Ask the expert: Blaring rock radio is not music to everyone's ears

Q: I hate having to listen to heavy rock music blasting out at me nine hours a day. Mostly I work in a fairly confined area but even when I am in the larger factory I still struggle to understand why I have to listen to someone else's choice of music (if that is what it can be called) all day.

Upon applying for the last three jobs I have had, I have approached the problem of having to listen to music I don't like, only to be told "if you don't like it turn it down". You know what happens when I turn someone's radio down? They turn it up louder.

Mostly my work could be a whole lot better if I was able to concentrate fully, and yet I hear employers saying they struggle to get good workers (in my opinion those who like radios are second-rate tradesmen mostly).

Recently, having complained about radios for a number of years, I decided enough was enough and left the company. When I applied for another job and gave my previous employer as a reference, I was turned down because of my preference for a quiet workplace.

Do I have no rights? I am not a killjoy. I go to work to work and would like to come home to listen to my choice of music, if I had not been bombarded with it all day. What do you think?

A: Noise that is distracting or interferes with concentration can be a liability at work. Very loud music, or any noise that reduces your ability to hear warnings or instructions can be a health and safety issue, which the manager of the worksite has an obligation to deal with.

If you don't need to hear to be effective in your workplace, then earplugs are an option to block out the noise, or individual headphones for your co-workers who want to listen to their radio (as long as they don't sing along).

Some people do enjoy music at work, but it is a matter of personal taste and should be agreed on, rather than one person imposing it on others. How do the other tradesmen feel about the music choice?

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Email a question for Dr Marie Wilson