from Sony recommend noise-cancelling earbuds and regular walks
You have to sit near or next to them every single day, and still so many of us are affected by the noises made by our colleagues at work.
Whether they are coughing, sneezing or not answering their phone, employees have revealed the sounds that most affect them in the workplace – and it’s bad news if you have regular loud conversations in the office.
The Sony Sound Report found that 80 per cent of Australians encounter unwanted noise in the workplace – and the worst sound of all is colleagues who talk and laugh loudly (33 per cent).
Whether they are coughing, sneezing or not answering their phone, employees have revealed the sounds that most affect them in the workplace (stock image)
Other noises that annoyed workers in the report included telephones ringing and not being answered (32 per cent), colleagues sneezing, sniffing or coughing (28 per cent) and nearby construction (27 per cent).
More than half (54 per cent) of those surveyed said they found it harder to concentrate as a result of noises in the workplace, while one in three said it increases their stress levels (31 per cent).
Nearby traffic is the least likely thing to annoy people (17 per cent).
Taking to a Reddit thread, other employees revealed the noises that annoy them most in the office:
‘People in a shared office space always using their phone on speaker.
‘There isn’t anyone else sitting near them in the conversation. I think it is some sort of weird power move. Or they think so at least,’ one person posted.
‘On that note, people who have keyboard sounds on their phone are absolute psychopaths,’ another person on Reddit added.
‘I don’t need to hear you sending a text from two cubes away.’
‘People who let the door slam on their way in or out,’ a third wrote.
The Sony Sound Report found that 80 per cent of Australians encounter unwanted noise in the workplace – and the worst sound of all is colleagues who talk and laugh loudly (33 per cent)
Others highlighted loud eaters as their biggest office bone of contention.
‘My office mate is a loud eater. Every day, he eats three large, raw carrots like he is a horse,’ one person said.
‘It doesn’t bother anyone else, but it makes me want to rip his face off.’
Furthermore, many were irritated by ‘obnoxiously loud, shrieky laughter in communal areas’, those who say ‘Happy Friday’ and others who repeatedly ‘click’ a ballpoint pen or tap their false nails on their desk.
Others highlighted loud eaters as their biggest office bone of contention, as well as loud, shrieky laughter and others who say ‘Happy Friday’ (stock image)
Sony recommend people manage noise pollution by way of noise-cancelling earbuds, taking regular walks and lunch breaks – which is good for your physical and mental health.
Professor and Director of Audiology at Macquarie University, Catherine McMahon said: ‘Noise is extremely subjective and is linked with the emotional part of our brain – which means noise can affect people in a variety of ways.
‘A noise may be distracting, irritating or stressful to one, but not so much for another.
‘While we recognise the acute impacts that these noises have, for example, we get irritated or annoyed, we have only begun to uncover longer terms effects that this sustained stress can have on our health.’
Sony’s latest product – a pair of noise-cancelling earbuds – have been designed with this in mind.
The WF-1000MM3 have 20 different levels of cancelling, including ambient sound mode or the option to shut off all external noise entirely.