would you bring this up or too petty?

[Anonymous]

My company is moving to a smaller headquarters in the suburbs in approximately 6 months. We have given up 50 percent of our current space at our old location to save money on the temporary extension of the old lease until the new place is done. Formerly, my entire team had these high-walled cubes with doors that were essentially offices. Now, three people have them (the ones previously assigned to the office cubes that were not relinquished), and the remaining four of us have to sit together in a conference room on the 2-3 days per week we come in (the number of in office days depending on seniority). This seems unfair. I would like to suggest that we set up a rotation system for the office-like cubes, where everyone takes a turn in offices and the conference room. The coworker I am closest too thinks this would be petty, since it is only for a short-term basis anyway. What do you think?

[Anonymous]

What will be the seating in the new office? Are you all at the same level with the same needs for privacy?

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why 3 still have the office cubes but the rest don't. Are they more senior? Do they have managerial roles or are project leads? If everyone is on similar footing, i.e., non-supervisory, then yes, I agree with you that it's not fair. However, if the 3 have lead roles, then don't bother.

[Anonymous]

Sharing an open space is a non-starter for me at this point in my career, so I don't think it's petty. I would probably frame in terms of helping your productivity rather than fairness though.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why 3 still have the office cubes but the rest don't. Are they more senior? Do they have managerial roles or are project leads? If everyone is on similar footing, i.e., non-supervisory, then yes, I agree with you that it's not fair. However, if the 3 have lead roles, then don't bother

No, they are the same level - it just depended on whether you were on the part of the floorplan that was relinquished or not. My only hesitation in saying anything is that this is time-limited. We'll all have our own space once we move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don't understand why 3 still have the office cubes but the rest don't. Are they more senior? Do they have managerial roles or are project leads? If everyone is on similar footing, i.e., non-supervisory, then yes, I agree with you that it's not fair. However, if the 3 have lead roles, then don't bother

No, they are the same level - it just depended on whether you were on the part of the floorplan that was relinquished or not. My only hesitation in saying anything is that this is time-limited. We'll all have our own space once we move.

OK I get it now. So you only have to put up with the conference room set up for 6 months. I'd say nothing. It would sound really petty for a temporary set up.

[Anonymous]

Take a vote and go from there.

[Anonymous]

I would request if everyone is part time work from home, can you share the closed office spaces when that person is not in the office? not rotating exactly, but if an office will be empty for the day I see no reason not to request the ability to use it

[Anonymous]

I would push to work from home before pushing for a cubicle rotation. I can't be productive in a conference room with 2-3 other coworkers, but I also recognize that everyone sitting somewhere different every time is needlessly disruptive. They should knock it back to 1 day/week in person for the conference room drones.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’s petty because you are waiting for construction to be completed, which notoriously takes longer than expected. Just 6 months could easily turn into 8 or 9 or….