thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jul 5, 2013 11:01:53 GMT -5
Last night while celebrating America by eating too much and watching fireworks, I was told that all of my nieces and nephews, who are between 20 and 26 years old, work in offices without cubes. They all work in an area which is just desks in an open area.
Is this a sign that companies are putting more people in less space?
Is this a sign that companies are trusting their people less, and therefore giving them less privacy?
Is this the wave of the future?
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Jul 5, 2013 11:08:13 GMT -5
I know a few places like that - it seems to be more common in the places that pride themselves on collaboration, group projects, etc. It also seems more common in IT. One of my friends is an engineer who works in IT (I am unclear on exactly what she does) and they don't even have assigned desks - they just pick one when they clock in and it shows up as "taken" to the other workers. She likes it but that would drive me insane!! I can see how it would be easier if you have a job where you're always talking to other coworkers or need to work with X on this day, and Y the next day, etc. But I'm a throwback, I like working in a windowed box with a door I can shut.
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milee
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Post by milee on Jul 5, 2013 11:10:55 GMT -5
Many companies are moving to that model. It's supposed to save money, increase collaboration and work fine in today's "paperless" offices.
Personally, I think the downsides of that arrangement are not talked about enough and are important. Tough to work like that if you need access to physical records or items, can be very loud, offers no privacy (which isn't just an issue for personal reasons, but can cause work problems as well), may not be conducive to concentration, etc.
I'm glad I was senior enough to have my own office when that trend started. Guess I'm old, but I'd have a hard time being as productive in an open bullpen and I like privacy sometimes.
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Jul 5, 2013 11:10:54 GMT -5
Well the general thought is that you can combine creative forces better if you aren't confined to cubicals. Most the architecture firms we work with no longer use cubicals. We do half walls on 2 sides - 3rd side is against the outer wall, 4th side open. Which give some privacy, but not a ton. We are always bothering each other, so full on cubes would be a pain. It does make you privy to what everyone else in the office has going on.
ETA: As in, I know you just got off the phone with contractor J and he is driving you bonkers again.
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milee
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Post by milee on Jul 5, 2013 11:12:35 GMT -5
And OK, I have to put it out there - sharing work areas just plain grosses me out. Especially computers and phones. I want my own area that I know is either clean or coated with my own cooties.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jul 5, 2013 11:14:34 GMT -5
We are getting new cubes here at work - I wonder if they will be low walls. I haven't heard anything about them.
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ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ
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Post by ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ on Jul 5, 2013 11:20:41 GMT -5
When I worked for an Engineering Company years ago, cubicles were the norm for the majority of the workspace - except a larger open-area where the drafting boards and draftsmen were located. Management had outer perimeter offices.
The cubes were distracting enough - with there being no noise barrier - so you were constantly being interrupted by the sound of a telephone conversation, or two (or more) people holding a discussion in the next cubicle over. And people would just stand up and lean over the cube walls to chat (or talk through the wall). It didn't help if you were trying to meet deadlines on a project or assignment.
I can only imagine it's even more of a distraction without the cubicle dividers between work stations. It might be because of the company trying to cut office expenses by not having to purchase or lease the cubicle walls from an office supply company - or that the employer is wanting to keep a closer watch on their staff and how much they're actually working.
I would think that NOT having the cubes anymore would result in a reduction in productivity.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jul 5, 2013 11:22:54 GMT -5
One of my friends is an engineer who works in IT (I am unclear on exactly what she does) and they don't even have assigned desks - they just pick one when they clock in and it shows up as "taken" to the other workers. She likes it but that would drive me insane!! I saw that concept once on some news program - touting it as the "wave of the future." From all the people I've worked with, I imagine that people would go to the same desk every day and plant. People seem to get Stockholm's Syndrome with their work space. People hate change. One time I was on a project and traveled to another office. I sat down in an empty spot (as directed) and later someone else came in and told me this was their space. Even though he was a traveling employee also, he had sat in that desk for a few days the previous week, therefore, I needed to find another space. If that happened after a week or two, I can just imagine what would happen after a year.
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whoisjohngalt
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Post by whoisjohngalt on Jul 5, 2013 11:37:25 GMT -5
I know a few places like that - it seems to be more common in the places that pride themselves on collaboration, group projects, etc. It also seems more common in IT. One of my friends is an engineer who works in IT (I am unclear on exactly what she does) and they don't even have assigned desks - they just pick one when they clock in and it shows up as "taken" to the other workers. She likes it but that would drive me insane!! I can see how it would be easier if you have a job where you're always talking to other coworkers or need to work with X on this day, and Y the next day, etc. But I'm a throwback, I like working in a windowed box with a door I can shut. My DH's company is like that. If you are not on a contract, you don't have a desk. You "reserve" it in the morning from whatever is available. When you are on a contract - it's just an open space My last job - I was on the phone A LOT. Mostly IRS and states offices - if we had an open space like that I would have been even more disliked by my coworkers than I already was While I never had ANY personal items at my desk, I still liked MY stapler and MY holepuncher, etc, so this "new" set up wouldn't work for me at all.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2013 11:38:05 GMT -5
I've been through it all.
Totally open: hated it. It was back before cell phones so you heard everyone's personal calls.
Real office with door that opened and closed- ah, what luxury. Haven't had that since 2002 other than times I was working from home.
Cubicleville- I'm back to that. My job includes training and mentoring and I'm supposed to be accessible. Actually, it works out. I like my staff, like getting involved in discussions of babies and home improvement and car purchases, etc. We all have cell phones, either our own or from the company, so long personal calls can be dealt with elsewhere. And I really am there for quick consultations, and I know who's happy and who isn't, who's busy and who isn't, etc. Most of them work with music through earbuds- I wish I could! It's just too distracting.
My last employer's HQ in Switzerland had large rooms with 6 people sharing the room, each at a different desk. That was too much. I'm pretty distractible so having people on the phone in French, English, German, Spanish and sometimes Italian was really hard to deal with. I love listening to all those languages and trying to understand them. It would have killed my productivity, though. It was virtually impossible to get an office for a private meeting; I heard rumors that some people just set up shop in the smaller offices and refused to move.
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formerroomate99
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Post by formerroomate99 on Jul 5, 2013 11:39:15 GMT -5
I was under the impression that the cube walls were designed to provide some noise dampening. If that's the case, I wouldn't want any configuration where I'd have to deal with even more chatter. And I like having my space.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Jul 5, 2013 11:40:02 GMT -5
still liked MY stapler and MY holepuncher, etc, so this "new" set up wouldn't work for me at all.
Was it a red swingline stapler?
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jul 5, 2013 11:44:09 GMT -5
I will say now that most everything I have is on the network (or on Sharepoint) I don't really use my stapler or my holepunch very often. I could probably work for a whole year with not too much more than a laptop and a legal pad. If I had to walk to the copy room to staple something, that would be okay, given how little I staple stuff. I did more printing and stapling and hole punching when I worked with people in my physical office. When I started a more "global"position, everything I did was either through email, shared docs or video-conference/desktop sharing.
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Baby Fawkes
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Post by Baby Fawkes on Jul 5, 2013 13:04:26 GMT -5
Count me in as one of the people that are big fans of the open office space. It wouldn't work in my job to have to reserve a desk and I have a bunch of physical equipment. There are groups in our company that work entirely from laptops and can take advantage of all the 'hotdesk' areas where you can turn up and reserve a desk for the day.
I love the openness. Everyone gets provided with noise cancelling headphones for those times you want to block out the distractions. We are always collaborating with each other many times a day and it's much more efficient to be able to turn around and see if someone is available etc.
I've worked in places with individual offices, which felt completely isolating to me. I felt like I went to work in the morning and left in the evening and sometimes didn't see any of my work colleagues. Everything had to be arranged or discussed over email and something that would take 5 minutes in person would take most of the day to come to an agreement on over mail or IM.
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naturallyfrugal
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Post by naturallyfrugal on Jul 5, 2013 13:21:05 GMT -5
My company works using a bullpen set up for those that go to the office - most of us work from home. It's to promote collaboration and group brainstorming. It doesn't bother me, but I've always had an office (before I switched to working at home) since I handle sensitive information. The engineers seemed to like it and even the sales people didn't seem bothered by it and it wasn't very noisy despite half the people spending the day on the phone.
I forgot to add: not having an assigned desk would creep me out and I'd have to disinfect the desk and phone each day if I had to do that.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jul 5, 2013 13:23:17 GMT -5
My company works using a bullpen set up for those that go to the office - most of us work from home. It's to promote collaboration and group brainstorming. It doesn't bother me, but I've always had an office (before I switched to working at home) since I handle sensitive information. The engineers seemed to like it and even the sales people didn't seem bothered by it and it wasn't very noisy despite half the people spending the day on the phone. I find it funny that the choices you are given is to be completely offsite, or bullpen collaboration. They seem like opposite theories. One is that most of the communication you need can be done by some sort of technology. The other says that you need to be where all 5 senses can be in touch with a person to really work well together.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2013 15:41:39 GMT -5
We just went through this. Our team and other teams on our floor are growing. We went to facilities for a solution. They pitched an entire floor remodel of open spaces with small desks. They said this is the trend in the industry. We told them to #$#% that and give us a traditional cube design and they complied. The cubes are going from rectangles to squares with a little less space per person, but more usable space. The new design netted us 8 more spots and another conference room.
We also raised the bar on who gets an office. A few titles were dropped off the list.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jul 5, 2013 15:44:26 GMT -5
We also raised the bar on who gets an office. A few titles were dropped off the list. Did that cause any angst in the office?
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greeniis10
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Post by greeniis10 on Jul 5, 2013 16:01:34 GMT -5
This topic reminded me of when I worked at a wholesale plubming company years ago doing billing. All the office staff such as myself, accounts payable / recievable, and all the salesman shared a large open office with 12 desks. Not only was constant noise a factor but this was back when smoking IN the office was acceptable. The gal behind me chain smoked and never once did it even bother me. I'm sure I smelled like smoke all the time since we worked 12 hr days 6 days a week but I don't even recall. Now that smoking has been banned for so long I notice it right away! Times do change...
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jul 5, 2013 16:35:56 GMT -5
And OK, I have to put it out there - sharing work areas just plain grosses me out. Especially computers and phones. I want my own area that I know is either clean or coated with my own cooties. Well, most of the people I work with (IT) have their own phones and laptops/various devices. You simple pick a cube or work area and dock your electronic distractions. Few if any cooties involved. I work in a sea of cubes and just about everyone uses headphones because the noise level -from phone calls, conversations, etc is annoying. It would be even worse if I could SEE the people making all the noise.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Jul 5, 2013 16:40:08 GMT -5
My sister said that her daughter is having problems without a cube, because she is the only woman - everyone else is guy.
After 40+ years of being part of my family, I didn't bother to ask why in the hell a woman would need a cube to protect herself from being around all guys. My family is like a frickin' time warp. I guess she is embarrassed to blow her nose, or eat lunch in front of male co-workers? I have no idea. Weirdos.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2013 17:07:09 GMT -5
Last night while celebrating America by eating too much and watching fireworks, I was told that all of my nieces and nephews, who are between 20 and 26 years old, work in offices without cubes. They all work in an area which is just desks in an open area. Is this a sign that companies are putting more people in less space? Is this a sign that companies are trusting their people less, and therefore giving them less privacy? Is this the wave of the future? Maybe it's a cost cutting measure. Walls can be expensive!
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Jul 5, 2013 17:20:40 GMT -5
I'm very easily distracted so this would not work for me. I had hard enough time when I put my time in as a cube dweller. I much prefer an office to a cube so I know I would struggle with an open floor plan. I can't even listen to music while working because it breaks my concentration. Hearing people on the phone or talking would drive me insane
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naturallyfrugal
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Post by naturallyfrugal on Jul 5, 2013 17:58:32 GMT -5
My company works using a bullpen set up for those that go to the office - most of us work from home. It's to promote collaboration and group brainstorming. It doesn't bother me, but I've always had an office (before I switched to working at home) since I handle sensitive information. The engineers seemed to like it and even the sales people didn't seem bothered by it and it wasn't very noisy despite half the people spending the day on the phone. I find it funny that the choices you are given is to be completely offsite, or bullpen collaboration. They seem like opposite theories. One is that most of the communication you need can be done by some sort of technology. The other says that you need to be where all 5 senses can be in touch with a person to really work well together. I wasn't completely clear with the set-up. The software engineers, programmers, and other techies all live in the same area and go to the office - there isn't a choice for them. The rest of us are scattered across the country and we work from home and don't need to collaborate as a group - we use telecons and email to communicate and our jobs require little input and face-to-face interaction in order to complete. It seems to work well for all of us.
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Nazgul Girl
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Post by Nazgul Girl on Jul 5, 2013 18:39:37 GMT -5
I need a cubicle with four walls and a little open doorway, that goes up past my height when I'm standing. I don't like to work in open, what used to known as bullpen, offices. I put in my time in three or four of those, and I just don't like to functioning in them. Seems that there is more intimidation or bullying going on in them. Not all coworkers can be "collaborative."
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jul 5, 2013 21:06:37 GMT -5
How do you fart at your desk or scratch our butt with an open office?
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naturallyfrugal
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Post by naturallyfrugal on Jul 5, 2013 21:10:43 GMT -5
How do you fart at your desk or scratch our butt with an open office? Go to the supplies' room?
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Jul 5, 2013 21:13:07 GMT -5
How do you fart at your desk or scratch our butt with an open office? Go to the supplies' room? Then you have the office busy body keeping track of how many times ou go there, and conclude you're stealing office supplies.
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ZaireinHD
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Post by ZaireinHD on Jul 5, 2013 21:26:08 GMT -5
my place is asorted regarding height of the cubical walls. but as the new set up comes in for different floors/divisions/departments - the walls are getting shorter and shorter. the shortest walls I've seen so far is where the monitor is on it's monitor stand and the top of the monitor is higher than the cubical wall. and yet somehow no one is faceing someone else in that area? because all someone would have to do is turn around to see co-workers screen. LOL - for my group low wall or no wall is bad thing! cause I myself get so board my head hit my monitor from falling asleep! the young manager plays games on his cell and looks at pictures on the internet pretty much all day. another assistant does a bunch of on-line shopping, another assistant plays card games!
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naturallyfrugal
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Post by naturallyfrugal on Jul 5, 2013 21:37:02 GMT -5
Go to the supplies' room? Then you have the office busy body keeping track of how many times ou go there, and conclude you're stealing office supplies. I've never worked with an office busy body, so it didn't occur to me. But, wouldn't an inventory list prove my innocence? Assuming there wasn't someone stealing supplies....
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