Office walls are closing in

[Onward]

Businesses used to provide 500 to 700 square feet of work space per employee, but the average is down to 200 square feet — and shrinking.

Commercial real estate: Office walls are closing in on corporate workers - latimes.com

And from the article, here are some chipper employees contemplating this new trend:

 

[M Paquette]

Cubicles will be laid out in a manner meant to encourage collaboration, and there will be more "teaming" rooms, like small conference rooms, where small groups can work together.

I've seen this drill in a software/hardware development environment. It doesn't end well...

As in "The fire marshal is shutting us down."

 

[CyclingInvestor]

This was the final trigger for my 2006 retirement (from programming). As part of the switch to Xtreme Programming, we all lost our offices and got low-walled cubicles plus a lot of meeting rooms.

 

[brewer12345]

I have gone from my own office (with a door that actually coses) in 2005 to a "hospital gown" cube (open from the back) today. For all that, I am considered lucky because I am near a window. I have been to many locations other teams at my organization dwell, and they are routinely way interior and not infrequently in the basement. The worst is a team in the sub-basement.

 

[yakers]

Dilbert lives!

 

[Purron]

Age makes a difference, workplace experts say. Baby boomers longed for a corner office and expected to separate their work lives from their home lives.

"Younger workers' lives are all integrated, not segregated," Rivard said. "They have learned to work anywhere — at a kitchen table or wherever." Many don't feel a need to spend time in company quarters.

I don't know I'd want to be so "integrated". Plus, the concept of a "teaming room" is downright scary. How can you possibly surf the internet and play mindsweeper in such an environment? Guess I'm a typical baby boomer.

 

[haha]

Much government work may be different, almost surely is, but today's corporate workers are really never "off" in any sense that makes sense to me. Might be if they are in a jungle in Borneo.

Ha

 

[ziggy29]

today's corporate workers are really never "off" in any sense that makes sense to me.

About the only way many of us can be fully "off" and 100% disengaged and disconnected is to be unreachable by e-mail or cell phone. One would have to travel to a place with no Internet and no cell phone coverage to be totally "off call." (And even then, it only means that when you return you will be swamped with stuff to catch up on.)

And in an era of very high unemployment, people feel pressured to deal with work situations 24/7/365 as they arise -- because if they don't, someone without a job may be more than willing to do so.

Corporations love to exploit high unemployment. It gives them a huge amount of leverage over its workers and allows them to demand more and compensate less.

 

[Onward]

 

[ls99]

I have been to many locations other teams at my organization dwell, and they are routinely way interior and not infrequently in the basement. The worst is a team in the sub-basement.

To improve morale, they could always run an endless film loop, oops a bit dated technology, say a DVD output on large screen, showing a street scene from the 50th floor of some high rise.

That way they would see the same taxi for example go past at 4PM, everyone would know it is time to get ready to go, to happy hour of course!

 

[Khan]

They usually kept the computer folks in the basement.

 

[ziggy29]

To improve morale, they could always run an endless film loop, oops a bit dated technology, say a DVD output on large screen, showing a street scene from the 50th floor of some high rise.

21st Century corporate "motivation" is best illustrated by a motivational poster of an unemployed guy selling pencils on a street corner, with the caption "Just be thankful this isn't you. Now get back to work."

 

[Nords]

Businesses used to provide 500 to 700 square feet of work space per employee, but the average is down to 200 square feet — and shrinking.

21st Century corporate "motivation" is best illustrated by a motivational poster of an unemployed guy selling pencils on a street corner, with the caption "Just be thankful this isn't you. Now get back to work."

200 square feet?!?

Why, Gumby, M_Paquette, and I used to have workspaces that were less than 200 cubic feet.

Our sleeping spaces were about a third of that volume, too.

As for taking a shower, stand with your feet at shoulder width. Now move each foot about 4" outward. Put your fists together at chest level and move them about 6" outward. There-- you've just braced your feet and both elbows against the shower bulkheads in case of any submarine rocking & rolling while you're trying to shampoo your hair...

 

[harley]

I have gone from my own office (with a door that actually coses) in 2005 to a "hospital gown" cube (open from the back) today. For all that, I am considered lucky because I am near a window. I have been to many locations other teams at my organization dwell, and they are routinely way interior and not infrequently in the basement. The worst is a team in the sub-basement.

At least you get to see the squirrels, and they are married...

 

[M Paquette]

200 square feet?!?

Why, Gumby, M_Paquette, and I used to have workspaces that were less than 200 cubic feet.

This did wonders for management oversight. We had annual inspections of our work spaces, procedures, and methodology to verify that we all were following proper procedures. During one of these ORSE inspections, a lieutenant commander looked at the scheduled maintenance coming up, and asked to see how we did an inspection of the #2 400 cycle motor-generator set. Okie dokie. (FYI - 637 class boat) I zipped through the usual setup procedure, getting the OOD permissions and taking the gear out of service, then got the tools listed on the inspection sheet into a canvas bag. Then, I put on a forehead-mounted 'miner's lamp'. The inspector stared at that non-regulation gear, and made notes.

Now that I was ready, I told him we were ready to inspect the machine, and asked him to follow me. I headed aft, climbed up onto the workbench mounted inboard of the starboard turbine generator, swung my left leg onto a brace over the port generator, reached between the main steam lines to a stanchion, and did a sort of chin-up while turning sideways into the gap between the steam lines, where I rolled onto the lagging over the port line. I tucked my feet up and port, and inquired of the inspecting officer if he would care to join me, as there was a bit of space atop the starboard main steam line (with an unlagged line that ran over to an eductor - OUCH! - but I neglected to mention that...).

For some reason the inspector was content to observe the soles of my shoes as I called out each action on the maintenance sheet. I did mention afterward that I had filed a recommendation to add that headlamp to the ship's supplies and maintenance sheet.

Oh, YOU had a CUBICLE! I had to make do with...

 

[travelover]

They usually kept the computer folks in the basement.

This reminds me of when I hired into MegaMotors in the early 80's. Our entire division was in one 4 story building. Product planning was on the top floor. The financial area was on the 3rd floor. Engineering was on the 1st and 2nd floors. Reliability and warranty analysis was in the basement which was totally windowless. The rest is history.

 

[Automatika]

200 square feet?!?

Why, Gumby, M_Paquette, and I used to have workspaces that were less than 200 cubic feet.

Our sleeping spaces were about a third of that volume, too.

As for taking a shower, stand with your feet at shoulder width. Now move each foot about 4" outward. Put your fists together at chest level and move them about 6" outward. There-- you've just braced your feet and both elbows against the shower bulkheads in case of any submarine rocking & rolling while you're trying to shampoo your hair...

Showers?? In the Air Force we had maybe 16 cubic feet and a chair in our cockpits and had to wear a glass bowl on our head.

 

[REWahoo]

Showers?? In the Air Force we had maybe 16 cubic feet and a chair in our cockpits and had to wear a glass bowl on our head.

Oh, I used to dream of having a chair and a glass bowl...YouTube - Monty Python - Four Yorkshiremen

 

[ls99]

Showers?? In the Air Force we had maybe 16 cubic feet and a chair in our cockpits and had to wear a glass bowl on our head.

Shoulda been a transport pilot.

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[FONT=verdana, geneva, helvetica] [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A couple of A-10's are escorting a C-130 Hercules and their pilots were chatting with the pilot of the transport to pass the time.

Talk fell on the subject of relative merits of their respective aircraft with the fighter pilots holding their planes were better because of their maneuverability, weaponry and the like

The C-130 pilot replied "Yeah? Well I can do a few things in this old girl that you'd only dream about." Naturally, he was challenged to demonstrate. "Just watch," he tells them.

The C-130 continues to fly straight and level, and after several minutes the Herk pilot returns to the air and says, "There! How was that?"

Not having seen anything, the fighter pilots say, "What are you talking about? What did you do?"

He replies, "Well, I got up, stretched my legs, got a cup of coffee, then went back and took a leak."[/FONT]

 

[Purron]

For some unknown reason, this old comedy routine just popped into my head

YouTube - Grumpy Old Man

 

[Nords]

a lieutenant commander looked at the scheduled maintenance coming up, and asked to see how we did an inspection of the #2 400 cycle motor-generator set.

Clearly a frickin' boomer sailor. He probably expected to be seated in a nearby chair with a cup of coffee while he noted your performance. Perhaps a small pair of opera glasses at hand to help him observe over your shoulder.

The happiest day of my submarine life (and about eight ORSEs) was an ORSE at my training command where the lieutenant commander members let their hair down and started arguing among themselves. (At this point in my career I was the senior O-4, so I guess they felt they were among friends.) The only thing they hated worse than the travel, and worse than having to put up with each other, was having to put up with the senior member... it made me feel a lot better knowing that the only people more miserable than those being inspected for their career performance were the inspectors who'd taken that job for their career performance.

Shoulda been a transport pilot.

The Navy's P-3 crews tell that story to the Navy's combat pilots...

 

[REWahoo]

The Navy's P-3 crews tell that story to the Navy's combat pilots...

Air Force tanker pilots also tell that story, adding "...and I did it all while passing gas".

 

[HFWR]

Air Force tanker pilots also tell that story, adding "...and I did it all while passing gas".

Nice segue...

...ORSE...

We had the equivalent at Megaconglomocorp, only it was ARSE. There were numerous ARSEs...

During my illustrious career there, my office was (a) a metal bench in the hall; (b) in a closet; (c) in a conference room; (d) all of the above.

The answer is (d)...

 

[Texas Proud]

Well, this has gone way off subject... so I will be a spoil sport and bring it back to the OP...

While in London... the mega I worked bought some other company... and they had squeezed some of their workers down to 86 sq. ft. per person. Now, you have to remember this includes hall ways, meeting rooms, break rooms, copy rooms, file rooms etc. etc.


At my current company, we have a group that is at 80.... but this is only 5 people with nothing extra. We are looking to move them and consolidate... that will give them about 83 sq. ft. for 12 people. So, 200 is living in luxury...

 

[ziggy29]

One side benefit of corporate cheapness when it comes to cutting facilities costs is that I hear some folks have been able to do more "telework" from home as a result. Every person who works out of a home office is one less parking space, one less cubicle, one less person using company energy, et cetera. The aggressive cost cutting many businesses have been doing make it an easier sell in many cases.

I know I started working from home full time as a result of a facilities consolidation when we were only going to renew one of the leases on the two buildings we leased the previous year. That meant space would be at a premium for the employees in the consolidated building, and the facilities manager asked if they could take my office since I was a part-time home office employee (and could use "reservation" style office space when I came into the office). I said I didn't mind if my management was willing to let me become a full-time home office employee, and there was no objection. I get to work in my pajamas with no commute and they save on facilities costs. Win-win.

I've only gone into the office in Austin twice in the last year or so. Once was to pack up all my personal belongings from my office and take them home, and the other was to pick up a new work laptop to replace my ancient and increasingly flaky one.