Is it okay to raise your voice to a co-worker

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Since I was one that said that. I see what youre saying and agree.... HOWEVER, I think of that as a different context than an interaction between two people in an office setting. I’ve raised my voice and yelled and even more efficiently, keep a whistle on a retractable landyard on my helmet for such occasions.
I agree 100%

There are many different workplaces...
When in the cube everyone knows I talk loud, part of hearing loss but yep it needs to be under control.
 

jcannon

Twelve Pointer
It really depends on the job and the setting. If I yell at someone out of anger, I'm usually ready to fight. Today, everyone is politically correct and a lot of lowlife, sorry employees take advantage and it can be really frustrating. I have been known to yell a couple times. Sometimes, it needs to happen and the problem gets solved, but I would try to avoid it.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
Since I was one that said that. I see what youre saying and agree.... HOWEVER, I think of that as a different context than an interaction between two people in an office setting. I’ve raised my voice and yelled and even more efficiently, keep a whistle on a retractable landyard on my helmet for such occasions.
Oh yeah. Just like a turkey Yelp can say 47 things, a loud “hey”, or “stop” can be in order in the right setting.

But if there are upholstered chairs and a Xerox machine near us, you better use your inside voice with me.
 

appmtnhntr

Twelve Pointer
Since I was one that said that. I see what youre saying and agree.... HOWEVER, I think of that as a different context than an interaction between two people in an office setting. I’ve raised my voice and yelled and even more efficiently, keep a whistle on a retractable landyard on my helmet for such occasions.
You say things so much more diplomatically than me. Proud of you.
 

Bluecord

Six Pointer
I guess I’ve lived a different life after reading most of the comments here. I’ve lived a life of getting yelled at since a kid, I’m a freaking professional. Heck if I just got yelled at when I was young that was best case scenario. Everyone was allowed to yell and discipline us parents, grandparents, ants/uncles. I threw a walnut threw my neighbors door and he snatched me up by my ear yelling at me the whole way into my dads belt swings lol (had to cut his grass entire summer to pay for that). Then working in the construction trade it only intensified, like someone stated earlier, you were lucky if you didn’t get something torpedoed off a roof at your head. And don’t even get me started about the military, let’s just say the point will get across lol. My wife now does a top notch job of carrying on my past employers sentiment. I tell her all the time, whoever is in charge of keeping me from doing stupid shitz, DOES NOT do a very good job lol. I’m jealous of the ones who have lived a life of peaceful employment for sure, my hat is off to you all. Yelling either means a since of urgency, safety, necessity due to noise, or a point needs to be made and stuck FOREVER. And I’m sure I’m forgetting other variables of the yell, but it has a place and I have thick enough skin to handle it/dish it out.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Some of y’all are reading too much into it. Most of us grew up getting asschewings, and probably giving them. You’d be hard pressed to ruffle my feathers. That said, I think there’s a time and place for it, but I don’t think it was in THIS setting as described by the OP. Blue collar, life/injury/property damage on the line and danger near, absolutely, but I ALWAYS follow(ed) up with a level headed conversation to convey my point once the situation has settled. Thick skin has nothing to do with it. I’ve got skin thicker than an old bull elephant, but unless someone is about to hurt someone/themselves/ or damage something, there’s usually a teachable moment that doesn’t involve raising blood pressure
 

7mm-08

Twelve Pointer
Really depends on the situation and how raised the voice was and what was said. A scolding where a scolding is due, sure, guys on an oil rig, sure. If you were irritated, clear and not belligerent you’re probably in the clear.
 

buckman84

Eight Pointer
Also at the plant you have to talk loud, if your out on the floor and barely speaking you will be ignored. I'm not a carpet walker in the office! So being loud is a norm
 

Sp8

Ten Pointer
I think there’s two different ways to look at it. Are you a superior to her and higher up? Or are you both “peers”….kinda same level. I have zero problems with co-worker peers yelling at each other but if your a supervisor, it shows a serious lack of leadership skills to yell at a subordinate coworker.
Regardless, whoever’s getting yelled at needs to balls up but who’s where in the “chain of command” matters a great deal as well.

This… I understand your frustration but if you’re in a supervisor position you just have to breathe and collect your thoughts before raising your voice. I wish you the best of luck in your situation
 

Troutbum82

Twelve Pointer
HR ha If my company had an HR department all my guys would stand in line to complain about me. The first thing I said when I walked in this morning was what’s up dipshits! And even though we are an environmental construction company we are female owned and I sexually harass the owner every chance I get. I love my job and the people I work with.
 

thandy

Ten Pointer
Just found out a guy I hired at another location 15+ years ago was let go yesterday. He was hired as a warehouse guy and moved into a supervisor roll and then operations. With that said he still has a good relationship with the warehouse guys. One of them is going out with a showroom girl and he ask him "are you hitting that yet" during a conversation at work. The boyfriend mentions it to the girl after work one day during conversation as a joke. She didn't think it was funny and went to HR. Her side was very different and said he was harassing the BF which was BS...
 

1ylab

Six Pointer
I work from home these days.....so I can yell at people all day long, they can't hear me. When we were in office, I tried not to yell, that would just start them to crying.

I'm the only man in a office of 23..................................
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
No reason to yell at a coworker. Raising your voice is one thing, be it to get there attention or having to be loud due to a situation. I’ve raised my voice at work mostly just communicate what’s needed during high stress/loud situations like a trauma or a code blue. But I have never yelled at a coworker. If I have an issue, I pull them aside and talk to them privately. People who yell or call you out in front of others are cowards who don’t like confrontation. Most people aren’t going to fight back or argue when there is a crowd. Pull them aside in private and you are more likely to get some sort of response from them. Also, they are more likely to listen to what you have to say if you aren’t trying to belittle them in front of everyone.
 

shaggy

Old Mossy Horns
They moved me over to a new team to shadow a younger new lead to help him out some and guide him as he learns. There was an incident the other day.

Basically some work got left over and it was due to poor communication. The other lead made a comment "man I'd hate to know one of my team members was that sorry" to the guy im shadowing. Now when it was said there was no issue and it DIDN'T bother the new lead I'm working with.

The issue came in the next day when the other lead apologized. He thought he was in the wrong and said "if someone said that to me I probably would have been pissed". Now for whatever reason the new lead erupts and starts going off about how if you think its disrespectful dont ever say it to me in the first place. He blew it up into way more than it needed to be. Yelling and cussing about it to the guy and me as I tried to deescalate the situation.

On top of that he is telling me and the supervisors hes done and wont be speaking to the other guy unless necessary. Raising voices and freaking out accomplishes nothing.
 

venom17

Six Pointer
No reason to yell at a coworker. Raising your voice is one thing, be it to get there attention or having to be loud due to a situation. I’ve raised my voice at work mostly just communicate what’s needed during high stress/loud situations like a trauma or a code blue. But I have never yelled at a coworker. If I have an issue, I pull them aside and talk to them privately. People who yell or call you out in front of others are cowards who don’t like confrontation. Most people aren’t going to fight back or argue when there is a crowd. Pull them aside in private and you are more likely to get some sort of response from them. Also, they are more likely to listen to what you have to say if you aren’t trying to belittle them in front of everyone.
Some maybe, but most I know, including me, will call ppl out in a crowd of 100 or in the office with doors closed. And yes, it has came to blows a few times. But after the correction back to business with no hard feelings and actually with more respect. As has been said, different settings and a different time.
 

timekiller13

Old Mossy Horns
Some maybe, but most I know, including me, will call ppl out in a crowd of 100 or in the office with doors closed. And yes, it has came to blows a few times. But after the correction back to business with no hard feelings and actually with more respect. As has been said, different settings and a different time.
95% of my co workers are females under the age of 30. Yelling at them does nothing but make the situation worse. Only time I have ever truly yelled at someone in anger at work was when a coworker did something so brazenly stupid and life threatening that I chewed them out in front of everyone and then sent them home. I got written up but the coworker got fired.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
But I have never yelled at a coworker. If I have an issue, I pull them aside and talk to them privately.
You can not do that in this day and time.
It will not work out good.
If they have it out for you and there is bad blood you always want a recording or witness.

They will file a claim that you said X or did X when you pulled them aside.
There is no way to win that.
 

Rescue44

Old Mossy Horns
You can not do that in this day and time.
It will not work out good.
If they have it out for you and there is bad blood you always want a recording or witness.

They will file a claim that you said X or did X when you pulled them aside.
There is no way to win that.

Most are in possession of a recording device..smart phone. CYA.
 

shaggy

Old Mossy Horns
You can not do that in this day and time.
It will not work out good.
If they have it out for you and there is bad blood you always want a recording or witness.

They will file a claim that you said X or did X when you pulled them aside.
There is no way to win that.

Great advice. Always have a 3rd unbiased if possible witness. My shift lead asked me to go to lunch with him off hours to talk about some issues. There was ZERO chance that was gonna ever happen.
 

surveyor

Old Mossy Horns
You can not do that in this day and time.
It will not work out good.
If they have it out for you and there is bad blood you always want a recording or witness.

They will file a claim that you said X or did X when you pulled them aside.
There is no way to win that.
He said vs I said normally goes in favor of the biggest whiner, so yeah, trying to be proactive and handle things person to person is a non-starter for sure.

I'd rather take my chances yelling in front of witnesses.
 
Top