DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive

From: Sorenson YD02 John G [mailto:john.g.sorenson**At_Symbol_Here**usmc.mil]
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2008 8:12 AM
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] Headphone use in labs

 >Some of our lab staff (pharma R&D) would like to wear iPods and  
similar devices while working. We're not too keen on the idea, the  
main reason being lack of focus on their work tasks (like cell phone  
use while driving). How are the rest of you handling this issue?

We do allow them to listen to music, but not through headphones.  Each  
day a different person picks the radio station of the day.  Sometimes  
people don't like listening to country music, but they can chose on  
their day. Nobody is totally happy, but they have learned to be  
diverse and how to get along with each other.  This has extend to  
their lives outside of the lab as well. I firmly believe that the team  
work that we have now would not exist if each person was plugged into  
their own little world all day with no interaction with their peers.   
The radio sharing has worked great for us.

John