Where you work

[Pax]

I've commented on occasion how much I dislike my office space, it's a crappy box inside a bigger box, crammed into the back of the stacks. My desk is in the back, if I want to see sunlight I have to log on to a webcam. *sigh*





Lets see where you work.

[indysteel]

I can't post a picture of where I work (federal concerns over security and all that), but my office, while nicely appointed, is windowless. Come late winter, I usually fall into a sunlight deprived funk. Within "chambers" we have several distinct offices, plus a courtroom, kitchen, and conference room, but they're all locked together behind closed and monitored doors. Because of that, we have little incidental contact with other offices or coworkers. It can get lonely. Right now, we're in a temporary space while they do maintenance work to our aged internal systems. For the next couple of months, I get to enjoy an office with a window. It's awesome.

[Pax]

I can't post a picture of where I work (federal concerns over security and all that), but my office, while nicely appointed, is windowless. Come late winter, I usually fall into a sunlight deprived funk. Within "chambers" we have several distinct offices, plus a courtroom, kitchen, and conference room, but they're all locked together behind closed and monitored doors. Because of that, we have little incidental contact with other offices or coworkers. It can get lonely. Right now, we're in a temporary space while they do maintenance work to our aged internal systems. For the next couple of months, I get to enjoy an office with a window. It's awesome.

I feel for you, I had an office with a window that looked out onto an air shaft for about four months, it was awesome!!

[Veronica]

I have a very large space to work in, until you add 32 other bodies and their back packs. Lots of windows, which is nice. But I don't get to control the heat or air conditioning and the room is always too warm.

I was on a committee for the building of another new school in our district. The architect insisted on only putting in 28 desks in the plans. I kept telling him he needed 36. Yes, we can have 36 students.

Veronica

[indysteel]

I feel for you, I had an office with a window that looked out onto an air shaft for about four months, it was awesome!!

My current window overlooks the roof, which is supposed to be made "green" next spring when they plant grass on it. I'll be gone by then though.

Whoever designed our regular office should be shot. They put the kitchen and conference rooms along our bank of windows. Well, who the heck cares whether those rooms get natural light? Meanwhile, my office and our main receptions area--where the judge's AA has her workspace, are windowless. Wow; that makes sense. Grrrr.

[indysteel]

Don't even get me started on our heating and cooling. Each has a mind of its own. Right now, freezing cold air is blowing on me, despite the fact that my alleged-to-be-a-thermostat-but-I-actually-think-it's-just-wall-art is set at 71 degrees. The other day, however, our office was 103 degrees. I kid you not. It was miserable.

[limewave]

I work from home in a small space in our basement, about 5' x 5'. It's so much preferable to my office space on campus--which really isn't that bad. But I'm not used to so much fluorescent lighting. Every time I have to go in I get a terrible migraine. I don't know if its from the lighting or poor air circulation/venting. It's completely miserable.

[Pax]

Don't even get me started on our heating and cooling. Each has a mind of its own. Right now, freezing cold air is blowing on me, despite the fact that my alleged-to-be-a-thermostat-but-I-actually-think-it's-just-wall-art is set at 71 degrees. The other day, however, our office was 103 degrees. I kid you not. It was miserable.

The university is run on steam power, so they turn it on annually based on the calendar rather than the outside temp. October 1st the temp was in the 70's... and they fired up the heat.

They'll do the reverse in April, even if it's freezing cold out. Good times.

[maillotpois]

Here's the "space" adjacent to my home office desk:

It can be hard to move around in here. The carpet really isn't as dirty as the lighting makes it seem.

Most of my actual "work" takes place in courthouses, other attorneys offices and conference rooms.

[jobob]

I work mainly from home.

[Pax]

maillotpois - your workplace makes me smile.

[maillotpois]

Pax yours could use a fuzzy body or two. Mine's a twisted ankle waiting to happen as I have to step over the yellow one to get to the fax machine.

Jo your office is VERY neat. I should put up one of my desk to really show the clutter,

Ok, here it is:

[Veronica]

My coworkers wonder why I prefer to do most of my work at home. Home computer is faster, I have kitties to play with, I can be in my comfy clothes and drink coffee or hot chocolate while I work and not have to walk halfway across campus to use the bathroom.



Veronica

[Pax]

The university is getting rid of our phones in the next couple of months, we're getting something "voip" I think... I have this mental image of us all yelling at our computers "HELLO, HELLOOOOO".

[ny biker]

When I worked in marketing in the '90s, I always had my own office with a window.

In my first software development job, I shared an office with another person. He was a nice guy.

Then I took a job at Discovery Communications. They had a long desk running the length of the entire wall, with dividers a few inches high to delineate each person's workspace. The guy next to me went out partying every night and reeked like cigarettes and liquor every morning. When he went to Chipotle for lunch, he farted at his desk all afternoon.

I was laid off from that job (along with almost all the other developers) after a few months. I interviewed for a new job and got the offer, but it would have required me to be one of many people working in a windowlessroom. I really really did not want that job, because of the lack of windows.

Fortunately I was soon offered a different job, which is where I still work. It's a big cube farm, but at least we have windows. There's no privacy -- most people go out in the hallway if they need to make a personal phone call. Many of us eat lunch at our desks. My current cube neighbor tends to eat food that smells nasty, and sometimes the air is so filled with a hot spice that it makes my eyes burn. Several of our coworkers come to her desk for lunch. Even when my neighbor is out of the office, these coworkers still sometimes have lunch at her desk. It drives me nuts.

Fortunately we have flexible hours, so my boss lets me work from home most mornings in order to avoid the lunch stink.

A couple of summers ago, several of my coworkers thought it would be a good idea to bring their young children to work with them on a regular basis. It was an incredible distraction, for the parent as well as everyone working around them. Fortunately the project manager put a stop to it.

Oh, don't get me started on the kitchen and bathroom mess. These people are slobs. They spill coffee all over the counter and then just walk away as if their mother was going to come and clean up after them.

I like the work I do, but I hate the cube farm. Whoever invented the concept should be forced to spend eternity in one.