Let’s call the noisy coworker NoiseGuy for short.
Situation, I work in a open office, in the same space there are some rooms with actual doors. NoiseGuy works in one of these rooms but he always keeps the door open.
NoiseGuy is very noisy about everything. He is constantly stapling papers at full power, whistling, yawning out loud, singing, and sometimes he just shout up some words out loud like “WEEELL!!!”.
I’m quite sensible to noise so I thought it may be just me. But I’ve asked other coworkers and everyone is sick of it. When he shouts specially loud everyone look at each other.
I did some research and he doesn’t even work in my department. He apparently got demoted here for having issues with his old department and being sent to my office was, apparently, his punishment.
He knows he is noisy, and I think he is doing it on purpose to bother everyone around him, that’s why I also think he keeps his door open. Everyone in office have decided just not to acknowledge him very much in a “do not look at the monsters” way. But he is just not stopping, it’s been years like this.
I don’t want to create a bad ambient in my workspace, but I’m starting to have a bad time each day when I hear him. I don’t want to switch jobs as I have otherwise a great job.
Options I have thought:
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Talking with my boss. My boss is not his boss so they have no power over him.
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Talking with his boss or human resources. They were the ones who sent him here, I don’t think they would be doing more as he is impossible to fire or have any other work-related punishment.
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Talking with NoiseGuy. He has apparent personality issues. I don’t want to mess with that. Most likely he would be even more noisy knowing he is bothering someone.
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Having a meltdown and going to his office and slam the door close. I fantasize about this, but he will just open the door again and I would be the crazy one in the office.
It might work but it’s really not a long-term solution. Confrontation is uncomfortable and I know you mentioned he has personality issues but is there somebody who could talk to him? When the guy I work with joined, he would constantly tap his feet and it would shake my desk, and the desks of like four other people around us. Eventually we just asked him to stop – he didn’t even realise it was bothering us because nobody said anything.
Granted, he’s actually friendly, but still… Someone might just have to ask Noiseguy (nicely) if he could maybe be a bit quieter? Or poke your head in and say “you okay? Oh, sorry, I could hear you from across the office.” - just something to maybe remind him like, hey, keep an eye on your volume. This might not get solved by just closing the door!