Moral Dilemma: Your Thoughts

ucsd_ucla_dad
Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:21:38 +0000

It sounds as if phone call noise is part of the nature of the environment since people do phone calls and it’s an open office environment. Given that, I don’t see that there’s much the manager should do based on the complaint of this other person since the situation is ‘normal’. If the other person can’t handle it and if she can’t find another office to move to then it seems that she’s the one with the problem. As a manager of this environment (as you describe it) I’d just recommend the person learn to cope with the noise and would suggest to everyone taking phone calls to be mindful of others nearby and to try to not speak too loudly and certainly not to use a speakerphone (I hate those in an open office environment). Of course, it’s hard to say what your manager will do.

You’re just making an assumption that the other worker’s complaints about the noise are related to her wanting the office to herself so if you bring it up it may sound to the manager unrelated and spiteful. Of course it could also be true but how do you really know?

Regarding the ‘stealing’ - if this person is paid and provided space to condict the company’s business and she’s not doing so as expected because of doing her personal business instead, then she’s certainly shirking her duties and it’s far more impactful than making a few personal copies on a copier or taking a pencil home. It wouldn’t be acceptable at a normal business but this one filled with independent contractors sounds a bit different.

If it were me I’d probably do nothing until the manager actually talked to me and at that time I’d state I was doing exactly what the company expected of me, nothing unusual, that I’m not being unusually loud, and that if the co-worker can’t handle the normal office environment then perhaps she’s the one who needs to learn to deal with it or move elsewhere herself.