The Incredible Shrinking Cubicle
Don’t kid yourself, it IS getting smaller…
Okay, better and funnier minds than mine (Scott Adam’s Dilbert et al) excel at lampooning cubicle culture. But a recent Wall Street Journal article, Office Personal Space Is Crowded Out, by Sarah E. Needleman addresses the actual shrinking of the cubicle space and what that means for the workforce.
Needleman gives an example from an interior design group that is creating new work areas that are now 48 sq. ft., down from 64 sq. ft. five years ago. When I mentioned that to my husband, he said the 48 sq. ft. actually sounded roomier than his current space. I'm sure a number of very practical reasons go into these decreases; companies needing to cut costs during the recession, elimination of space for employees who work mostly away from the office or adapting to a more open floor plan.
The article also mentions the lowering of cubicle partitions. Hubby’s used to be around 5½ ft. high and now is closer to 4 ft. Supposedly, that promotes more “staff interaction.” What I’ve always thought it promoted was way too much information sharing, like overhearing your co-worker yell at her kid in the cubicle version of an “inside voice.” So workers’ privacy is non-existent and the noise level makes it much harder to concentrate. (I’ve only had one job where I worked in a cube and I recall the company bought the good stuff with insulation and sound barriers in mind. In this economic climate, I imagine quality of product isn’t a priority.)
But let’s talk about the really critical aspects of this loss of personal space and privacy. Smaller, shorter cubes are going to severely affect your personal phone call, Solitaire playing and online shopping experience! And we all know that isn’t good for employee morale.
This is a post by Nancy LaFever. You can read more from her at the Centre for Emotional Wellbeing blog.
Andrew G.R.
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Reader Comments (7)
Even if your cubicle is getting smaller, you can still use Feng Shui to make it comfortable. I've always been a believer in that (Feng shui does amazing things for small or depressing spaces--and i can't think of anything smaller or more depressing than a cube!)
Here's an article my friend, celebrity Feng Shui consultant Ken Lauher wrote about using Feng Shui in a cubicle... http://www.kenlauher.com/feng-shui-tips/bid/28072/How-to-Feng-Shui-Your-Cubicle-for-Career-Success
This 'down-sizing', for want of a better word, has become quite common in other areas of life, as well. For example, ever notice how the coffee can has gone form 16 ounces to about 12? Or, as I recently noticed, cans of cranberry sauce have gone from 16 to 14 ounces. I suppose that this cheapness, when multiplied across the board, does add up. The tycoon companies get richer while the consumer continues to get ripped off. So much for brand loyalty.But insofar as cube size goes, there's definitely a morale factor to be considered. I've always found that the folks in the trenches know how to get even with management.
http://www.cubicletimes.com/2009/12/slumdog-style-cubicle/
- They should be called recticals since the cube shape is no longer appropriate and it sounds more humiliating
- Consider putting cardboard cut-out tombstones with our names on them at the head of our artificial 6 foot deep tomb instead of name tags
- Not sure where the auditors are going to sit at the end of the year when they haunt our cubes. We figure they can sit on our laps while they ask what they want from us this year.
- Put a shotgun or head locks at the end to complete the image of the killer-stalls they put cows in
- We are eagerly anticipating the bunk-cubes...
Anyway...it used to be stupid ra-ra-distant company goals that made me roll my eyes, now its loss of benefits and shrinking cubes. At least the pay check still clears. ( for now )
Cheers.