Is the grass any greener?
January 6, 2006 1:04 PM Subscribe
Can some people please tell me what they enjoy about the typical office environment?
Hopefully this isn't too open-ended, but I'm really curious to know. Right now I'm working a temp job in an office for a tech company. This is my first time working on a floor full of cubicles. I can see how the work environment could be seen as better than, say, a factory or doing outdoor manual labour, or being a beat cop. But other than that, I find the florescent lighting, grey cubicles and a hundred people sitting in front of a computer all day.....well......depressing. Is it just me? Can warmer environments be achieved in the "office" setting? Am I just overlooking the negative aspects of the work environment in say a: hospital, school, health care clinic, labratory? All of those aren't options for me, but they look a hell of a lot better than where I'm sitting right now. I'm afraid I'm just being negative here, so please help open my eyes to the positive.
Hopefully this isn't too open-ended, but I'm really curious to know. Right now I'm working a temp job in an office for a tech company. This is my first time working on a floor full of cubicles. I can see how the work environment could be seen as better than, say, a factory or doing outdoor manual labour, or being a beat cop. But other than that, I find the florescent lighting, grey cubicles and a hundred people sitting in front of a computer all day.....well......depressing. Is it just me? Can warmer environments be achieved in the "office" setting? Am I just overlooking the negative aspects of the work environment in say a: hospital, school, health care clinic, labratory? All of those aren't options for me, but they look a hell of a lot better than where I'm sitting right now. I'm afraid I'm just being negative here, so please help open my eyes to the positive.
I find that the actual work I do, along with the paycheque, helps to offset the problems with being in an office.
of course, I'm self-employed and work from home now, so I might have different opinions if I tried to go back (having been on my own for 4 years).
posted by acoutu at 1:10 PM on January 6, 2006
of course, I'm self-employed and work from home now, so I might have different opinions if I tried to go back (having been on my own for 4 years).
posted by acoutu at 1:10 PM on January 6, 2006
Is it just me?
I was going to say yes, it is just you, but then I remembered that there's this little known comic known as "Dilbert" which, on occasion, agrees with you.
P.S. Office environments make me sarcastic.
posted by IvyMike at 1:10 PM on January 6, 2006
I was going to say yes, it is just you, but then I remembered that there's this little known comic known as "Dilbert" which, on occasion, agrees with you.
P.S. Office environments make me sarcastic.
posted by IvyMike at 1:10 PM on January 6, 2006
Three words: Joe Vs The Volcano.
Ok so that was three words and an abbreviation.
posted by spicynuts at 1:15 PM on January 6, 2006
Ok so that was three words and an abbreviation.
posted by spicynuts at 1:15 PM on January 6, 2006
I find most office environments dull, and generally am happy to be out of them, but thru college & my early 20s I was happier to work as a temp than a waiter, for instance, because I preferred the stable, quiet, semi-private office world to the loud, boisterous, interactive world of a restaurant. I had some friends who simply could not believe I would feel that way, but I'm not a real people-person as a general rule (I love specific people, but people in general tire me out). My favorite office environments were alternative offices, design offices (graphics or advertising), or just cool organizations (non-profits, museums, & web cos back when). The worst were stupid wall street drone offices, though they often paid well.
posted by mdn at 1:17 PM on January 6, 2006
posted by mdn at 1:17 PM on January 6, 2006
3 words: High Speed Internet
One of the nice things about an environment with a desk and at least some privacy is that you can do a bit of web surfing in between your real work.
Every work environment has its pros and cons. I would hate a job that involved a lot of interaction with the General Public -- e.g., retail, hospital, etc. It's hard enough to deal with the same annoying people all the time, but it is worse IMHO dealing with new annoying people each day. Then again, maybe you are the kind of person who likes that kind of thing.
posted by i love cheese at 1:17 PM on January 6, 2006
One of the nice things about an environment with a desk and at least some privacy is that you can do a bit of web surfing in between your real work.
Every work environment has its pros and cons. I would hate a job that involved a lot of interaction with the General Public -- e.g., retail, hospital, etc. It's hard enough to deal with the same annoying people all the time, but it is worse IMHO dealing with new annoying people each day. Then again, maybe you are the kind of person who likes that kind of thing.
posted by i love cheese at 1:17 PM on January 6, 2006
Not working in a cube farm helps somewhat, as does having fun/interesting/relaxed people around you with whom you can chat and banter.
Still doesn't mean that I enjoy work, though...
posted by Chunder at 1:19 PM on January 6, 2006
Still doesn't mean that I enjoy work, though...
posted by Chunder at 1:19 PM on January 6, 2006
Well, I can say that it isn't just you. I found working in a warehouse less depressing than working in an office. Seriously. Offices are soul-wringing hellholes. Sorry.
posted by Decani at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2006
posted by Decani at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2006
Cubes are cheaper than offices. Flourescent is cheaper than incandescent. There aren't that many windows in a standard office building, relative to the floor space. All contribute to what you're seeing. Most people get used to it though.
BTW, here is a nice office (Joel Spolsky's company).
posted by smackfu at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2006
BTW, here is a nice office (Joel Spolsky's company).
posted by smackfu at 1:22 PM on January 6, 2006
I'd much rather be working in a bicycle shop, but I'm not really ready for the 75% pay cut. So I soldier on in my grey/gray box. I don't really enjoy anything about it; instead I endure it.
posted by fixedgear at 1:27 PM on January 6, 2006
posted by fixedgear at 1:27 PM on January 6, 2006
If there's a hell I'm sure it's freaking lined with flourescent lighting. Please please please think about some real lighting: lamps, etc. These things make things feel a little more human.
Maybe it's just me but pervasive flourescent lighting is the worst aspect of office life, which, though it can be made more tolerable, is inherently endless dreary suffering.
posted by xmutex at 1:28 PM on January 6, 2006
Maybe it's just me but pervasive flourescent lighting is the worst aspect of office life, which, though it can be made more tolerable, is inherently endless dreary suffering.
posted by xmutex at 1:28 PM on January 6, 2006
Can some people please tell me what they enjoy about the typical office environment?
I thought it was a given that everybody hates the typical office environment. Personally, I enjoy being able to surf the internet all day, but it does crush a small part of my soul every day just sitting in a cubicle. The cubicle environment is totally dehumanizing.
Three words: Joe Vs The Volcano.
See also: Office Space.
posted by designbot at 1:28 PM on January 6, 2006
I thought it was a given that everybody hates the typical office environment. Personally, I enjoy being able to surf the internet all day, but it does crush a small part of my soul every day just sitting in a cubicle. The cubicle environment is totally dehumanizing.
Three words: Joe Vs The Volcano.
See also: Office Space.
posted by designbot at 1:28 PM on January 6, 2006
Free extremely high speed internet.
That's it.
Umm... perhaps the need to get paid?
posted by k8t at 1:33 PM on January 6, 2006
That's it.
Umm... perhaps the need to get paid?
posted by k8t at 1:33 PM on January 6, 2006
I was able to listen to music at my old job, so when I went to work I always was able to look forward to listening to some new album or internet radio station, or This American Life show, or whatever. Sometimes you have to make your own fun.
posted by apple scruff at 1:33 PM on January 6, 2006
posted by apple scruff at 1:33 PM on January 6, 2006
Not just you. In fact, it was my first job out of college, in an office such as you describe, that drove me to vow and swear that I would not pursue a life path that would consign me to such a space.
Like a lot of things, CubeWorlds are designed not for the comfort and pleasure of the staff, but for cost-efficiency and convenience.
My first newspaper job was in a wonderful old building, with fun, funky, creaky elevators and hallways out of a 40s movie, comfortable if utilitarian office spaces with nice touches in the woodwork and sign painting, and a thrillingly creative and messy paste-up department. That paper was successful enough to build itself a brand new, giant, state-of-the-art facility, so we moved. The new place was on a highway access road on the outskirts of town, and featured cubes, flourescents, etc. Much atmosphere was lost. But it would be hard to argue that it didn't work better than the old space; it was easier to wire for connectivity, more ADA-accessible, roomier, much cleaner, more women's bathrooms, etc.
If you'd like to read capitalist motives into this type of design, it could be argued that cubicles create aspirational behavior in people. In other words, they are so annoying they motivate people to distinguish themselves enough to earn walls and incandescent light, or perhaps even daylight.
And sometimes, these sorts of choices are just bad ideas. My high school was built with an 'open classroom'model in the 70s. By the time I arrived, in the early 80s, they had gone back and put up perma-walls in the formerly giant open spaces. Sometimes people do awake from a collective architectural delusion. Maybe that'll happen with cubes.
posted by Miko at 1:40 PM on January 6, 2006
Like a lot of things, CubeWorlds are designed not for the comfort and pleasure of the staff, but for cost-efficiency and convenience.
My first newspaper job was in a wonderful old building, with fun, funky, creaky elevators and hallways out of a 40s movie, comfortable if utilitarian office spaces with nice touches in the woodwork and sign painting, and a thrillingly creative and messy paste-up department. That paper was successful enough to build itself a brand new, giant, state-of-the-art facility, so we moved. The new place was on a highway access road on the outskirts of town, and featured cubes, flourescents, etc. Much atmosphere was lost. But it would be hard to argue that it didn't work better than the old space; it was easier to wire for connectivity, more ADA-accessible, roomier, much cleaner, more women's bathrooms, etc.
If you'd like to read capitalist motives into this type of design, it could be argued that cubicles create aspirational behavior in people. In other words, they are so annoying they motivate people to distinguish themselves enough to earn walls and incandescent light, or perhaps even daylight.
And sometimes, these sorts of choices are just bad ideas. My high school was built with an 'open classroom'model in the 70s. By the time I arrived, in the early 80s, they had gone back and put up perma-walls in the formerly giant open spaces. Sometimes people do awake from a collective architectural delusion. Maybe that'll happen with cubes.
posted by Miko at 1:40 PM on January 6, 2006
I have an unusually happy corporate cube life. But I can't say I can pinpoint why it is--there's a warmth to my company that I think is a combination of great people, a fun job, a nice new building, and higher-ups that encourage having fun at work.
I also get paid OK, have awesome benefits, plus perks like internet, a comfy chair, free coffee and milk, that kind of thing. And I'm a nerd who likes things like new pens and pads of paper. Those are free here, too. The lighting isn't hideous, but I do have a couple of real lamps that I use when I'm reading. That helps.
posted by lampoil at 1:43 PM on January 6, 2006
I also get paid OK, have awesome benefits, plus perks like internet, a comfy chair, free coffee and milk, that kind of thing. And I'm a nerd who likes things like new pens and pads of paper. Those are free here, too. The lighting isn't hideous, but I do have a couple of real lamps that I use when I'm reading. That helps.
posted by lampoil at 1:43 PM on January 6, 2006
Best answer: I should add (because I forgot to) that you don't have to work in a cube. There are loads of jobs whose workspaces aren't Cube-ist.
Some of us are more sensitive to environmental cues than others. If it's really important to you, no matter what your field, you can work toward getting jobs that take place in settings other than the conventional office. If it's really, really important to you, and your field takes place almost exclusively in cubes, consider another line of work.
posted by Miko at 1:46 PM on January 6, 2006
Some of us are more sensitive to environmental cues than others. If it's really important to you, no matter what your field, you can work toward getting jobs that take place in settings other than the conventional office. If it's really, really important to you, and your field takes place almost exclusively in cubes, consider another line of work.
posted by Miko at 1:46 PM on January 6, 2006
Can warmer environments be achieved in the "office" setting?
Heck yeah! Most buisness owners can't afford/be bothered to hire a designer for the typical cube farm, but man, what a difference it can make. (I know, I do it for a living.) And I'm not talking decorating (although that does come into it), but rather the layout and flow of a space and the workstations...
It's definitely possible to have a visually non-distracing workplace that's not a sea of gray cubicles, it just takes a little doin'.
posted by Specklet at 1:47 PM on January 6, 2006
Heck yeah! Most buisness owners can't afford/be bothered to hire a designer for the typical cube farm, but man, what a difference it can make. (I know, I do it for a living.) And I'm not talking decorating (although that does come into it), but rather the layout and flow of a space and the workstations...
It's definitely possible to have a visually non-distracing workplace that's not a sea of gray cubicles, it just takes a little doin'.
posted by Specklet at 1:47 PM on January 6, 2006
There isn't much I "enjoy" in the sense that it makes me want to be here. But it's tolerable and the pay and benefits allow me to support myself and my family, and entertain myself during the hours I'm not at work.
My skills, interests, and ambition (or lack of, maybe) don't really allow me to make a living doing something that I "love." Actually, that's incorrect. I got into computers because I loved working with them. I don't love them anymore because I've been working with them. Whose to say that wouldn't happen no matter what I did? So I've accepted the fact that I need to spend eight hours a day in an uninspiring environment to allow me to spend the rest of my time with the people I love doing the things that we love. It's totally worth it. Life is awesome.
I guess there's not much that I can think of that I really enjoy. I guess that's why it's called "work." On the other hand, there's not much that I really hate about it either. If I hated it, I'd make a change.
Yes, it can be depressing. It can also occasionally be fun. The constant stupidity seen all around me got easier once I learned to let it entertain me rather than anger me.
I'm hard pressed to think of any work environment that would have any less of a down-side once the initial excitement wears off.
Oh, I see now that you're looking for positives, not rationalizations.
The pay and benefits are excellent compared to the amount of money I spent acquiring whatever resume bullet points it took to get the job, the physical impact on my body is minimal (unless you count sloth), I interact with people who don't have (obvious) heroin addictions (unlike, say, when I worked at a restaurant), it's not dangerous, free Post-its for the taking, I have the time and the resources (a PC) to catch up on the rest of the world, occasionally there is free food, and I have yet to hear a coworker tell me he's only working here until his band gets signed.
posted by bondcliff at 1:49 PM on January 6, 2006
My skills, interests, and ambition (or lack of, maybe) don't really allow me to make a living doing something that I "love." Actually, that's incorrect. I got into computers because I loved working with them. I don't love them anymore because I've been working with them. Whose to say that wouldn't happen no matter what I did? So I've accepted the fact that I need to spend eight hours a day in an uninspiring environment to allow me to spend the rest of my time with the people I love doing the things that we love. It's totally worth it. Life is awesome.
I guess there's not much that I can think of that I really enjoy. I guess that's why it's called "work." On the other hand, there's not much that I really hate about it either. If I hated it, I'd make a change.
Yes, it can be depressing. It can also occasionally be fun. The constant stupidity seen all around me got easier once I learned to let it entertain me rather than anger me.
I'm hard pressed to think of any work environment that would have any less of a down-side once the initial excitement wears off.
Oh, I see now that you're looking for positives, not rationalizations.
The pay and benefits are excellent compared to the amount of money I spent acquiring whatever resume bullet points it took to get the job, the physical impact on my body is minimal (unless you count sloth), I interact with people who don't have (obvious) heroin addictions (unlike, say, when I worked at a restaurant), it's not dangerous, free Post-its for the taking, I have the time and the resources (a PC) to catch up on the rest of the world, occasionally there is free food, and I have yet to hear a coworker tell me he's only working here until his band gets signed.
posted by bondcliff at 1:49 PM on January 6, 2006
Best answer: I don't like it much at all. I especially dislike the lack of natural light and the oppressive gray. But there are a few things:
(1) camaraderie - I don't like spending too much time alone, and working from home might be a little too lonely for me;
(2) high speed internet;
(3) basically comfortable temperature;
(4) off my feet, but I can walk around when I get antsy;
(5) my work itself - interesting and important (in my mind);
(6) very little need to serve the public - I don't enjoy doing customer service very much;
(7) the hours - I can sort of create them.
Compared to some of my other jobs (waitressing, delivering papers, receptionist at a doctor's office) it's not so bad.
posted by Amizu at 1:49 PM on January 6, 2006
(1) camaraderie - I don't like spending too much time alone, and working from home might be a little too lonely for me;
(2) high speed internet;
(3) basically comfortable temperature;
(4) off my feet, but I can walk around when I get antsy;
(5) my work itself - interesting and important (in my mind);
(6) very little need to serve the public - I don't enjoy doing customer service very much;
(7) the hours - I can sort of create them.
Compared to some of my other jobs (waitressing, delivering papers, receptionist at a doctor's office) it's not so bad.
posted by Amizu at 1:49 PM on January 6, 2006
Specklet nailed it:
Most business owners can't afford/be bothered to hire a designer for the typical cube farm, but man, what a difference it can make. (I know, I do it for a living.) And I'm not talking decorating (although that does come into it), but rather the layout and flow of a space and the workstations...
It's definitely possible to have a visually non-distracing workplace that's not a sea of gray cubicles, it just takes a little doin'.
I was on the design and move team that just moved our firm from 4000ft2 to about 12,000ft2. We broke our backs to make sure we created an inviting space--openness, great colors, good and comfortable furniture. You're not going to make everyone happy, but you can sure improve things significantly. Too many people just put up the basics because that's all they can afford to (it's really, really, really freakin' expensive to setup a new office). But you actually can make them look nice and feel inviting. Those places are out there. You can find them if you look hard enough!
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 2:06 PM on January 6, 2006
Most business owners can't afford/be bothered to hire a designer for the typical cube farm, but man, what a difference it can make. (I know, I do it for a living.) And I'm not talking decorating (although that does come into it), but rather the layout and flow of a space and the workstations...
It's definitely possible to have a visually non-distracing workplace that's not a sea of gray cubicles, it just takes a little doin'.
I was on the design and move team that just moved our firm from 4000ft2 to about 12,000ft2. We broke our backs to make sure we created an inviting space--openness, great colors, good and comfortable furniture. You're not going to make everyone happy, but you can sure improve things significantly. Too many people just put up the basics because that's all they can afford to (it's really, really, really freakin' expensive to setup a new office). But you actually can make them look nice and feel inviting. Those places are out there. You can find them if you look hard enough!
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 2:06 PM on January 6, 2006
(it's really, really, really freakin' expensive to setup a new office)
Sho is! I'm the project manager for my own office's remodel. $300K for some new walls, new furniture, paint and carpet.
posted by Specklet at 2:11 PM on January 6, 2006
Sho is! I'm the project manager for my own office's remodel. $300K for some new walls, new furniture, paint and carpet.
posted by Specklet at 2:11 PM on January 6, 2006
I did restaurant and room service work for five years in some pretty swank places in Miami Beach back in the 90's. I made decent money doing this, and never worked more than 40 hours a week.
I now work in an (admittedly cool) office, working in advertising. No it's not non-stop fun, and can be stressful here, and sometimes I work more than 40 a week. But this kind of environment is a breeze after the hectic, sweaty, yelling, heavy lifting, booze-and-drug addled co-worker environment of restaurant jobs.
The restaurant late-night or early-morning crazy environment was cool for me for a while until one day I could not take it anymore. I'd say I changed after having a certain experience for a certain amount of time. And whatever floats your boat is the way to go. You don't have to lock in to what ever you do for life.
Oh- and respect. Everyone here, from cleaning people to CEO is treated with at least decent respect. I didn't always see that in the restaurant/bar world. "Lowly" employees were often reminded of the fact that they were lowly. Alot of scummy people work in restaurant/bar/hotels as well (certainly not all, but I worked with a lot of 'em)
posted by jeff-o-matic at 2:22 PM on January 6, 2006
I now work in an (admittedly cool) office, working in advertising. No it's not non-stop fun, and can be stressful here, and sometimes I work more than 40 a week. But this kind of environment is a breeze after the hectic, sweaty, yelling, heavy lifting, booze-and-drug addled co-worker environment of restaurant jobs.
The restaurant late-night or early-morning crazy environment was cool for me for a while until one day I could not take it anymore. I'd say I changed after having a certain experience for a certain amount of time. And whatever floats your boat is the way to go. You don't have to lock in to what ever you do for life.
Oh- and respect. Everyone here, from cleaning people to CEO is treated with at least decent respect. I didn't always see that in the restaurant/bar world. "Lowly" employees were often reminded of the fact that they were lowly. Alot of scummy people work in restaurant/bar/hotels as well (certainly not all, but I worked with a lot of 'em)
posted by jeff-o-matic at 2:22 PM on January 6, 2006
There is a positive no one's mentioned to working in a grey cubicle environment. (Of course, this depends on the industry, and probably on whether or not you interact with the public.)
Grey cubicle walls are blank canvases. You can create any kind of mini-environment you want to in your little personal 9x9 space. And it can change as your moods change, or as your interests change, or as your plants die or get too big.
My cubicle has been: an art gallery, a shrine to my fave TV show, a library of various books, my bicycle rack, my Zen retreat.
In some places, you can bring in your own full-spectrum lamp, and listen to music all day (with headphones, natch).
Try doing any of that in a factory or at your teller window or in your expensively decorated law firm office!
posted by SuperSquirrel at 2:44 PM on January 6, 2006
Grey cubicle walls are blank canvases. You can create any kind of mini-environment you want to in your little personal 9x9 space. And it can change as your moods change, or as your interests change, or as your plants die or get too big.
My cubicle has been: an art gallery, a shrine to my fave TV show, a library of various books, my bicycle rack, my Zen retreat.
In some places, you can bring in your own full-spectrum lamp, and listen to music all day (with headphones, natch).
Try doing any of that in a factory or at your teller window or in your expensively decorated law firm office!
posted by SuperSquirrel at 2:44 PM on January 6, 2006
You take the good with the bad.
My friend works in free-lance PR, doing something different every day. He's vocally adamant about avoiding cubes like the plague.
I work in a cube, but doing creative work (at least I think so).
He's constantly broke, forced to use credit cards left, right and center. I'm firmly middle class with a little bit of savings.
/me shrugs shoulders
posted by frogan at 2:49 PM on January 6, 2006
My friend works in free-lance PR, doing something different every day. He's vocally adamant about avoiding cubes like the plague.
I work in a cube, but doing creative work (at least I think so).
He's constantly broke, forced to use credit cards left, right and center. I'm firmly middle class with a little bit of savings.
/me shrugs shoulders
posted by frogan at 2:49 PM on January 6, 2006
He's constantly broke, forced to use credit cards left, right and center.
That's not necessarily a result of not working in a cubicle. I am middle class with a little savings too, but I haven't been in a cube since 1994. It's not as though only jobs in cubes pay a living wage; it sounds as though your friend might just not be good at running his own business.
posted by Miko at 3:30 PM on January 6, 2006
That's not necessarily a result of not working in a cubicle. I am middle class with a little savings too, but I haven't been in a cube since 1994. It's not as though only jobs in cubes pay a living wage; it sounds as though your friend might just not be good at running his own business.
posted by Miko at 3:30 PM on January 6, 2006
Offices are soul-wringing hellholes.
Very true. And extremely depressing for some (me!).
Good things:
- people (some of them)
- the work you do (maybe)
- paycheck (maybe)
posted by deborah at 3:45 PM on January 6, 2006
Very true. And extremely depressing for some (me!).
Good things:
- people (some of them)
- the work you do (maybe)
- paycheck (maybe)
posted by deborah at 3:45 PM on January 6, 2006
Office doesn't imply cube. I share an office with a coworker. The flourescent lighting in here is extremely bright and painful, so we leave it off and installed some christmas lights. We get a bit of natural light from the window accross the hallway too. Oh, and we share the same tastes in music, so we combined our music collections and run winamp on shuffle. I also grabbed myself a nice desk lamp for those times I need to read things not on a computer screen.
I much prefer shared offices to cubes. Of course it's always risky that you'll end up sharing an office with someone incompatible, but good management can accomdate that.
posted by JZig at 4:01 PM on January 6, 2006
I much prefer shared offices to cubes. Of course it's always risky that you'll end up sharing an office with someone incompatible, but good management can accomdate that.
posted by JZig at 4:01 PM on January 6, 2006
There are, as people upthread have said, ways to make Cube Hell nicer. In our area at work, by agreement, everyone has brought their own small desk lamps, and we've unscrewed the flourescent tubes from the fixtures above us. There's a good sized window to let in natural light (though in the winter we get less than we'd like).
Everyone decorates their area in ways that make them happy - one coworker brought in a kind of nifty willow-branch matting and lined his cube with it, and added several plants of the sort that tolerate low light. His area is really quite nice. And yes, headphones and the internet help too. But ultimately, working with decent people (which I'm lucky enough to do) makes the most difference.
Cube work isn't so bad...in my field it pays nearly double my previous job, with excellent benefits and perks. So you put up with the less pleasant parts of the environment, make the best of it, and enjoy your time off.
posted by TochterAusElysium at 5:30 PM on January 6, 2006
Everyone decorates their area in ways that make them happy - one coworker brought in a kind of nifty willow-branch matting and lined his cube with it, and added several plants of the sort that tolerate low light. His area is really quite nice. And yes, headphones and the internet help too. But ultimately, working with decent people (which I'm lucky enough to do) makes the most difference.
Cube work isn't so bad...in my field it pays nearly double my previous job, with excellent benefits and perks. So you put up with the less pleasant parts of the environment, make the best of it, and enjoy your time off.
posted by TochterAusElysium at 5:30 PM on January 6, 2006
Some cube farms are much worse than others. Color and light make a big difference. Sometimes it's counterintuitive though: my last full-time job, I spent five years in a converted warehouse and all-grey cube farm, but there were neat office decorations and I was close to the side door and had a bit of open space. The last year, they moved to a much neater space (overall), but I was smack in the middle of a maze of cubes, and the ceiling sucked up light. Even though I was more aggressive about decorating my cube – I was no slouch before – it didn't help.
posted by furiousthought at 5:59 PM on January 6, 2006
posted by furiousthought at 5:59 PM on January 6, 2006
To me, working in an office environment is like being in a spaceship. It's warm, dry, quiet and out of reach of the general public. Other people take care of providing me with food and drink, clean bathrooms, office supplies, communications, security, medical care, etc. Plus I never have to grovel in the mud or get sawdust up my nose. I love it!
posted by GoatCactus at 6:34 PM on January 6, 2006
posted by GoatCactus at 6:34 PM on January 6, 2006
I'm currently a cube jockey and really don't find it all that depressing. If I get bored or tired, I just get up and walk around... maybe chat with some friends. I feel that my work is meaningful (most of the time), and I am constantly learning. I think these benefits outweigh the grayness and bad lighting that cube life entails. However, there are some people at my office who are absolutely driven nuts by cube life, and I would recommend that they seek other employment. It all depends on benefits vs. sacrifice. For me, the benefits are worth it.
posted by kamikazegopher at 8:01 PM on January 6, 2006
posted by kamikazegopher at 8:01 PM on January 6, 2006
At the right place with the right people, it's a really really social environment, and feels a bit like you're doing work on a laptop at a gathering of a bunch of friends, everyone making jokes, and holding conversations while they work. If you're not feeling social, you just work and don't participate. It works great either way.
This works best when the cube walls are low enough that you can all see each other as you work. But when the cube walls are higher, it can still happen, it's just not as likely too :)
posted by -harlequin- at 8:21 PM on January 6, 2006
This works best when the cube walls are low enough that you can all see each other as you work. But when the cube walls are higher, it can still happen, it's just not as likely too :)
posted by -harlequin- at 8:21 PM on January 6, 2006
Another vote for soul-wringing hellhole here. In my last cube-farm job, three people committed suicide in the 4 years I worked there, and I'd say another third of the people I knew were surviving only with the help of anti-depressants and/or other legal or illegal mood altering substances. And, oh my god . . . .the endless Orwellian Corporate-Speak. In my view, there are only two types of office drones . . . .those who know the truth, and those who are afraid to know the truth.
posted by Zendogg at 8:52 PM on January 6, 2006
posted by Zendogg at 8:52 PM on January 6, 2006
Response by poster: Thanks to everyone for their comments so far. Zendogg, where the hell did you work? I want to know so I can stay the hell away. I think if it ever got that bad, I'd find another gig. But the positive suggestions were helpful. I can see it's not all bad, if not ideal....
posted by Oh Indeed at 10:02 PM on January 6, 2006
posted by Oh Indeed at 10:02 PM on January 6, 2006
For a hilarious and surreal take on life in cube farms, check out the novel Kings of Infinite Space by James Hynes. The hero is a failed academic with a Ph.D. in English working as a temp tech writer for the General Services Division of the Texas Department of General Services.
posted by GoatCactus at 10:36 PM on January 6, 2006
posted by GoatCactus at 10:36 PM on January 6, 2006
You should join our support group.
We meet every night after work at the bar.
posted by ph00dz at 7:17 AM on January 7, 2006
We meet every night after work at the bar.
posted by ph00dz at 7:17 AM on January 7, 2006
I suggest having your cube fitted with a Dual G5 Tower and a 23" Cinema Display. It brightened up my cube considerably :)
posted by Scoo at 2:29 PM on January 7, 2006
posted by Scoo at 2:29 PM on January 7, 2006
I used to work as a consultant for Herman Miller, the guys who make the Aeron chair, and they had some AWESOME concept office environments at their headquarters. They had an area called The Camp which a few lucky consultants got to sit in, and it was basically like being in your living room. If you could combine that with a cool company culture, I think you could be inspired.
posted by jasondigitized at 9:32 AM on January 9, 2006
posted by jasondigitized at 9:32 AM on January 9, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 1:09 PM on January 6, 2006