In my office some coworkers send long voice messages like 2-3 minutes during work hours. I find them a bit intrusive because they interrupt me while I'm focused, but I'm not sure if I should say something to them or if it's just a normal thing I shouldn't worry about.
The discomfort you're feeling is completely justified, especially if you work in a shared space where you hear the audio or it breaks your concentration. Long voice messages are annoying for exactly the reason others mentioned: you can't read them at your own pace, they force you to just listen. If a colleague sends you a three-minute voice message knowing you're at work, that's not negligence - that's a lack of consideration.
That said, before you confront her directly, you should figure out if she's even aware she's bothering you. Maybe she thinks it's faster to record than to type, without realizing the impact on whoever receives it. If you feel your relationship allows for it, you could try saying something like "ah, with long voice messages I kind of lose track, I'd prefer written messages when you message me during work" - that way you give your feedback without sounding accusatory.
If it's a recurring thing and talking to her directly isn't possible, the simplest solution is to mute WhatsApp notifications during your peak concentration hours, at least until you get around to reading the message later.
It's not rude in itself, but it depends on the context and how they're being used. If you're in an open office or somewhere where voice messages can be heard, yeah, they're intrusive. If you're all on calls or each in your own space, it's a bit less of an issue. The thing is, voice messages interrupt more than a written message does - you read a text when you want to, but a voice message forces you to stop and listen. Especially if they're long.
If they really bother you, you can mute WhatsApp notifications during work hours - that's the simplest solution and doesn't involve anyone else. But if it's a bigger problem (like you're often reading them while you're in a meeting or when you need to submit urgent stuff), you can say something about it in a light way. Like "guys, I get the voice messages but then I lose track with work, better if you just text me" - it depends on the dynamic in your office, obviously. If everyone's friendly and open, they'll understand. If it's a more formal environment, consider it even more of a behavior to scale back.
The thing is, long voice messages are different from written messages: you can read a written message whenever you want, but a voice message forces you to sit there and listen to it. And if the audio notification goes off while you're around other people, yeah, it definitely becomes intrusive. It's not really a matter of rudeness, but more about practicality and respecting other people's time.
What you could do is mute WhatsApp audio notifications for work chats and check voice messages when you get a free moment, maybe during a break. In the meantime though, if they really bother you, you can say something light to those colleagues - like "hey guys, I'd rather get written messages because I lose focus while I'm working, would that be okay?" most people get it right away. It's not something you should feel awkward asking about, especially if you're in a shared space where the audio plays out loud.
It really depends on how they're sending them and whether disrupting you is intentional on their part. If someone sends you a 2-3 minute voice message when you know you're working on something important, okay, that's something to address; but if it's just the natural flow of communication in your group and nobody's ever said anything, maybe it's normal for them and they don't even realize it.
What I'd do in your shoes? First of all, check your notifications: if they're constantly going off or vibrating when a voice message comes in, maybe the simplest solution is to mute WhatsApp during your heavy work hours, so you don't get interrupted. But if the problem is that you can still hear your coworkers listening to voice messages out loud (it happens, unfortunately), then you can say something, but keep it light - like "guys, when long voice messages come in I lose my train of thought, could we just text longer messages instead?" In my experience people don't take it personally if you ask them nicely and explain why. If you see nothing changes, at least you know you tried, and from there you can decide if it's worth stressing over something like this or if it's better to just ignore it.
Log into answer.
