Noisy workmate

LegacyUser

OK, this problem sounds like it should be in After Hours but it's starting to get in on me. I work in a smallish open plan office. One of my workmates has started to whistle tunelessly while they work and it's beginning to wreck my head in the same way that a dripping tap can get in on you. I don't get on particularly well with this person (we just never gelled as people and this individual is a bit of a hard chaw anyway) so having a word with them is out of the question. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if this person increased the whistling if they knew how it was bothering me. Some of my workmates have jokingly commented on the whistling but it hasn't worked - I don't think it bothers them anyway. It's just me. Any suggestions? I thought about asking my manager to have a word but I feel it's a stupid complaint to be making.

breadmonkey

Really I think you should just say to him that you find it really distracting and could he please stop. Just because you don't gel doesn't mean you hsould have to put up with this nonsense.

Xiney

Do you have a manager or some kind of supervisor?

biko

Whenever they start, you start whistling too, along with them "it's such a catchy tune".
Or get headphones and listen to music.
Alternatively get a radio for the whole office?

doolox

I do that and was once told to stop by a co- worker which is hard to do. The place had piped radio and no objections were raised to people singing, karaoke style, along with the pop emanating from the radio. Badly whistled trad tunes got on their nerves...........
Taste is a funny thing.
Another time I used to have a cublicle beside a very aggressive tech who used to rant and rave and call his colleagues "clowns" and "muppets" all the time when things went wrong.
He was disturbing to listen to, a really aggressive A-type male who gives us all a bad name.
Another gent used to call up "you-tube" funnies on the 'net and laugh uproariously at them, much to the disgust of the nerdy engineering types getting their projects done in neighbouring cubicles.
Another bunch of natures best used to engage in burping and farting competitions acompanied by much raucous laughter, titters and ribald comments as to the sound,smell and eating habits of the creators of such sounds..............
Dilbert has nothing on the real thing in corporate cublicle Ireland.

TheLoc

The you tube thing is fair annoyin. not just for nerds.

Firetrap

I've got a workmate who whistles as well. I've been thinking seriously about having a little chat. The others in the office can be noisy as well - radios, singing, humming. I don't mind those too much. It's the whistling that seems to cut through all that.

Mrs OBumble

Noise cancelling headphones.

Big bright orange ones if you think pointing out the issue will help.

Small discreet ones if you think it won't.

Or make it the manager's problem but only if you think they will actually do something useful about it.

LegacyUser

Unregistered wrote: »

OK, this problem sounds like it should be in After Hours but it's starting to get in on me. I work in a smallish open plan office. One of my workmates has started to whistle tunelessly while they work and it's beginning to wreck my head in the same way that a dripping tap can get in on you. I don't get on particularly well with this person (we just never gelled as people and this individual is a bit of a hard chaw anyway) so having a word with them is out of the question. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if this person increased the whistling if they knew how it was bothering me. Some of my workmates have jokingly commented on the whistling but it hasn't worked - I don't think it bothers them anyway. It's just me. Any suggestions? I thought about asking my manager to have a word but I feel it's a stupid complaint to be making.

He sounds like a Top Class Cnut if you ask me...........

He is just trying to wind you up, trying to get a confrontation with you.

Use a bit of reverse tatics, you start recording his annoying whistling on your mobile or dictaphone then report to top manager stating you cannot concentrate on your work and it is affecting your level of output.

Or ask the Manager for the twat to be moved to another desk.

Thats it, simple