Open concept office space

[disneysteve]

they’ve added some perks to cheer people up like fountain soda machines and bringing in lunch once a month.

If a company needs to add perks “to cheer people up” then clearly there is a fundamental problem. They need to fix the reason why the people are unhappy, not throw them a free lunch now and then to try and pretend it’s okay.

[bennkar]

If a company needs to add perks “to cheer people up” then clearly there is a fundamental problem. They need to fix the reason why the people are unhappy, not throw them a free lunch now and then to try and pretend it’s okay.

The fundamental problem is people hate it but management is doing it anyway to save money. Its not something you can fix quite honestly. I've been in various scenarios, usually open floor with cubicle walls, and unless you have a job where you have to constantly interact with your coworkers to do your job, an open floor plan is only a way to save money, bad side effects be damned.

I'm working in one of those situations, and I've come to peace with the fact this will be my life for the next 4+ years. I just keep a old set of 80's style big puffy headphones at my desk to put on when the need arises (especially those times when they decide to have an impromptu meeting in the walkway outside my cubicle for 20 minutes).

[greenskeeper]

If a company needs to add perks “to cheer people up” then clearly there is a fundamental problem. They need to fix the reason why the people are unhappy, not throw them a free lunch now and then to try and pretend it’s okay.

there's a reason it's a 4 letter word