This will force me to retire FOR SURE

[madsquopper]

I'm already FI and still working 3 days a week only because I really enjoy most aspects of the job (other than no regularly scheduled telework). On the other hand, sometimes I think I'm fairly close to waking up one morning and just deciding I've had enough.

Anyway, in a bit under 2 years our whole office moves and the new setup is that "open office" crap where I'd have to be in an open cube rather than a private office which I have now. No way in freaking heck could I work like that. For whatever reason, I can't STAND being able to be seen while I'm working at something, whether it's at real work or if I'm at home and I'm doing some sort of home repair and my spouse wants to come over and watch me while I do it. At times when I've had to share a double office I've either brought in a divider or rearranged the furniture to build a wall between us.

Maybe I could use the "hostile work environment" argument to get a private office instead of a cube, but I doubt it.

Larry

 

[ER Eddie]

Yeah, I'd hate that, too. If I were on the fence, that would be more than enough to push me over.

 

[braumeister]

That's easy.
The ADA requires your employer to make reasonable accommodation for your disability, including making your workplace accessible for you.
Since your disability would probably be described as idiopathic curmudgeon syndrome (ICS), you can demand the appropriate surroundings so you won't be bothered by the rest of humanity.


But if I were you, I'd simply hang it up.

 

[ERD50]

I'm already FI ...

Why in the world would you even consider staying when you say "No way in freaking heck could I work like that."?

Isn't that your answer? What are you waiting for, bamboo shoots under the fingernails?

-ERD50

 

[Bestwifeever]

I'm sure your need for a private office will be accommodated--none of the full-time worker bees in the "open cubicles" will be at all bothered by a part-timer enjoying your luxurious space. Ask for a pull-out fully stocked bar, too!

Or just retire

 

[Chuckanut]

If he uses the bar to host a happy hour every afternoon, then some of the full-time people may decide to temper whatever objections they have to a part-timer having a nicer office. Just leave the key to the booze drawer with somebody else for the days when the office is empty.

 

[Dreaming of Freedom]

I can't deal with open office environments either. We at least have large cubical spaces with tall walls so I don't have to watch my coworkers pick their noses, hear them fart, etc. The loud voices & noise gets to me sometimes though.

 

[Carpediem]

I can't deal with open office environments either. We at least have large cubical spaces with tall walls so I don't have to watch my coworkers pick their noses, hear them fart, etc. The loud voices & noise gets to me sometimes though.

I love the ones who clip their nails at work.

 

[Silver]

I'm sure your need for a private office will be accommodated--none of the full-time worker bees in the "open cubicles" will be at all bothered by a part-timer enjoying your luxurious space. Ask for a pull-out fully stocked bar, too!

Or just retire

Your own private bathroom would be nice as well.....

 

[Big_Hitter]

one time after we moved, i had a guy that insisted on having a barrier between the urinals in the restroom - I talked to mgt about it in a sr staff meeting but we never put in the barrier

 

[Teacher Terry]

I don't know how anyone can work in an open office. All that noise would be so distracting.

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Ack, that reminds me of the last place I worked before I retired. They had transitioned the office to a "sea of desks" with short (4') walls. Way too much distraction. The guy in front of me had some sort of chronic sinus/lung problem, and was continuously working on clearing it up. I tried earplugs, headphones, music, anything to mask his noises. It was just like "Office Space". So glad I don't deal with that anymore.

 

[ERD50]

I don't know how anyone can work in an open office. All that noise would be so distracting.

I actually had trouble adjusting when I got promoted to a hard wall office. It was so quiet, it was sort of unnerving. That level had their own hard wall office with a door and privacy glass for as long as I could remember. But I got over it

But then a few years later, they changed the rules and I was back to an open cubical (at least I had soft, 5' walls). Man, all that noise and chatter and people putting their phone on speaker even when they were the only one on their side of the call! I never got used to that.

-ERD50

 

[W2R]

Why in the world would you even consider staying when you say "No way in freaking heck could I work like that."?

Isn't that your answer? What are you waiting for, bamboo shoots under the fingernails?

-ERD50

+1

Trust me, most of us find that retirement is SO much better than bamboo shoots under the fingernails (or working in a cubicle environment).

 

[Big_Hitter]

"cubicle sweet cubicle"

 

[Sunset]

one time after we moved, i had a guy that insisted on having a barrier between the urinals in the restroom - I talked to mgt about it in a sr staff meeting but we never put in the barrier

Instead he was the guy who went and pee'd in the toilet stall without lifting the lid

 

[Sunset]

I don't know how anyone can work in an open office. All that noise would be so distracting.

Plus everyone can hear if you snore..

 

[Sunset]

OP - here is the solution I have seen work.
Get yourself a nice large radio, like a small boombox, and then play music on it like Alana Morrisett , the idea being play a constant type of music. You don't want variety, as that would mean everyone will enjoy some of it.

The guy that did this was moved to his own office with a door, because the music bothered so many other people.

 

[aja8888]

Plus everyone can hear if you snore..

And they may see your monitor screen....

 

[HadEnuff]

OP - here is the solution I have seen work.
Get yourself a nice large radio, like a small boombox, and then play music on it like Alana Morrisett , the idea being play a constant type of music. You don't want variety, as that would mean everyone will enjoy some of it.

The guy that did this was moved to his own office with a door, because the music bothered so many other people.

if they put the Kabash on that, develop some other idiosyncratic annoying thing like moaning, sniffling, constantly trying to clear the peanut skin from deep within your larynx....you get it....

or.....just join us in retirement....

 

[MRG]

I would not existed, or functioned well. I've had open areas with teammates(one to three) mainly project or firefighting activities. Those were OK, mainly because of the nature of the w*rk.

I'm ADD and I had been told that Megacorp would have to make reasonable accommodations, but I never pushed it. I moved out of a private office to a pretty nice cube my last 18 months. Now those poor folks are all open.

I had my own boundaries and when they were crossed I was gone. Seriously don't make yourself ill over the situation.

 

[respond2u]

I much prefer open floor to cubicles. At least that way I can see who's making the noise and throw something at them. Either way, sound reducing headphones were valuable...

 

[Winemaker]

I can't deal with open office environments either. We at least have large cubical spaces with tall walls so I don't have to watch my coworkers pick their noses, hear them fart, etc. The loud voices & noise gets to me sometimes though.

I would get a whoopee cushion, nail clipper, radio and cell phone that has several annoying ringtones, and BE that person! And I would call my cellphone during the day, changing the tone once or thrice a day. If you don't get segregated after the first week, you ain't trying hard enough.

 

[Ronstar]

The ceiling of my office collapsed due to a roof leak, and I had to spend a year in a cube while the office was renovated. Not a bad experience, but I was working only 2 days a week at that point. Then we moved to a new office. Still had a cube working 1 day a week. It wasn't too bad there either.

Maybe try the cube for a while and see how it goes. Then complain if it doesn't work.

 

[Car-Guy]

My X company was moving more and more towards the "open office" concept in most departments a few years before I retired. I kept hearing it was being done to gain better collaboration, team synergies, etc. (BS ) How do you gain better collaboration and team synergies when they plan to send you to training to learn to work and talk quietly in such an environment. Anyway, I'd probably be accused of "harassment" when I was whispering in some cute girls ear.

Anyway, that was going to be my "new" excuse to ER, however they kept delaying and delaying the transition to the open concept so I final gave in and retired "just because I could".

I had told my boss the last two years before I retired, that I would not work in such an environment (I wasn't going to even let them try to teach this old dog such new tricks)