No, that's hot desking. Many open concept offices have set layouts and assigned desks.
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The open office concept at my work is driving me crazy
- Thread starter ExhaustedWalrus
- Start date
If I couldn't have my own office and take off my pants and close the door and browse resetera for hours on end, what's the point of working?
I would hate this. I had to share an office once and hated people walking in an out to the point I volunteered to work in the storage room for privacy. Got a desk in their and cranked out more work.
It's 100% about getting more people in the same amount of space. Everything else is a post-hoc justification.
It really drives me crazy when everyone around me is talking to a coworker or on the phone when I'm trying to focus. I tend to get the most done with two or more people in my "pod" (think a big cubicle with 8 desks in it, but the walls are low so you still see/hear the other pods) are out for the day.
It really drives me crazy when everyone around me is talking to a coworker or on the phone when I'm trying to focus. I tend to get the most done with two or more people in my "pod" (think a big cubicle with 8 desks in it, but the walls are low so you still see/hear the other pods) are out for the day.
Is a cubicle less noisy ? Our cubicle has no walls over 5 feet it's shit
I just saw studies showing engagement didn't increase as everyone ends up with headphones anyway
i think I'd rather just be homeless or dead than spend every day in an open office situation. Fortunately there are still some alternatives and studies are showing that the fad is a bad thing. It would just be a living hell most of every single day.
i honestly could not do it. Honestly I think I'd quickly fail in that environment anyways so I'd need to remove myself from the situation.
i honestly could not do it. Honestly I think I'd quickly fail in that environment anyways so I'd need to remove myself from the situation.
What do you do for a living?
Allowing people to work from home some days?
I am a software engineer that likes an open office.
I am probably also the guy that most people hate in open offices.
I am probably also the guy that most people hate in open offices.
You may want to talk with the health personnel at your work about how they can help you with your situation.
At my previous work it was possible to get a "folder" (don't know the term, i am not english, i mean the thing that you hide behind to change clothes) to surround yourself with.
At my previous work it was possible to get a "folder" (don't know the term, i am not english, i mean the thing that you hide behind to change clothes) to surround yourself with.
I think they are counter productive, especially with alot of people.
It's noisy, constant movement, everybody has noise cancelling headphones on, people are hiding off in conference rooms and corners. I don't see how it more productive with mixed teams either. The other team doesn't want to hear our shit. We go to a conference room anyways. Whatevs. Bring back cubicles!
I wish these managers were honest about it. It's to fit more people in a space.
It's noisy, constant movement, everybody has noise cancelling headphones on, people are hiding off in conference rooms and corners. I don't see how it more productive with mixed teams either. The other team doesn't want to hear our shit. We go to a conference room anyways. Whatevs. Bring back cubicles!
I wish these managers were honest about it. It's to fit more people in a space.
Shit, I forgot hot desking. Ok that's the worst. Followed by someone's cherry mx blue switches clacking away behind you.
It helps a little on sound with the 6' tall cubes we have. I'm easily bothered by visual distractions, so I contemplated getting horse blinders in the open office.
As a manager, we would shove you people in a Tyson's chicken farm and let you roll in each other's shit all day if you would let us get away with it.
I'm in a pseudo open office with an awful layout.
The cube walls go up to about chest height, but the top 8 inches are clear glass. Some people tape pictures up to help block the view into their workspace. Other than a lack of privacy, my annoyance is that the shorter walls don't filter the noise. I have coworkers making some gross noises all day.
As for the layout, each set of cubes has a few that face the aisle, and others that face the back wall with your back facing the main travel aisle. I'm so glad I'm facing the aisle so I don't have people sneaking up behind me or constantly walking by and peering into my space without knowing, especially since I'm the first cube by the aisle.
The cube walls go up to about chest height, but the top 8 inches are clear glass. Some people tape pictures up to help block the view into their workspace. Other than a lack of privacy, my annoyance is that the shorter walls don't filter the noise. I have coworkers making some gross noises all day.
As for the layout, each set of cubes has a few that face the aisle, and others that face the back wall with your back facing the main travel aisle. I'm so glad I'm facing the aisle so I don't have people sneaking up behind me or constantly walking by and peering into my space without knowing, especially since I'm the first cube by the aisle.
For the first time ever, I'm working in an open concept office, and I actually like it a lot. I barely sit at my desk and I chill with co-workers all day in an area we've pretty much taken over. This is compared to having my own office at one of my old jobs.
I will say that I'm in a department of under 40 people and we have a fairly large space, so it probably works well because our numbers are small.
I will say that I'm in a department of under 40 people and we have a fairly large space, so it probably works well because our numbers are small.
Our company just designed a new floor for us and they made huge cubes with convertible standing/sitting desks that my team loves. I've been in an office for 4-5 years at this point but if I had to go back to an open office concept I think I would go absolutely insane. I get enough drive-bys in my office (even with the damn door closed!) as it is.
Well this is interesting, I'm in the UK and don't know any other way to be in an office, every single one I've worked in has been open plan. Seems pretty prevalent here, I've never come across the cubicle arrangement. I didn't realise there was such opposition to open plan.
I don't see the issue with open plan unless you have some sort of anxiety issue that means you can't interact with people. For me at least it means easy access to other teams and promotes inclusion as it's easy to become involved in what others are doing, learn from others, give input on issues others are having etc and I've yet to work in one that's so noisy it distracted me from my work. I don't need headphones, no one in the office of 60 people does. At its worst it's just a low murmur of people chatting or on the phone as well as the usual keyboard clatter and phones ringing etc.
I don't see the issue with open plan unless you have some sort of anxiety issue that means you can't interact with people. For me at least it means easy access to other teams and promotes inclusion as it's easy to become involved in what others are doing, learn from others, give input on issues others are having etc and I've yet to work in one that's so noisy it distracted me from my work. I don't need headphones, no one in the office of 60 people does. At its worst it's just a low murmur of people chatting or on the phone as well as the usual keyboard clatter and phones ringing etc.
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Open offices are normal. I haven't seen cubicles since I started working fifteen years ago.
Hot desking is where it all goes to hell. Whoever thought that's a good idea... In most companies where it is introduced the employees settle in after a few days and just apply social control so everyone has the same desk every day...
In some cases also not enough desks for everyone so just a way go squeeze more people onto the same floor. Even worse.
And yes earphones are a life saver.
Hot desking is where it all goes to hell. Whoever thought that's a good idea... In most companies where it is introduced the employees settle in after a few days and just apply social control so everyone has the same desk every day...
In some cases also not enough desks for everyone so just a way go squeeze more people onto the same floor. Even worse.
And yes earphones are a life saver.
I really enjoy it. But then I am the person always talking to everyone haha. Helps my team is full of pretty lively people too so it's usually a good laugh.
We got a permanent desk which does make it much better though. I hate that shit where it's a different desk everyday.
We got a permanent desk which does make it much better though. I hate that shit where it's a different desk everyday.
I've never worked in a non-open office. But open ones have never bothered me too much. I hate talking to people so... I don't. I'm awful at small talk. When they do come by I just answer questions abruptly. "Yes I can do that. Do you need something else?... OK. Talk to you later".
Near my old desk the IT guys would have a bi-weekly party of some sort. Thats the only time I can remember it being especially bad. Some guys at my current office do have private offices. I assume its to help make sure everyone knows who is important and who isn't.
Near my old desk the IT guys would have a bi-weekly party of some sort. Thats the only time I can remember it being especially bad. Some guys at my current office do have private offices. I assume its to help make sure everyone knows who is important and who isn't.
I like both systems but others talking / being on the phone all day didn't bother me. Since we had a great young team at the office, it was nice to just go some steps and talk to somebody or ask them for help /give help. There were a few colleagues who didn't like the noise too and yelled at us when we talked to loud...
Now I have my own room which is nice to but I miss the crowdy/noisy times off the open office.
Now I have my own room which is nice to but I miss the crowdy/noisy times off the open office.
Think of it has an opportunity to bond holistically with your fellow worker and seize the chance to embrace the synergy that working in a shared space can create. You are all a team, not a set of individuals, come together become a sum. Breathe the same air, feel the same chills and heat flashes, embrace togetherness. You are now part of a noble tribe united by a common goal. Embody that beauty and admire being so in visual touch with others who are with you.
I may not work in an open office per se, but an open kitchen is far more stressful amigo. You've got it pretty rough!
My office is open plan, at about 2x capacity so its crowded as all hell, and unairconditioned. Plus my boss sits next to me so I get every single person who comes looking for him standing behind me nattering all day.
I own a pair of decent noise cancelling headphones and find that's generally sufficient enough, but god damn do they at least need to spread people out a bit more.
I own a pair of decent noise cancelling headphones and find that's generally sufficient enough, but god damn do they at least need to spread people out a bit more.
Pretty much every Japanese office is an open floorplan, so I've had to get used to it. I usually just throw on my headphones and work until someone taps my shoulder to ask me something.
That said I work in a very small office so it's less distracting.
That said I work in a very small office so it's less distracting.
Exactly. save money by cramming more people into the same space.
we went from full spacious cubicles to a series of open plans, each one with less space than the one before it until finally we're almost touching elbows.
It's not about collaboration and communication. That's all bullshit.
They finally caved and let us telecommute some which has helped.
The only advantage of an open office is to stop managers camping out in their office and making them accessible at all times and more aware of what's actually going on.
I like it, we have mini cubicles in our office so we still have that walled off "this is your space" but it's easy to look up and talk to whoever you need when working on a project or a question needs to be asked.
Of course it does lead to bigger moments of distraction, but I know that can happen in any workplace.
Of course it does lead to bigger moments of distraction, but I know that can happen in any workplace.
Open office with 10 to 20 people, fine
Open office with 300 plus and a mix of sales, marketing, and engineering is a fucking miserable time. Bonus points if your higher ups acknowledge the problem but continue to work inside their own office.
A lot of it just comes down to poor human etiquette too. I know a lot of people said headphones but there is something unsettling about not knowing if people are right next to you or trying to talk to you.
Open office with 300 plus and a mix of sales, marketing, and engineering is a fucking miserable time. Bonus points if your higher ups acknowledge the problem but continue to work inside their own office.
A lot of it just comes down to poor human etiquette too. I know a lot of people said headphones but there is something unsettling about not knowing if people are right next to you or trying to talk to you.