Open Office Etiquette 5

[LTeeple]

Dear fellow Tek-Tipsters,

What are your opinions of the following scenario, and how would you handle it?

You work in an open office. There are 9 cubicles in your office. You receive a phone call. Once finished the phone call, the person in the cube directly in front of you makes a comment about the phone call you just had.

Would it bother you that people listen to your conversations?
Would you ask for at least an attempt at privacy?
How would you go about this?


Cheers!
Laura

 

[hilfy]

If I have a private phone call to make - I go to one of the conference rooms or I go outside and make it on my cell phone. Most of the private calls that come in to me are on my cell, so I can get up and leave the area if I need to. I also consider it to be good manners if I'm going to be discussing personal business, to take the call elsewhere.

Then, of course, there was the time that my oldest called and asked if she could dye her hair blue, to which I gave the aggravated parental response, "No, you CANNOT dye your hair blue!" At which point I heard a few little laughs around me and which generated an amusing discussion about teenagers and parenting.

-Dell

 

[sleipnir214]

I think it is unreasonable to expect privacy in an open office. Whether your officemates comment or not, they will hear.



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TANSTAAFL!!

 

[LTeeple]

Are hearing and listening not 2 different things?

For example - 2 co-workers are having a conversation. I am aware that they are speaking, but I have no idea about what. Am I supernatural, or is it possible for others to perform the same feat of 'tuning out what does not apply to them'.

Personally speaking I think it is polite to only participate in a conversation to which you are invited, or the invitation is directly implied. Any thoughts?


Cheers!
Laura

 

[blutekhnd]

Whether someone comment's on your call or not, most will probably "listen" as well as "hear". It is just a sad fact of life. If people didn't do that, there would not be a word in the English language called "gossip".

 

[ecobb]

I actually had a coworker that would leave her cubicle and sneak into the vacant cubicle next to her's so she could hear what another coworker was saying (whispering) on the phone.

I used to love to walk in the room, catch her in that act, and loudly blurt out "What are you doing over there?".



Hope This Helps!

Ecobb

"My work is a game, a very serious game." - M.C. Escher

 

[Stella740pl]

I believe, although most people tune out unnecessary information (I know I do), they still hear a lot (well, I do). I don't have a cell phone at work. So if I have something private to say, I can tell the caller that we will talk about that later, or discuss it from a home phone, etc.

I think expectation of privacy in an open office is a little unreasonable. But expectation of polite professional behavior is very reasonable, and in most cases comments are completely out of line.

But there are some exceptions. If someone loudly says "No, you CANNOT dye your hair blue!" on the phone, of course everyone will chuckle, someone may make a remark. If I hear that my boss is getting a call from our coworker, I may ask "Oh, she isn't coming today? I planned to discuss such and such with her. Can it wait till tomorrow then?" Or if one of us is talking to the hospital about a parent's or child's health, I won't say a word, but our boss might ask something like "So, how is your father doing?"

Most of the people most of the time don't say a thing, though. I prefer it that way.

 

[DoubleD]

In an open office environment, if you don't want your conversation overheard, don't have it in the open. We are human beings and by nature are curious. I would agree with stella740pl that comments are out of line in most instances, however, if you're going to have discussions in public you will get public responses.

Pain is stress leaving the body.

DoubleD

 

[Kjonnnn]

First you didn't mention how loud YOU were talking.
Some people have a "phone" voice and some people talk on the phone as if the person is in the room.

If ANYthing, its MORE annoying for the listener/hearer of the phone call.

I have an office mate, and I HEAR EVERY doggone word of the conversation whether I want to or not. In fact, if I have to take a call, I have to take my call in another office, if this person is on the phone.

 

[SQLSister]

First things first. If you are taking more than 5-10 minutes of personal phone calls in a day that is probably too much. Second, try to take them in a private place or be aware that everyone will hear you. That means don't say anything you don't want others to hear.

When I was young, we were flat out not allowed to take personal phone calls at work and it really gripes me to hear people yack all day on their cell phones when they are supposed to be working. Particularly when they interrupt their work (especially when working directly with another person) to take a non emergency personal phone call or they delay your work because you can't get them off the phone long enough to get something you need from them.

I also agree with the person who said you might be too loud. I sat 2 feet away from a guy who spent the entire day on personal phone calls to his wife. Unfortunately his voice was such that the entire building could hear every word. I used to have to tell him to get off the line so I could hear work phone calls. All people in the building complained about him especially the days his calls got sexually graphic. After the boss would tell hinm not to make personal phone calls or not to discuss those subjects, the very first thing he would do would be to call his wife and complain that people were eavesdropping.

And frankly if someone got off one personal phone call and immediately got on another I would make comments too.

Now if people are complaining about legitimate work calls, then I would address that issue with my supervisor.

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[LTeeple]

Evidently I need to clear some things up, as this topic is losing it's desired stream very quickly.

Every office has its own guidelines for what is acceptable behaviour, and what is not. Whether or not my phone call is personal and/or how that should be dealt with professionally is off-topic, and not related to my original post in any meaningful way.

Perhaps I should've mentioned that #1 - cellphones do not work where I sit, and #2 - it's plainly obvious that in an open office there is no reasonable expectation of privacy. The main point of my original post was more along the lines of 'at what point does someone's overhearing make one uncomfortable, and how socially acceptable is it to comment on someone else's conversations'. Alas, there is no edit ability on this forum, as of yet.

As for the volume issue, I actually tend to whisper on the phone, as my receiver is rather loud, and I don't want to overwhelm the other end of the line. Not that a person would have to strain to hear what I say, but they would definitely have to listen to catch what I am saying.

Finally, the comments aren't about me taking calls at work, but about the substance of the phone calls - whether it's me talking with tech support, consulting, or scheduling a doctor's appointment. Having worked in an open office environment for 3 years now, this is the first instance I've had of an active listener to my conversations - work related or no.


Cheers!
Laura

 

[Grenage]

No it's not just you, it's easy enough to not conciously process what people are saying to each other.

I would not worry too much about people commenting on your conversations, it happens constantly here. I think that it's just down to people being sociable.

At the end of the day if you really want privacy, you should find another phone.

 

[SF0751]

Would it bother you that people listen to your conversations?

...and #2 - it's plainly obvious that in an open office there is no reasonable expectation of privacy.

I think you've answered your own question there. However, if you're uncomfortable with individuals responding directly to a phone conversation that you've just had, I would immediately apologize for speaking too loudly and disrupting them.

Susan
[green]Gramen artificiosum odi. [/green]

 

[LTeeple]

Thank you Susan,
I gave you a star because that is a very tactful way of handling the situation. (and you stayed on topic!)


Cheers!
Laura

 

[jsteph]

Would it bother you that people listen to your conversations?

No, because as has been said here--it's natural human curiosity and you shouldn't be suprised or bothered. And for those withing earshot who are less curious, they may have no choice but to hear (and listen) depending on your volume.

Would you ask for at least an attempt at privacy?

No--the onus is upon you to create your own privacy by asking the caller to call later or you call them from another area. Why should I leave the room just because you got a personal call? If you stay there and take the call, your side of the conversation is fair game for them to hear, but not necessarily to comment on.
Now, when the officemates pry for the other side of the conversation or try to continue the conversation after you've hung up, then you can politely say it's not their business--your side that they hear may be fair game for them to hear, but asking about the other side is not nor is asking you to expand on what transpired. It's your business, and the fact that you allowed them to hear one side doesn't give them the right to the other side, and if they're 'teased' by that in any way then that's their problem.

How would you go about this?

I do what I suggested above--call the person back from my cell in another room or outside. If I know it'll be short, then I just speak quietly and unobtrusively and get it over with. This typically tells people that it's not meant to hear, but it's not so sensitive to the point of leaving the room.

Bob Newhart was an ace at the one-sided phone conversation for comic value, and if you have co-workers who are overbearing in their curiosity, then you might consider a page from his book and have phoney one-sided calls that, with some imagination, could really get their goat.
--Jim

 

[willir]

Hmmmm

My biggest pet peeves of open offices...
- a bad case allergies
- some real hot chilly (if you are not used to how they make chilli in Texas or New Mexico), followed by baked beans
- the day after a very rough night with a colicy kid
- a child suffering from numerous bouts of lack of self confidence or personal crisis (or a spouse sufferig from a crisis) = numerous, numerous personal phones calls.

There is no private life in an open office. I worked where they did not even have cubicles -- embarrassment, zilch privacy. Probably one of the ideas - save money, and via peer pressure, make sure associates work hard.

Anyway, ...Moving on
For "private" calls, get a cell phone. When it rings, if required, you can take it with you as you make a quick exit.

As far as listening in...
- Voyers and gossipers abound in spite of what morals and ethics you personal feel should be implemented. Mankind is a curous creature by nature -- it is how "we" got to be where we are in the pecking order.

 

[Katy44]

Laura, I know exactly what you mean.

There is someone sitting behind me who regularly makes personal calls. She must be aware that we can all hear, but none of us would comment on her conversations - if she wants us to know she tells us directly. It's as simple as that!

 

[Kjonnnn]

In my instance, the person is from a another country. Roughly eighty percent of their conversation is in their native language, via the business phone and cell phone, I know its personal. Sometimes they won't even get off the phone if someone needs them for something.

 

[LTeeple]

[laughing] Phoney one-sided conversations! If only I had the comedic presence to keep a straight face...


Cheers!
Laura

 

[ESquared]

I used to work in tech support and sometimes when my boss would walk by while I was on the phone, I'd switch to mute and say something like "that's right you jerk!!! Sure you can! My name is <boss's name> and you can jump off a cliff!!"

He would always just laugh and continue walking by.

P.S. I always made darned sure I'd truly muted the customer, usually by actually yanking apart my headset wires at the breakaway connector. If I messed up and actually said this to the customer, no one but me would face the music.

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A sacrifice is harder when no one knows you've made it.