by David Elder

Created on: January 17, 2008

At the risk of offending those people who find it difficult to spend a single hour without the accompaniment of their favorite tunes, I would have to say that music has little or no purpose in the workplace. Of course there are exceptions.

If the work is purely physical in nature, requiring little concentration to accomplish the tasks at hand, then the addition of music can be an asset. At construction sites, music is as commonplace as a table saw or a hard hat, lifting the spirits and helping to alleviate the feeling of drudgery that may accompany boredom and repetition.

At the other end of the spectrum is the highly technical lab or fabrication facility where the distraction caused by melodies or lyrics can not only detract from the quality of essential concentration, but affect the quality of work and safety as well. Within these two extremes lay an infinite variation of circumstances. The deciding factor for an employer is to determine whether the addition of music adds to, or detracts from production of the product.

Another factor to bear in mind is the consideration of others. Too many workers today are focused solely on their own needs, often ignoring the comfort of other workers who may not share their taste in music. This selfish attitude will sometimes lead to conflict, which is the exact opposite of the desired effect.

From an employer's point of view, you are not being paid to be entertained, but to put in an honest day's work. It's hard to deny the allure of your favorite song, especially one with meaningful lyrics. That being said, it's also true that the allure is distracting from the mission at hand.

The arguments for music in the workplace often revolve around subtle insults that imply those who work better with no music in the background have weak minds, incapable of "multi-tasking". "Multi-tasking" is a term that describes the ability to do more than one thing at a time, and to do all things proficiently. Unfortunately, the one doing the multi-tasking is usually deluding themselves in that assumption, being the sole judge of the quality of their efforts. In such a situation, the worker must ask themselves; "Could I do this function any better if I concentrated on nothing else?" The answer would invariably be yes.

We are fortunate to have music as a means to relax and express our individuality. Music is an undeniable gift that should be enjoyed to its fullest potential, but only when appropriate. When that enjoyment interferes with the ability to satisfy the requirements of the employer, or intrudes on the enjoyment or productivity of others, it must be postponed until quitting time.

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