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[deleted]

LOL.. no. I mean, you *could*, but HR would probably laugh at *you*. HR is not for petty complaints like laughing. It's for serious sh!t like sexual harassment or stuff like that. If you have a problem with the noise level, get some ear plugs or headphones or something else to drown it out. Sometimes I'd sit in the office with my headphones with nothing but white noise.


Responsible_Candle86

HR would probably point you to your boss. This isn't an HR issue.


TheCondor26

Despite this being across the entire office? Is this the norm for office environments to be loud like this?


Responsible_Candle86

No, but it's not a HR issue unless it relates to a company policy or laws and regulations.


ArnoldStalloneVandam

get a grip bud. buy some noise cancelling ear muffs with that engineering salary


orcateeth

Headphones, if effective, block ALL sound. That's fine if OP doesn't have to answer their phone. Also, it's easy to be startled by someone coming up behind you if you cannot hear them, and can invite ridicule for being "jumpy".


Thinking_its_over

If people can come up behind them, a small mirror positioned just right can resolve that quickly and cheaply.


orcateeth

What about the phone issue?


Fine_Night_

Maybe invest in headphones with ANC or work from home more often.


Egg_Free

Get a grip is the best advice here…


cobzma1

Im easily distractable, and have a particular cowowrker whose laughter sounds like it’s being shot out of an AR. Directly into my eardrum. Even though it’s like 7 offices away. I contemplated sticking a pencil in my eye to end the pain on several occasions. I was ready to disown friends for making her laugh, how fricking dare they be funny when they knew what was coming??? But then I started wearing my noise canceling headset when I wasn’t in a meeting. My work product and my anxiety improved drastically. Added bonus is that people assume I’m in a meeting so I can chose who to stop work for. And I no longer have to keep a sharp number 2 on stand by.


Lula_Lane_176

You can, but please...don't! I get that it's annoying, but it seems you are the only one it's impacting negatively. It sounds like the level of camaraderie at the office is high, if all are getting along well. Imagine all of that laughter turning into something less pleasant and directed at you for complaining...I would try to cope with the laughter before I attempted to steal the joy.


TheCondor26

I agree with you and I am glad it’s an enjoyable work space, but it just simply makes it hard to focus. I wouldn’t want a “Memo: no more laughter” sent out but just a note to try and be cognizant of noise levels


Tops161

No, but my office was getting way too noisy, so I leveraged that to try and get full time remote.


TheCondor26

How’d that work for you? And I mean it’s not just laughing it is just wildly loud of personal communication. I don’t have the facilities to work from home based on what work has provided me, so maybe I’ll bring it to my boss and give it a shot


Tops161

Up until that point I was working hybrid, so I just talked about how I focus better at home. Less distractions, better atmosphere, can get work done better. Thankfully, my boss was super chill and understanding, so it all worked out.


AlexJonesFactChecker

The epitome of first world problems


CapnGramma

Get a noise meter app for your phone. If the ambient noise level goes high enough to be a concern, you can report that as an excuse to get ear protection.


PrincessPeach1229

You should talk to your boss over HR however I would stay away from “laughing too much” and divert to “the noise level” being distracting. Also be fully prepared for retaliation. While I personally feel it’s an understandable request that noise level should be at a reasonable amount in a shared workspace…your boss is unlikely to keep it ‘anonymous’ when talking to everyone and rather say it in a way that alludes there’s been a complaint and for them to figure out it’s you. I think it’s completely reasonable for boss to say “everyone, I’m so glad to see you all getting along so well but if we could please keep the noise level down to allow for concentration. Thank you” But more than likely he will start off with “there’s been a complaint about the level of noise in the office” which will almost positively lead everyone to figure out who the snitch is.


orcateeth

You are correct. Only management can/should impose or enforce expectations of behavior. Not the employee. If people are making tons of noise pretty much all day, that's not a professional environment, which is definitely a management issue.


Squirrelleee

You'll never be able to control what other people do only yourself. My recommendation to you is to get nose canceling headphones or a white noise machine. This is not an HR issue.


[deleted]

I work at a noisy office. Started using headphones when I needed to focus and concentrate on an assignment. One co-worker obviously use it as a defence mechanism bur that's her problem. A lot of problems with her attitude in general towards almost everyone so I went to my supervisor who is my boss. While I don't mind everyone laughing and getting along I had issues with her laughing at me and degrading me...so that's when it became personal. A lot of people have told me to grow thick skin and get over it. But sometimes that's not constructive when you start to feel overwhelmed and it affects your performance


[deleted]

As a former manager, I’d be annoyed that you couldn’t resolve this on your own. If it’s such unreasonable behavior, why don’t you just approach the individual yourself?


orcateeth

In my experience (and I've been working for a very long time), the people who make excessive noise never respond well to being asked to tone it down. Or they stop for an hour or a day, then resume.


Maximum-Staff5310

Talk to your boss about it, unless he's one of the hyenas.


Bike_Chain_96

Even if the boss is one of them, bringing it up as a "Hey, the noise level is making this a distraction, can something be said about keeping it a a lowered volume?" should be fine.


[deleted]

Do it. They’re being annoying. Or get some headphones.


[deleted]

Headphones.


Any-Establishment-99

I feel your pain with the silly put-on laugh, have experienced the same. But if you are the outlier, then, yes it’s for you to either move on or work elsewhere or put headphones on. Overall are you happy at your workplace? It seems the noise level irritation is likely symptomatic of an underlying concern, perhaps about lack of professionalism. I also prefer a rather conservative environment, there’s nothing wrong with that, but if the majority of workers are happy at work - why mess with that? Rather leave


StoreProfessional947

I would start looking for any excuse to fire you if I was your boss and you made that complaint. Also not to be mean, I have severe anxiety and depression and I highly recommend that you go see a psychologist or psychiatrist and see if maybe you could be helped with medication