Amazon employees in certain facilities are allowed to listen to music.
It comes down to the facility’s policies, local laws and regulations as well as management’s level of tolerance.
In some Amazon locations, wearing any kind of headphones is a big NO-NO and you may get fired on the spot if you get caught, especially if you operate PIT equipment.
Conduct your own research before deciding whether to put on headphones, e.g., by checking if other associates are wearing them and whether there are disciplinary consequences for doing so.
I find music, audiobook or podcast listening to be very therapeutic while working and it’s something I recommend to friends if they find routine warehouse work to be boring or tedious.
Music sometimes makes this kind of work bearable and may even increase your performance at work.
This is why in some facilities, they play music through loud speakers. Unfortunately, some Amazon management employees don’t see it this way due to safety and security reasons.
Best Way to Listen to Music While Working
I recommend using wireless earbuds to listen to music. They are superior to wired headphones because unlike the wired ones, they don’t get tangled or caught on external objects, which just makes your job harder.
In most Amazon buildings, you won’t be allowed to go onto the warehouse floor with a phone. These buildings have metal detectors at entry and exit points that will detect phones and even if you manage to sneak one in, you might get in trouble if a manager or HR person catches you with one.
This is where smartwatches come in; you are allowed to wear your watch while working at Amazon and since you can easily pair them with Bluetooth earbuds, they are your best bet.
How to Secretly Listen to Music
If earphones are not allowed at your facility, there are still ways in which you can enjoy music in secret ;-). Here are a few options:
- Wear a head covering – beanies or any kind of head coverings that go over ears can hide earbuds quite well and most of the time no one will ask you to remove them.
- Get discrete earbuds – some earbuds are very small and are skin colored (e.g. khaki, black, brown or rose gold) thus making them difficult to see from a distance.
- If you already have earbuds such as AirPods, you might consider painting them yourself in these colors using something like craft paint instead of getting new ones.
- PS – Bluetooth beanies are a thing now.
- You can also glue or sew earbuds onto a beanie. If someone in management asks you to remove it they will remain attached to it.
Final Thoughts
I highly recommend doing proper due diligence before wearing headphones at work. If you think you’ll get caught and your management or HR highly disapproves of listening to music while working, then it’s not worth losing your job over it.
Some Amazon facilities have started allowing people to bring headphones to work. Others are experimenting with allowing employees to wear bone conduction earphones that don’t go over or in your ear thus allowing you to hear everything around you.
