Is it OK to take calls on speaker at your desk?
Guilty
The short answer
No, not in a shared office. Use headphones or a meeting room, because everyone nearby ends up on the call, like it or not.
The ruling
From the public record. Names are replaced with roles.
Small claims division
Case no.PC-2026-00517
The coworker two desks away v. The coworker on speakerphone
Filed 10/07/2026
- Plaintiff
- The coworker two desks away
- Defendant
- The coworker on speakerphone
Statement of claim
She takes her weekly client calls on speaker at her desk. They last an hour. I now know the client's dog's name and his kitchen renovation budget.
Charge
Conducting hour-long client calls on speaker in an open office, weekly
Judgment
Guilty
Coworker found guilty of weekly speakerphone calls about a kitchen renovation
Sentence
The defendant will take calls longer than five minutes in a meeting room or with headphones, starting with the next one.
How the court usually rules on this
The court separates a quick call from a long one. A thirty-second call on speaker is tolerated. Regular long calls in an open office are an offense, especially when meeting rooms are free. The usual sentence is headphones, which the court notes most people already own.
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