Life on Tapp: ​Plugging in to tune out the sound of the office bore

​​For many of us, working from home has become a way of life over the past three years and is seen as a right rather than a perk.
By Blaise Tapp
Published 5th Jun 2023, 12:37 BST
Updated 5th Jun 2023, 12:38 BST
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Blaise Tapp writes: As somebody who has worked predominantly from the kitchen table since the days lockdown was something the wider population thought only happened in prisons, I have a routine which works for me and the family.It clearly also works for a significant chunk of the population, which is probably one of the key reasons why striking rail workers haven’t got what they want yet - if millions more of us were missing work because we couldn’t get the train to the office, I suspect there would’ve been huge political pressure to get a deal done months ago.

I’ve always viewed working from home as a privilege and, if the truth be told, I have probably, subconsciously, worked that bit harder in order to retain my current working arrangements.As lucky as I am to have a commute of roughly 15 seconds, I fear that I may have become far less tolerant of others than I was pre-March 2020.

It appears I’m not the only one as the issue of wearing headphones or earpods in the office has recently become the subject of national debate.

Wearing earpods in the office has recently become the subject of national debate. Photo: AdobeStockWearing earpods in the office has recently become the subject of national debate. Photo: AdobeStock
Wearing earpods in the office has recently become the subject of national debate. Photo: AdobeStock
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    In fact, the controversy has reached such a level that Debrett’s, the etiquette guide which advises posh folk what to do with a fish knife and what colour underpants are acceptable to wear in the presence of royalty, has stepped in with advice.According to them, people who work in open plan offices where there is ‘an interchange of ideas between colleagues’ should not wear earpods or headphones.Those who don’t plug themselves in apparently, will be much more valuable as a team member if they stay alert to what is going on around them in the office.Personally, I suspect the fact that this has become a talking point now is that more people are turning to Spotify or their favourite podcast when they make their weekly trip into the office because they can’t hack having to listen to people who haven’t seen each other for seven days drone on about what they are watching on Netflix.

    At home, it’s a different story as Radio 2 is my official work companion - although it often goes off during Jeremy Vine, especially if it's another item on medical ailments.