I worked in an open office for four years. It really wasn't that bad. I did have one loud co-worker but he traveled a lot so that was helpful.

No, no, what is the worst - SHARED private offices

I have worked in a totally open office environment - no partitions - and I was absolutely fine with it (it's standard in my industry). Even the "partners/VP's" didn't have doors although some had 2 or 3 real walls. Energetic, didn't feel like I was working in a cave, easy to move people around for long term projects, etc.
Then i switched to a place that put me in a private office. Just me. With a real door. I almost went crazy from the lack of background noise.
Then... they moved us into shared offices. That is, a private office with two people crammed inside. That is the worst of both worlds.
It's my office, dammit, is the feeling. So my office mate eats fish at lunch, cuts his nails, talks loudly on the phone.
But you must share and be nice. So everyone who comes in to talk to ONE of us, winds up distracting us BOTH. Every damn person feels the need to ask me "Is Officemate in?" when they can SEE that he is/not. Also, I am NOT HIS SECRETARY

Isn't it a little ironic that these things are designed for an open and sharing environment, yet people hate it so much that they sit with headphones on all day?

Jeez, just when I was forgetting those chaotic couple years in the 70s when my school tried "open classrooms," this trend hits the workplace. My company went to it about two years ago. It's noisy and there are a lot of distractions but I've learned to just wear headphones most of the day and to not worry about farting. I just don't care.

I am in the office furniture industry and open plan, hoteling and benching applications are very very common. When we work with facilities managers or designers to create these types of work settings we always recommend other more private spaces near the open areas for people to work in if they choose to. So if you need to really concentrate, have a private phone call, etc. you have a place to go to other than the open area.

Do the private offices and conference rooms have sound proof walls? That's a problem in our office, everyone can hear you through the walls.

I would love an office with a door. The cubicles are so loud. Like, some one will come to service the printer and have a loud cell phone call. Or people are shouting across the room. WTF?

Have always had a private office in my career. Lawyer. I'm the only lawyer at a company now. Confidentiality is a big concern, and our big issue is not office space, but conference room and common area space.

Sorry, yes that was an auto correction. Meant hotel-ing. I'm in the industry and lots of large companies are moving to this to save on real estate costs.

Anonymous wrote:Another, related question: How do you deal with work-related confidentiality? Situations like contract negotiations, personnel issues? Or those days where you literally have meetings all day and a lot of them are spontaneous?

I go and find a conference room.

Another, related question: How do you deal with work-related confidentiality? Situations like contract negotiations, personnel issues? Or those days where you literally have meetings all day and a lot of them are spontaneous?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have my first office in over 15 years of working. Previously, I worked in cubes. At least they were cubes with high walls.

Now I have my own office with a window and a door. It's great.

Do you work with the Feds?

Nope...private company.

My firm is almost exclusively hoteling, unless you are 500k+ income.

Pros:
Change of scenery is easy. Different floors have different styles. Tired of some particular area? Just move.
Like the sun? Follow it around the building throughout the day
Hate your boss? Easy to avoid them.
Wife can't pester me about why I don't have 19 photos of the kids in my cube.

Cons:
It can be loud as shit
Makes it really easy for people to come to me and try to start conversation. Headphones are the hoteling equivalent of "my door is closed" but I don't like wearing headphones, so fuck me.
People fuck with my chair settings. I like it at a certain height etc.

All in all I don't mind it. If I had been bussed from a corner office to this I'd care more, but I've had this arrangement my whole career

Anonymous wrote:I work for feds and in my experience the amount of time and energy people spend jockeying for the best office or even best cube is shocking. Government waste at its best/worst.

This. I had the same experience. People getting all worked up over who gets the biggest cube or the window office. Just childish, but hilarious at the same time.

I work for feds and in my experience the amount of time and energy people spend jockeying for the best office or even best cube is shocking. Government waste at its best/worst.