The open-office trend is destroying the workplace (2014) • Hacker News Board

Re: The open-office trend is destroying the workplace (2014)

#121

Post by noir_lord » Sun, Feb 05, 2017, 10:09 PM UTC

rhizome wrote: post #52

nayuki wrote: post #22

On a related note, I noticed that cubicle offices are hardly better than open offices. The cubicle walls are tall enough to completely obscure the faces and bodies of your neighbors, but do nothing to block the sound. With no eye contact or awareness of your neighbors, it's easy to mistakenly believe that no one else can hear your sounds. As a result, on a typical day at the office I would hear one coworker yap on pe…

Having worked in both open-plan offices and cubicle offices I beg to differ. In open-plan, it's by definition that you can hear other people; in cubicles it evolves into the one or a few congenitally loud people doing the noise. "There goes Amy again." The visual limitations of cubicles help here, because you have a little bit of privacy that motivates people to respect personal space. I'm quieter in cubicles, but no…

How about some kind of sound meter that is attached to the wall of every cubicle, if it measures sustained sound over a preset level it notifies the boss.

Can shoehorn IoT in there somewhere, then you have metrics for everyone in the place and who is doing the distracting.

Could even have a red light on the top that goes off as well.

(Clearly I'm joking..but only just.).

Re: The open-office trend is destroying the workplace (2014)

#122

Post by 6nf » Sun, Feb 05, 2017, 10:10 PM UTC

YZF wrote: post #115

Ralfp wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That may fly if you are single. Otherwise everybody will assume that if you are at home, you are here to go shopping, take care of kids, let in guests, cook meals, do cleaning, take out trash, etc. ect, and lets not start about other household members distracting you with loud noises.

I work from a home office with a family. You close the door and as long as the boundaries are clear there's no problem. If you want to take a break and go shopping you can do that... It's doable.

Yes definitely, the problem is more with the perception of those in the office. All they see is you are working from home with your family and they might assume you're not able to give it your full attention.

Re: The open-office trend is destroying the workplace (2014)

#123

Post by booleandilemma » Sun, Feb 05, 2017, 10:10 PM UTC

In all the companies I've worked at so far it's been management and sales/marketing that get the offices. Right now I'm at a company where developers get a desk with 1 wall, and we sit next to each other. Do developers get offices anywhere?

Re: The open-office trend is destroying the workplace (2014)

#124

Post by jwatte » Sun, Feb 05, 2017, 10:11 PM UTC

rm999 wrote: post #32

The best work setup I've ever had by far was not private offices or cubicles (and definitely not an open office); it was a hybrid where our team of 3-5 people sat in a large private office. This increased collaboration while enforcing respect. It allowed our team to create a work culture democratically (how do we arrange seating? what noise levels are ok?) that simply isn't possible in an open seating arrangement. I…

Yes, the "small group office" is my favorite! I had that in 2006 and it was great for teamwork.

If I can't have that, I'll take a small private office with a door that closes. Although the least time I had that was, I think, in 2001?

Re: The open-office trend is destroying the workplace (2014)

#125

Post by cmoscoso » Sun, Feb 05, 2017, 10:15 PM UTC

jankotek wrote: post #5

I think open-office is great. It makes it much easier for independent developers to compete with large corporations.

I like the way you think.

Re: The open-office trend is destroying the workplace (2014)

#126

Post by secfirstmd » Sun, Feb 05, 2017, 10:16 PM UTC

wott wrote: post #89

user5994461 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to specify: Own shares in Bose* *Empowering open offices with $300 noise cancelling headphones since 1964.

Eh, you made it fancy to have to wear the same equipment as if you were on a factory assembly line or using a jack-hammer. Nobody thought of that for office work before. And those who still object to wearing those are considered as retarded by the headphone crew: just look at any Reddit thread about this matter, and you'll see hundreds of guys who think that it is the normal situation and will thrash anyone dares say…

It was sarcasm. I think the open office creating a need for headphone culture when people are being paid to do deep thinking is stupid.

Re: The open-office trend is destroying the workplace (2014)

#127

Post by jwatte » Sun, Feb 05, 2017, 10:16 PM UTC

tps5 wrote: post #26

My office is switching to an open design. And none of the people who work there are happy about it. It was decided by the folks who own the company, several thousand miles away. I think the real allure of open offices is how they look. Open offices look modern . They look like the kind of working area a hip, young, collaborative, industry-disrupting company would favor. But that's all bullshit. It's just a fairy tale…

Open offices don't look modern. The steno pool from a '50s enterprise was open office.

Open office allows companies to save dozens of dollars per employee in rent per month, which is visible and measurable. Creativity and productivity, on the other hand, is not.

Re: The open-office trend is destroying the workplace (2014)

#128

Post by PaulKeeble » Sun, Feb 05, 2017, 10:17 PM UTC

6nf wrote: post #122

YZF wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work from a home office with a family. You close the door and as long as the boundaries are clear there's no problem. If you want to take a break and go shopping you can do that... It's doable.

Yes definitely, the problem is more with the perception of those in the office. All they see is you are working from home with your family and they might assume you're not able to give it your full attention.

Ironic really considering you are actually the only one who is actually able to give your work full attention as they are constantly being distracted by each other. The perception of work != actual work.

Re: The open-office trend is destroying the workplace (2014)

#129

Post by jwatte » Sun, Feb 05, 2017, 10:18 PM UTC

tps5 wrote: post #26

My office is switching to an open design. And none of the people who work there are happy about it. It was decided by the folks who own the company, several thousand miles away. I think the real allure of open offices is how they look. Open offices look modern . They look like the kind of working area a hip, young, collaborative, industry-disrupting company would favor. But that's all bullshit. It's just a fairy tale…

Research shows that listening to music engages the creativity part of the brain so it's not used for the work you do at the same time. Headphones are NOT an adequate substitute for a writer office for a creative knowledge worker.

Re: The open-office trend is destroying the workplace (2014)

#130

Post by taurath » Sun, Feb 05, 2017, 10:22 PM UTC

paulcole wrote: post #64

taurath wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It tells me that you're not a valued professional, you're a line worker. There can't possibly be any reason why you'd need privacy to have difficult conversations or focus on important tasks.

My open office has a conference room for meetings. Otherwise I just focus at my desk. I manage to make do.

Because you manage to make do, everyone else must be whiners or special snowflakes? I've been in many office setups and am objectively more productive and have better succeeding teams. Thankfully I have plenty of options now and don't have to put up with "making do".