Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with office

Too hot to work

backseatpilot — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:17:58 -0800

So, for the nth year in a row the air conditioning system in our office is busted. It's not even summer yet and it's already way too hot in here. I need some way of keeping cool and sane. There is currently no ventilation in the building, as they're repairing the air handlers. The chiller (replaced last year after it was struck by lightning) is apparently broken again. We were supposed to get the HVAC turned back on two weeks ago, but that deadline came and went. Today the outside air temperature was around 70F and it's currently over 85F in here. I spent most of last summer suffering from heat exhaustion and falling asleep at my desk; I need a better solution this year.

Things I have control over:
-Stuff that is inside my cubicle, including computer, monitor, and desk lighting.
-Clothing, up to a point. Short-sleeve shirts ok, shorts generally not. We were given special dispensation last year to dress down because of the heat.
-Food and water intake.
-Where I work, up to a point. Boss supports working from home on extreme days, but considering it's not even the end of May and it's already too hot I can't really spend all summer at home.

Things I cannot control:
-I have no window, so shades or opening a window don't apply.
-General lighting.
-Bathrooms are frequently out of paper products, so (for example) grabbing lots of wet paper towels to sponge off would be looked down on.
-Management. I am co-located at a customer's site with several coworkers from my own company; our company management is aware of the issue but there isn't room or desire to relocate us somewhere else.

Due to sequester issues and the general military culture (e.g., suck it up and deal) there aren't really any options available through the chain of command here. They know about the problems but short of condemning the building until the AC is restored I'm not sure what they can do.

How do I keep cool this summer? We haven't had many hot days yet and it's already too much. Tomorrow is supposed to be significantly warmer than today and I'm worried I'm just going to melt in to a puddle.

(Second question - is this in any way an OSHA violation? Is a military installation exempt from OSHA regs?)

Fung shui in my office

falsedmitri — Thu, 16 May 2013 05:47:52 -0800

Fung shui in my office I have a new office. My desk is setup so that I face the door when seated. The computer screens block some of the view but I can see over the top out into the hall and see people walk by, which is distracting. I don't want to move the desk and I don't want to close the door all the time, so I was thinking of putting some kind of visual barrier on top of the screen. By my calculations, it needs to rise 6" above the top of the screen. I'm looking for (SFW) ideas of what to put there. The top of the screen is 22" inches wide. There is a bit of a groove on the sides and top which might somehow be used for anchor. So far:
-- just a piece of cardboard measuring 22"w x 6"h supported by bamboo skewers taped to the side
-- one way mirror mounted in a similar manner
-- a large photo/small poster set into the crook at the top of the stand

What can you think of?

Is this behavior from a coworker as odd as it seems to me?

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:57:28 -0800

I work with a woman who refuses to speak to me unless she is forced to do so and will otherwise pretend so thoroughly that I don't exist it's as if I hadn't spoken at all. Apologies for the wall of text.

My question concerns one of my coworkers, who apparently dislikes me so much that even though I have worked in this (small) department for more than two years she will not speak to me unless my direct boss assigns her a task which requires it. My greetings in the morning or statements in meetings directed to her are ignored so completely it is as if they never occurred, to the point that I sometimes wonder if I actually said anything. I like what I do and my direct boss likes my work, so I don't plan to leave due to the situation at this time. I also am not planning to go to HR since there is absolutely nothing they will do given the observed attitude toward the situation from management. It's a sick system, undoubtedly, but the economy is bad and I thoroughly enjoy my job itself.

She and one other woman do this to a greater or lesser extent, but everyone else in the department appears to get along with me. I talk to them about their families, they drop by to chat and joke, and they come to me for help and advice which I give gladly and when I need help they assist me in the same spirit. So I don't think that I've done something so out of the way that I have caused the shunning. In fact, this woman appears to behave similarly with everyone, although she does actually talk to everyone else in the department without being forced to do so.

When I came to the organization, I didn't know anything about the specific field of our department, although I have considerable expertise in the type of work for which I was hired. Technically, this woman and I are on the same level by title, although since I came to the department I was moved to report to her boss' boss instead of us both reporting to someone on the same level. I've considered the possibility that this woman may have resented my boss hiring an outsider or that I have a different type of role than was previously part of the department. I also have an advanced degree, although I have never referred to it unless someone else directly mentioned it. I don't actually know that anyone told her that I have one, so I don't see why she would be resentful of my education or think I look down on her because of it. I don't look down on her because of it, incidentally. I don't think that education makes one person better than another, but I do know that there are people who believe that and I do try very hard not to appear to be that sort of person. My role does require a lot of solitary work and I am an introvert, but that does not appear to stop other people from interacting with me pleasantly. When some of my coworkers have broached the subject of her behavior toward them I asked if I had done anything to cause her to behave that way toward me and they've said that I had done nothing - she is just 'that way'.

My boss unfortunately thinks it is hilarious. I don't actually depend on her compliance to excel in my role. She is competent at her work, but it is not the sort of thing that someone would be unable to learn - it is a mix of data entry and customer support. So while her work is important and she is good at it, the organization would survive perfectly well without her. Given her attitude it might very well improve. However, I do respect her work product and make a point of saying so to people when it is appropriate, as I do with all my coworkers. I try very, very hard not to treat her with the disrespect and lack of professionalism she shows me, even when it is difficult. I know that it sounds like I must be doing something to perpetuate this silent and unyielding hostility, but I really have no idea what I might have done to create and sustain it.

I'm Gen X. She is nearly seventy years old and in poor health (although she takes every opportunity in meetings to announce that she is going to work until she dies in her cube, a thing I think in considering her apparent health is very likely to happen), which I think is part of why her outrageous behavior is tolerated, but it certainly doesn't explain everything. I once observed her say to her boss in the presence of several other people (including her boss' boss) that she didn't understand why he had to make everything so complicated. She said this in a tone that would have prompted at least a written warning for insubordination in my previous work culture and more likely would have resulted in her firing. The difference in work culture also makes it hard for me to know whether or not this situation is as outrageous as I think it is - I came from a very orderly, type-A sort of workplace and this corporation is the opposite.

I was telling a friend about how this morning I greeted the woman and the other woman who behaves similarly as they walked down the hall and they physically recoiled. They both turned their bodies away from me toward the wall as they walked by and one of them muttered 'morning' in the lowest possible monotone, resuming the conversation in a normal tones. I expressed how baffled I was by this behavior to my friend when I have tried (and still continue to try, pointless though it seems) to be professional and cordial in spite of this treatment. He told me that I was too sensitive and that such behavior would not bother him at all because if he didn't care about what she thought he wouldn't care about how she behaved. I do not consider myself an overly-sensitive person, but I really don't think I'm a delicate plant for finding her persistent behavior off-putting and mysterious. I also don't intend to stop trying to be civil and professional, however disheartening it may be to continually extend overtures and be frozen out.

So my two questions around this situation are these: How unusual is this type of behavior in a white/pink collar office environment? To what extent would this behavior bother you in a similar situation?

Inexpensive desk lamp with adjustable brightness?

Scientist — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:12:50 -0800

I'm looking for a nice, inexpensive task lamp to put on my desk at work. It should have adjustable brightness (low/high is fine) so that I can have either a little or a lot of light, as required. Free-standing, not clamp-on. $30 or less would be ideal. Help? I often find myself at work wishing that I had a lamp on my desk to that when I am doing detailed work I can get a better view of what I'm doing. Where I sit, all the light comes from behind me and if I am doing something fiddly it can be hard to see well enough as I tend to block my own light.

I'd like to have a lamp with a free-standing (rather than clamp-on) base so that I can move it around the desk, and which has at least a high and a low light setting. The bulb should be shrouded well enough that I can use it to flood my desk without having to stare into a naked light source.

Other than that, it doesn't need to be fancy. I don't care much what it looks like or what it's made of as long as it's at least moderately sturdy. I would prefer a warmer light (so maybe an incandescent or halogen lamp, unless there's an LED one that makes a nice warm white) as the place where I work is lit by those nasty six-foot fluorescent tubes and it would be nice to have something a little less clinical-feeling.

Does anybody know of a light like this? Maybe you own one? Please let me know, I'd be overjoyed.

Learning to use VBA

Proginoskes — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 21:31:13 -0800

I have read that John Walkenbach's books are the de-facto standard for learning to use VBA in Microsoft Excel. I'd like to know what books are recommended to learn to use vba in other Office products - primarily Access, but also Word and Powerpoint. I'm more interested in books than in websites.

Working with employee cynicism

tzb — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:40:12 -0800

How to work with employees who don't like what you're doing, but won't work towards making things better? Specifically vocally negative long-term employees who think they know it all, but refuse to share their wisdom beyond flat-out complaints because it's "not their job"? My department underwent a large-scale restructure about a year ago with about half the team made redundant. Since then we have enacted a huge number of changes to our processes, including making all staff members multi-skilled. This has led to some big advantages, but unfortunately whenever a new process is introduced there is a large amount of employee cynicism. Specifically there are a few long-term employees who had been in very specialised roles who now work with the rest of the team in fulfilling our departmental work. We have an open policy where employees are encouraged to have a dialogue with their seniors and the department managers about any concerns or suggestions they have. This stretches from open invitation to discuss in the office, alone in 1-to-1 time all the way to an anonymous e-mail "Comments" box.

The main problem I'm experiencing is the vocal negativity and cynicism of these few long-term employees. In order to respond effectively to their concerns we have asked that employees investigate perceived problems, report the outcomes to their seniors and allow us to make changes accordingly. The response to this was "Well, it's easier to do nothing than even raise the problem if we have to do the digging". Yes, it is. But it's also part of your job. "Oh, so it's part of my job now? It's not in my job description!" etc. I'm firmly in the school of thought that criticism without investigation is pretty much flat out unhelpful.

We've introduced many measures to make employees feel supported and we listen to their concerns, which weren't in place for 4 of the 5 years these people have worked here - all we ask is that a considered suggestion is presented as well. Some things are just difficult! I also wouldn't mind these continual criticisms so much if they weren't loudly blurted out in front of the entire office. It is a few individuals who feel like this but they're bringing down the morale of the whole team. My goal is to have a happy team, working productively in partnership towards improving our relatively ramshackle processes. Instead it feels like a constant battle to demonstrate every single changed process has been through through to the nth degree - something entirely impractical in our situation. And the louder they shout, the more the team take their side.

So, what I'm really asking is suggestions for tackling this endless cynicism. It's getting to the point now where I wake up at night thinking about my personal primary cynic, mentally replaying or preparing for the barrage of comments I face on a daily basis for policies I've introduced or worked on, and spend half the day with my head down biting my tongue as they "think aloud" about how they're supposed to be doing their job. They themselves think it's terribly funny, "I should set myself a time limit where I'm not allowed to moan" etc. We have spoken to each individual at length about how unproductive this attitude is but the company policy is that employees are encouraged to voice their opinions, so it's tricky ground. Any agreement the cynic has made to communicate more productively has been swiftly forgotten. Previously I've tried to involve this person in the policy making process, thinking this would help, but they were so critical and uncooperative with our clients it meant an absolute standstill of work, so that didn't really work.

Perhaps it's worth mentioning that when the senior job roles were advertised to staff, none of these individuals applied. And perhaps also worth mentioning I previously got on very well with the individuals concerned, as I have for the first 4 of my 7 months in the senior role.

It's making me very unhappy. I wonder if perhaps the problem lies with me and want to do whatever I can to make my otherwise interesting and fulfilling job survivable. Thanks for any suggestions you might have.

Class A, B, C real estate?

thewalrus — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:59:08 -0800

Real estate filter: Is it considered in any way derogatory or impolite to refer to non-prime commercial office space as "Class B" or "Class C"? My question is: I am contracting for a firm that is exploring the costs of running underground fiber-optic cable to unserved buildings in a major north american city. These buildings currently have some form of Internet access via ADSL2+, multiple T1s, or occasionally DOCSIS2 where the local cable TV company also happens to have service into the building.

Pretty much all of the "Class A" premium office towers in the city in question have had fiber for 8 to 10 years. We are going after exclusively what seems to be defined as "class B / C" buildings.

In discussions with commercial realtors and property managers, are the following grading systems really applicable? Is it rude or inconsiderate to accidentally refer to a building as "Class C" when the owners may actually think it is a "B"? To me it seems like a weird classification system, and certainly if referring to a manufactured product or other thing as "grade B" or "grade C" it is describing something that is noticeably substandard... For example an eBay "cosmetic grade C" refurbished laptop that is covered in scratches. Or a "B-grade" movie.

for reference:

link one.

link two.

link three.

Quoting wikipedia:

The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) classifies office space into three categories: Class A, Class B, and Class C.[4] According to BOMA, Class A office buildings have the "most prestigious buildings competing for premier office users with rents above average for the area." BOMA states that Class A facilities have "high quality standard finishes, state of the art systems, exceptional accessibility and a definite market presence." BOMA describes Class B office buildings as those that compete "for a wide range of users with rents in the average range for the area." BOMA states that Class B buildings have "adequate systems" and finishes that "are fair to good for the area," but that the buildings do not compete with Class A buildings for the same prices. According to BOMA Class C buildings are aimed towards "tenants requiring functional space at rents below the average for the area."[5] The lack of specifics allows considerable room for "fudging" the boundaries of the categories.

Healthy Takeaway/Delivery in London

emergent — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 06:30:08 -0800

I spend a bit too much time in the office, and regularly have dinner delivered there (paid for by the company, thankfully!) but am putting on too much pudge from the constant pizzas. Could anyone recommend healthy deliveries or takeaway that will service the W1 area? Thanks!

Calendar Editing and Syncing Between Two Mac Users

zarq — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:37:12 -0800

I'd like to sync a shared event/appointment calendar with a work colleague, which we both can edit (not just view) on our iMac computers, preferably without having to go to an external website to make edits, or paying for an outside service. Details within. We're both using using iMacs running OS 10.6.8. We are both running Outlook for Mac 2011, v14.1.4 (not on an Exchange server), and we also both have iCal. Our computers are on the same network.

Is it possible to set up a calendar which we both can easily view and edit in either of those programs? Or is there another program/app we can use (preferably free or inexpensive) which will give us the same functionality? I don't mind setting up a google calendar, but we would prefer to be able to edit it in a desktop calendar program, not on the google website.

All-in-one printer/scanner/copier/fax recommendations ?

fizzix — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:59:30 -0800

March 2013 edition ! A non-profit that I volunteer with is looking to buy a new all-in-one machine to do its printing, scanning, copying, and faxing for its office. Non-profit uses windows. Initial budget is $300-500. Other pluses: Dual-sided printing Most of the printing will be in b&w but will occasionally need to print in color (not for photos but for small logos on flyers, etc). What should I recommend to them ? Laser ? Inkjet, no right ? They'd rather not since space is at a premium there.

How can I select pre-written paragraphs to insert into letter?

FireStyle — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 09:56:52 -0800

I have a scenario where I have to evaluate work performance. There are 5 categories I'm evaluating. Now when the person fails to meet a benchmark, I want to send him a letter explaining why he didn't meet the benchmark. So I have 5 paragraphs (one for each category) that explains what was wrong and how to fix it. Instead of copying and pasting from a document to create the letter, I'd like to be able to select from a list of responses, and have those responses formatted in a letter form. More after the the jump. So instead of:

Dear Employee,

Thank you for your performance assessment. Unfortunately, you did not pass in the following areas:

[assessment 1]
[assessment 3]

You will be eligible to retake the assessment after 30 days. Use this time to ....

Yours,

Firestyle

The 5 assessments are pre written paragraphs, so I just want to insert them in the letter in some fashion like above. Could be a drop down list, a wizard, dialog box... whichever works. I have Office 2010, but I'm open to purchasing software that makes that job easier too.

Much thanks

How do I deal with inappropriate comments in the office?

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:10:49 -0800

What is with my workplace? Need help dealing personally and professionally with a variety of inappropriate behavior from my coworkers and supervisor. I am on staff at a private, secular university in the northeast US. In the year I've been there, numerous staff and faculty members have made a variety of comments that I perceive as inappropriate for work, ranging from the more-or-less innocuous to the hugely offensive. A few examples:

--A professor saying he likes to visit my department because "there are so many lovely ladies to look at."

--Another professor extending his hand as if to shake, I extended mine, and he kissed my hand! When I told him that wasn't appropriate, he said he didn't care.

--My supervisor telling the staff to "pray about" a specific work matter, and on another occasion, leading the department in prayer before we ate lunch. (Perhaps relevant: she is Christian, I am not, she has no idea what my religious beliefs are.)

--Today, a coworker making deeply offensive statements about Jewish people, the least of which being "I don't like Jews." When I told her my husband and I were of Jewish descent, and that what she was saying was wrong, she dismissed me with, "Call your rabbi."

I've worked at other universities and I've never experienced anything like this. So what's with this place? I'm not sure I have standing to go to HR because not all of this is directed specifically at me--I wasn't the only one told to pray, my coworker apparently didn't know I'm of Jewish descent, etc. Also, there haven't been any repercussions the few times I've spoken up, and I need this job. But I'm really troubled by an office atmosphere where these things happen, especially today's incident, and given her history of invoking prayer, I don't feel like I can go to my supervisor with this.

I'm documenting. I'm looking for another job. But what else can I do? Looking for advice on whether and how to speak out against this stuff when it happens, if/when to go to HR, and handling it mentally in the meantime.

Office chair for the very tall

fieldtrip — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:22:25 -0800

Are you a tall person with a great office chair that works great for you? I am looking for an office chair to fit my very tall (6'4") self. All of the chairs that I see online that may work are for big AND tall. While I am tall, I am not particularly big (205#). Do I still want a big/tall chair? Also, I want a chair with good lumbar support per my physical therapist's instruction (mild back pain off and on mostly in lower and mid-back).

I work in a cube and as such I do not want an overly flashy nor executive style chair. I work from 6-10 hours a day from my chair. Cheaper is better and it needs to be available from Office Depot or Staples....I'd prefer that it is something that I can try out in person, but since quite a number of models are only available online this might be a challenge.

(I've seen the previous similar questions but those were all folks looking for big/tall chairs and the most recent I saw was from 2010). Thanks.

Puppy in the office!

lunasol — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:39:38 -0800

What should I do with my puppy when he's not sleeping or playing with me? I brought my puppy home! So far, it's going really well. The first day was a little rough but we're settling into a good routine. He's peeing/pooping outside, sleeping reasonably well at night, learning really quickly.

Here's the problem: I'm not really sure what to do with him when he's awake and I'm not playing with or otherwise exercising him. I took Friday off so we've been together pretty much constantly for the last three days. I've noticed that if I'm moving around (ie, cooking/cleaning), he's fine for up to a half hour just watching me or maybe playing with a toy. But if I'm sitting down (say, reading or watching TV), then he'll only play on his own for a few minutes before he starts barking, whining, etc to get my attention. At that point I'll usually wait until he stops whining/barking and then play with him.

That's been ok this weekend, since I've had the time to play with him a lot. But I'm going back to work Tuesday (taking tomorrow off) and he'll be coming with me. I definitely plan to take him outside every two hours or so, and give him good walks plus playtime in the morning, evening and at lunch. But in between, there will be a lot of time where I'm, you know, working.

My vet recommended crating him at work, and we are working on crate training, but I'm worried he won't be quite ready by Tuesday. I also ordered one of these "puppy playpens" but it doesn't arrive until Wednesday.

Anyway, what should I do this evening and tomorrow to set us up for success on Tuesday? And what should I do the first few days to make the transition as painless as possible for everyone (including my coworkers!)?

Probably good to know: We're starting obedience classes tomorrow night. I have my own office with a door that closes, and there's a green walk outside for walks and bathroom breaks. I talked to the vet about parvo and she thinks the office set-up is low risk. His personality is bold and energetic but eager-to-please and SUPER food-motivated.

Type font for numbering on old post office boxes

eaglehound — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:33:09 -0800

I'm looking for a type font that was used for the numbering on early-to-mid twentieth century post office boxes. The font is brass or gold in color, with slight shadowing or some other contrivance that gives it some dimensionality or relief or shadowing. It's sort of the same font that you see from the 1950's on lawyer's office windows or doors in cities, although that's a fleeting impression I have. It may have a bit of serif, but not much. It's a 'thick' font, although not like Bauhaus, where the lines are all the same thickness. Sorry to be so hazy in recalling it, but I haven't seen it in 30 years.

I've tried type finder services, but they want me to answer questions about the letters in the font, and I don't really have an impression of those, just the numbers. Thanks, font detectives!

Best white noise solution

MT — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:04:11 -0800

What is the best white noise app or machine for a workplace that requires a more sound proof solution to normal ambient noise in an office. I run a small psychology/consulting practice in a shared office suite. I have my own office (I can shut the door) and there are 3 other offices that open on to a shared reception area. I need to muffle the sounds coming from the other offices as well as muffling the sounds coming from my office. This is for confidentiality and to maintain focus. No one in this scenario is being loud, it is just normal conversation and office noises that you would expect in any professional environment.
So what is an effective app or machine to provide white noise, and even-out the noise.

Stand in the place where you work

Miko — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 14:18:03 -0800

Should I get a standing desk? Please share your pros and cons, and any tips! We're moving to a new office with new stuff, and I'm thinking about requesting a standing desk there. I used to be a fit person but my sedentary job is not doing me any favors. I work at a desktop workstation about 4 hours/day, and the rest of the time is mostly spent sitting in meetings.

What should I be aware of before I make the jump?

Are there "accessories" you'd recommend that I should put in for at the same time, like a tall stool for days when I've had enough standing, or a mat to stand on?

I expect I will still have a small meeting table and some office chairs as well as the workstation.

If you switched, did you like it, hate it, or something in between? Did you notice an improvement in your health at all, or not really?

Thanks for your responses!

How will the new web-based Office 365 affect my monthly data cap?

jackypaper — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 12:41:15 -0800

I have satellite internet service with a monthly download/upload allowance of 15 GB. I am a heavy Microsoft Office user. With Office 13, apparently there's a web-based subscription option, and it sounds great (5 licenses vs. 1). But will constant communication with the servers eat away at my monthly allowance? I use Skydrive now, and my documents are automatically backed up. This doesn't burn through much data. But I'm concerned that this subscription service might require a lot more back-and-forth. Honestly, though, I have no idea.

Can someone tell me how this works?

Posters to finish my coworker's office makeover

Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:21:33 -0800

One of my developers just had got an "office makeover" (mostly a much needed paint job), and now has about a half dozen Ikea RIBBA frames on the walls. Unfortunately, he hasn't figured out what to put in them. Fortunately, we're all here to help him out. I'm looking for suggestions on what I can print out and stick in there when he's gone this week. We're an e-commerce company selling flower bulbs and gardening products, so anything that's either over-the-top geeky or over-the-top flowery would be perfect.

Bonus points for images that work well in the square aspect ratio, match the blue walls/b&w frames, and/or give the frames a theme. Additional bonus points for anything wide format that fits into 4 of the frames that are all in a horizontal row.

Love my new job but discouraged by closely knit coworker

hillabeans — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:15:11 -0800

I got a new job and have, in record winning pace, managed to be the outsider weirdo of my team (yay!) Details below and advice on both practical and professional ways to deal welcomed. Them: All late 20-something ladies, married, dog-people, socially and politically conservative, and extremely close-knit (socialize a LOT outside of work). I work with all these ladies under one boss. They are my 'team'
Me: Also lady in my late 20s, single, cat person, socially and politically very liberal, and a musician / photographer / punk/goth outside of work. Not extremely fond of being best buds with coworkers but enjoy occasional social interaction.
The job: required me to move to a new city, but I get to work on very exciting things and got a ton of training and coaching.

I have basically been ostracized by my coworkers in all things social in the work place. I no longer have their social-pity as the new person. The few instances one of them have inquired about my life outside work, I admit I've not been very forthcoming ("My weekend plans? Well, I'm going to start off at a pub crawl, then I'm going to a burlesque show to support my stripper friends, then go to band practice. Sunday? Oh I typically recover from a hangover with my boyfriend by making brunch and mimosas and watching horror movies all afternoon" --> "My weekend plans? Going to a show, seeing some live music, generally relaxing") They then continue to talk about Obama and how he's destroying the world and internally I'm being destroyed. BUT... I enjoyed most of their company, and a saving grace being we all shared humor at least. I do hide my facebook / manage internet presence accordingly. In the last several weeks I've been the *sole* person on the team no longer invited to the group's lunches, they all quiet down when they are huddled in a cube when I walk by, and no one says bye to me when they (and quite literally once it was comically apparent) sneak past my desk. At first it was upsetting, but now I'm just mad... the breaking point was when one of the ladies on the team invited the department out to lunch. They took off without me, and I was stuck to get a ride with my male boss and his male boss. Getting to the restaurant, I was forced to sit with boss and boss boss and another male while the ladies (eight of them) sat at their own table, well aware I was there and that they made no effort to save me a seat. I was both embarrassed and hurt.

I am trying hard not to take it personally. I am having a hard time coping though, as I am around these people 40+ hours a week and feel I have no one there to even talk to. Focus on my job? The nature of my job means I have a lot of busy then slow times... this sort of thing is most poignant in the slow times. We also work very separately (next to no common tasks or goals). I also do realize I have made little effort socially and I have no excuse... except that I have a hard time coming up with something to talk about with these ladies and often am not met very warmly when I do (therefore fear rejection). This is so bizarre because in my time away from work, I am a social butterfly, just with different crowds... people like me instantly and my poor boyfriend just cannot understand how these coworkers don't like me (bless him).

1. How can I rectify any ill-feelings I may have caused with these individuals (perhaps I subconsciously expressed judgement in what I say / how I act)? What are some safe office-appropriate things to start up communication with one or a few of them?
2. If I try and make some very good efforts to socialize and am still shut down, how have any of you tried to work through situations like this and what are some good mental tools to have at least for your own esteem or working with unpleasant coworkers?
3. Should I approach one or several of these ladies about this or my boss? Although it's stressing me out, they have absolutely no responsibility to include me socially... they are professional for the most part. I do not think this is an HR / professional issue but just office politics.

I feel like I'm in middle school again, and am not sure if it's my own perceptions and self-esteem or if this is truly the case of working with the wrong kind of coworkers (cliche mentality). I invite frank advice, but please let it be constructive and not snarky. Thank you mefites!

What do I do with superfluous office space?

Mali — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 06:39:36 -0800

I have a 42 inch wide, 32 inch deep, and 28 inch tall void between my desk and the wall of my office. (see: here) My company is relatively lenient on personalizing our offices - in that image, you can see the SMB wall decals - but I'm struggling with coming up with a good use for the space. I'm pretty handy from a carpentry standpoint and I have access to power tools / a space to do some carpentry work in, so pretty much anything goes for this one. What the heck do I do with my Corner of Shame™ to turn it into a Corner of Pride™? So far suggestions have included:
- Some sort of build alert light wired up w/ Arduino for when someone breaks our CI build (I'm our office's devops engineer)
- A sort of break/fix tool table for internal office equipment
- A nap chair (which seems sort of unnecessary considering the air mattress in our server/sleep closet)
- Multiple minifridges (described to me as "Minifridge Megazord")

...none of these are particularly *bad*, but I'm not sold on them.

I need help with an office phone

oviedo — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 06:16:01 -0800

Good Morning Hive! I'm having a little trouble setting up my office phone. Here's the info: we have a Panasonic kx-ts4200 set up in my office. The building (3 offices) is set up with multiple lines, each supposedly accessible in each office. In the neighboring office, this is true, but in my office not so much.

When I plug the phone into my wall, line 1 continuously blinks red. When I pick up the line, it automatically switches to line 2. Any attempts to manually switch it to line 1 result in some empty noise, and then the phone disconnects.

Line 1 is supposed to be my primary number. Suggestions?

thanks!

How weird is it for an office to lack a desk?

cessair — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:26:24 -0800

I would like to take the big, corner desk out of my office and instead have a couch, along with a laptop table that I can use as needed. Or maybe a small stand-up desk off to the side. I am wondering what the outside perception might be, as well as any potential problems I may not have considered. I am sufficiently senior that I'm not worried about being "allowed" to do this, or facing any repercussions career-wise, but I also don't want everyone to think I am incredibly bizarre.

Possibly relevant facts:

- I work in an academic type environment.

- My office is private.

- I only use my laptop.

- Meetings with external people only occur in a separate conference room, only my direct reports ever visit my office for meetings, and then for infrequent consultations - most internal meetings also occur in a conference room.

- I have sufficient space to have a couch, a 4 top conference table, a laptop desk or standing desk, a bookshelf, and a filing cabinet.

Would the couch seem less weird if there was also a standing desk as an option? Is an armchair with an ottoman better? I don't want to nap, I just want a comfortable place to sit when I have to do tedious computer tasks!

Do you have an unusual office configuration? Suggestions for the best set-up?

How comfortable are the first generation of Steelcase Leap chairs?

cycleback — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 21:30:50 -0800

How comfortable are the first generation of Steelcase Leap chairs? I am considering buying a used Steelcase Leap 462 series chair. I believe that this is the first generation of leap chairs. Many people seemed to like the newest generation of the Leap in a recent Ask Me-Fi. How does the first generation compare to the more recent ones in terms of comfort and robustness/reliability? Is $150 for a first generation used Steelcase Leap 462 series a decent deal?

Everyone loves a good sit.

blue_beetle — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 07:02:33 -0800

Office chair recommendation? I work from home, and spend all day sitting at a desk. Obviously this is going to kill me. I'd like to buy a chair that won't kill me as quickly. What's the best office chair you can recommend?

Let's assume for the moment that standing-desks and treadmill workstations are not an option.

The price should work for an average middle-class guy. I'm prepared to buy a Aeron chair if that's the consensus (used most-likely), but would like some other options. I've seen Lifehacker's opinions as well, but it's hard to actually quantify.