Advice please

[AlFas]

I work in a small office (6 people) where we have to listen to Magic fm for 9 hours per day because my boss likes it. The rest of us can't stand it and have politely requested we retune the radio. This has been met with a firm 'no'. I think I may be at breaking point (the same awful songs EVERY day). What should I do? Do I have a moral right to throw the radio out of the window? Please help before I perforate my own eardrums.

[smudge]

Your boss sounds like an ignorant, self centred git if you ask me! How are you expected to work with that in the background all day. Can customers hear this when you are on the phone? 

[Scarlett]

I would go to the citizens advice bureau to find out where you stand legally. If your boss has a boss, you can go stright to them!

[AlFas]

Steady there Smudge. She's otherwise quite nice which makes it harder to be forceful I guess. It's on fairly quitely so I don't think it could be heard over the phone. I was thinking of maybe a mild act of sabotage rather than resigning!

[smudge]

Make your mind up ALFas! So now the firm 'NO' is okay because she's a nice boss & it is only on fairly quietly & not enough for customers to hear! So, it's not really a problem then - is it?

 

 

[smudge]

P.S. If you sabotage this radio, she'll only go out & buy a new one, so that won't help! You've either all got to request a meeting with her, or the MD - or put up with it! Also I assumed 'she' was a 'he' hence the 'git' otherwise I'd have said 'cow', but she's obviously too nice for that! :>)

[Robinia]

I'm not familiar with Magic fm I'm afraid, but after a quick search I can say that if it's anything like their web-site it's rubbish! It doesn't work!

Does she have a lunch break? Can't you tune it to something you do like while she's away & the mysteriously the tuning knob could drop off & disappear?  If it's a 'wheel' thingy or push button you'll have to try jamming it with a bit of blue tack!! Sorry I'm not very technical - I'd be better with the throwing option & saying it was a poltergeist, it is a full moon at the moment.

[Octavius]

I think you are rather lucky to be able to listen to music at work.  And whats wrong with Magic FM??

I jest, if you all club together and let your boss know that it is affecting your working environement, perhaps a more harmonious solution (or preferable station) could be found.  You can't please all the people all the time, what about a radio-free office? 

[undercovers]

don't confront her about this issue straight away, simply ask for a suggestions box to be put in the kitchen or something - she'll agree to this readily, then when it happens fill the box with NO MORE MAGIC suggestions... she'll get the message - and if not start mentioning it in your appraisals

[Donkey]

how are you getting on with the magic mystery voices ?

[AlFas]

I like the suggestion box idea, may give that a try. We did try the retuning while she was out strategy but the radio is nearest to her so it only offered temporary respite.

p.s. I realise this isn't one of life's major problems and as such don't want to have a huge falling out, just a pleasant resolution.

p.p.s My boss's only boss is god!

[Skinny]

AlFas we all listen to the radio at my work as well, and to be honest, now we couldn't work without it......and we listen to magic....what's so wrong with it??????

I think you should feel quite lucky, I know loads of people who would love to have a radio to listen to at work!!!!

Obviously Donkey is a magic listener because he knows about magic mystery voices, and he has got a point, look at it this way with 9 hours of listening everyday you've got a good chance of winning.....it's on over 8 grand at the moment!!!!!!

[sft42]

Should the worst come to it then you can infrom the PRS (Performing Rights Society) who will confirm that in a public workspace a licence is needed to have a radio playing.......the thought of shelling out for said licence might get boss's finger nearer the retuning buttons.

Why not plump for something like Radio 2 which plays a mix of modern and old tunes along with good news and current affairs? It might be a better solution than just music?

[FP]

Why not club together and buy her some earphones?

 

[fly258]

There IS another way. Buy one of these, http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=69947&item=5727824751&rd=1

connect it to a music source of YOUR choice, tune it in to the same frequency as Magic FM, place it within a few metres of the radio and hey presto, no more magic FM! just music that YOU like. A tad illegal but I wont say anything if you dont. I use one with my MP3 player and it works really well.

[woofgang]

Think about the outcome of your actions...the boss may have the musical taste of a mud puddle, but she is still the boss!!!

[Yinzer]

Perhaps for her this is the only thing that gets her through such drudgery. Lifts her spirits and adds a bit of cheer to her so she can then pass it on to you by being "otherwise quite nice" A bit selfish perhaps, I like the idea of that Radio2, we had something similar at an old job and it worked out nicely. Think you could talk her into that? Maybe just have an honest chat about how this relentless Magic affects everyone and she could be more considerated by, say... changing through atleast 1 of her other favorite stations (if she has to be that selfish about it). I don't know, whatever...

[Marsh]

I agree with Yinzer about an honest chat. Since she is quite nice, she may accept that just as she doesn't like other stations, other people may grow tired of hers.  Perhaps she would accept a compromise.  In each fortnight, she chooses the station for five days and you each choose it for one.  Agree your stations with each other beforehand though � one day's ThrashFM may be worse than ten days Magic

[Hahabonk]

You should all learn the lines to the same awful songs (which you should know by now anyway!) and continually sing along in your worst voices - this should be enough after a week or so to make her change channels!!!