Doy, this is why IM was invented

'Employee communication. MP3 use can be inappropriate in some work settings or can stifle communication because employees may have a hard time catching the attention of a co-worker with ear buds'

More than 40 million Apple iPods have been sold as of January, and at offices all around the USA employees can be seen working or walking the halls with the telltale white Apple iPod ear buds that trail from the portable MP3 players. Use of MP3 players tends to vary with job type. Eighty percent of technical and creative workers listen to music more than 20% of their working hours, according to research on MP3 use by CIMI, a Voorhees, N.J.- based research and technology assessment firm.

At the management level, the proportion of workers listening to music more than a fifth of the time drops to 20%. About 40% of clerical workers listen to music more than 20% of their working day.

"MP3 use is also getting higher in certain types of factory and other jobs," Says CIMI President Tom Nolle.

Not all employers are welcoming the development.

"We do not look kindly on anyone who puts on earphones and starts listening to iPods," says Mario Almonte, a vice president at Herman Associates, a New York-based marketing and communications company. "It looks like you're not working, and it's not a professional presentation. It's still a device that distracts you."

Among the concerns:

--Employee communication. MP3 use can be inappropriate in some work settings or can stifle communication because employees may have a hard time catching the attention of a co-worker with ear buds. Some co-workers may play music through speakers, which can annoy colleagues within earshot.

Music hath charms for some workers - others it annoys