Companies Move Away From Cubicle Culture

Makarand writes "According to this Mercury News article companies are freeing employees from their cubicles to save on corporate real estate costs. By eliminating the need for offices for thousands of employees they are reducing their building needs by thousands of square feet. Employees now work in shared areas or from home or elsewhere outside the traditional cubicle. Those who prove to be unproductive when they have to share space with others risk getting fired. This trend is expected to accelerate as wireless technologies are making workers more mobile and capable of working from anywhere. About 13000 of Sun Microsystems' 35000 employees working in Santa Clara (CA) currently lack offices."

antisocial

[ajnlth]

Those who prove to be unproductive when they have to share space with others risk getting fired.

I guess it's a good time to be antisocial, sack veryone that likes talking to their co-workers when they sitt next to each other.

The perfect worker is the one that stares into the computer screen, completely unaware of what goes on around him/her.

what next a move away from bodies?

[Anonymous Coward]

Companies have decided that a physical body is too expensive and have moved emplyees to brains floating in a VAT.

Good.

[Schezar]

Those who prove to be unproductive when they have to share space with others risk getting fired

Finally. It's scary just how many otherwise intelligent adults have massive hygene problems or creepy neurosis. (Nuts afraid of germs in the office, nuts who lost their train of though at the slightest unexpected noise...)

Now, with any luck, the smelly ones will be openly ridiculed by their annoyed peers, and the nutty ones will be driven over the edge by the close proximity. Once they're gone, the workplaces of the world should generally become much nicer places.

Re:Well that sucks

[sandbagger]

Hi:

If it's such a good idea, I expect that management will be joining us.

No worries, real estate agents...

[Anonymous Coward]

Soon these companies will realize that by kicking programmers, the most unproductive and self-important group of employees ever, out of their offices and cubicles, they'll be able to fit in more business majors -- the pinnacle of productivity and efficiency!

Maybe this will spark a whole new level of management! Lower lower middle middle management!!

Controversial ;-)

[vigilology]

Employees now work in shared areas or from home or elsewhere outside the traditional country.

Re:what next a move away from bodies?

[BJH]

For a moment there, I read that as "brains floating in a VAX" and my first thought was 'Cool!'

I'm doomed.

Re:Paid to be Nekkid

[pommiekiwifruit]

Just sit on your t-shirt from yesterday. Like I am doing right now (or was that more than you needed to know?)

I predict

[pommiekiwifruit]

Sales of surgical latex gloves will soar, as you want to avoid getting sick by touching other peoples keyboards.

You are aware that keyboards, mice and especially telephone handsets have a far higher bacterial count than e.g. toilets?

Re:So they fire people

[Anonymous Coward]

unproductive != antisocial

Did I miss something?

Don't be obtuse, man! Read between the lines, for heaven's sake! Obviously, they wanted staff to get together and produce more staff.

While staff tend to do this anyway, one-on-one relationships in cubicles proved slow. Hence, the move to shared, communal areas.

Re:Good Thing (tm)

[operagost]

There was so much chit chat where I work when we moved into these common offices, that I was forced to move to the back corner of a storage room, just so I could concentrate.

Yeah- we've kinda got a roach problem down here, so if you could get a can of bug spray and kind of, take care of that, I'd really appreciate it. Yeah.

His name is Frank.

[TPFH]

Bonus: work without pants!

"Frank, every time we have a phone meeting you just have to announce that you are not wearing any pants. Well, we are tired of it. It is not funny. You're Fired!!!"

As much as I'd enjoy working without pants, there might be some disadvantages to it.

Re:I would love this

[Anonymous Coward]

But then how would I be able to pick my nose and wipe it under my chair without my coworkers seeing me do it?

They could be women as well

[Chemisor]

> Do you supose they could be women as well?

Oh, we all so wish this could be true!!!