If you have a four-walled office, you should know....

[ckay87]

I work in a cubicle environment with a scattering of four-walled offices, reserved for the *special* people such as managers, etc. ( we always joke about this). Anyway, if any of you happen to fall into that category, here is your PSA for the day: Your four walls do not guarantee you a soundproof environment. Just saying. I've heard people get fired, get raises, and on a regular basis I can tell you whether my manager's lunch agreed with him. So....keep it down folks, ok???

 

[Darsa]

I work in a cubicle environment with a scattering of four-walled offices, reserved for the *special* people such as managers, etc. ( we always joke about this). Anyway, if any of you happen to fall into that category, here is your PSA for the day: Your four walls do not guarantee you a soundproof environment. Just saying. I've heard people get fired, get raises, and on a regular basis I can tell you whether my manager's lunch agreed with him. So....keep it down folks, ok???

ITA!! I'm the only one IN my office without an actual *room* (tho I have the most space, hah!) and the things I hear coming from some of these rooms... I've been the unwilling witness to a divorce in progress, as well as having to hear my boss' numerous "bodily functions"...

I feel yer pain, TRULY I do!

 

[blanq]

I work in a cubicle environment with a scattering of four-walled offices, reserved for the *special* people such as managers, etc. ( we always joke about this). Anyway, if any of you happen to fall into that category, here is your PSA for the day: Your four walls do not guarantee you a soundproof environment. Just saying. I've heard people get fired, get raises, and on a regular basis I can tell you whether my manager's lunch agreed with him. So....keep it down folks, ok???

I am one of the "special" people you jokingly refer to. Would you rather have me along side of you in a cube, disciplining or firing one of your co-workers (or perhaps you) with no possibility of privacy? That is the exact point of supervisors/managers getting walls in the first place. Yes, we get that sometimes the consrtuction is crappy, but how is that our fault? Oh, and by the way, my bodily functions are left for the bathroom.

 

[ckay87]

I am one of the "special" people you jokingly refer to. Would you rather have me along side of you in a cube, disciplining or firing one of your co-workers (or perhaps you) with no possibility of privacy? That is the exact point of supervisors/managers getting walls in the first place. Yes, we get that sometimes the consrtuction is crappy, but how is that our fault? Oh, and by the way, my bodily functions are left for the bathroom.

Oh you know what, I'm just joking around. And the bolded part...that's good. Then none of this applies to you.

 

[Pakey]

I was sitting in my office yesterday texing my friend about our upcoming Disneyland vacation and realized that my very hard working (and much appreciated) staff could probably hear my dang phone incoming text noise. And it's not like it was just a couple of texts, our fingers were flying back and forth as we ironed out the details. And I thought I was being so sneaky with the texting.

 

[MusiqChic99]

LOL!!!

So very funny.

I have my own office but never shut my door. However I am not a manager so you won't hear me firing anybody or giving lectures. And my personal business stays at home. I do know most of what everyone elses personal business is though. For some reason since my door is always open, I get a flood of coworkers telling me their problems!

 

[MerMom60_94]

I am one of the "special" people you jokingly refer to. Would you rather have me along side of you in a cube, disciplining or firing one of your co-workers (or perhaps you) with no possibility of privacy? That is the exact point of supervisors/managers getting walls in the first place. Yes, we get that sometimes the consrtuction is crappy, but how is that our fault? Oh, and by the way, my bodily functions are left for the bathroom.

It isn't your fault but if a conversation is truly sensitive / personal you find a conference room. I have had to hold disciplinary discussions and / or tell people they were losing their jobs and it was always done in a conference room or in a room in our Human Resources office. It was never done in a cloth cubicle. As for personal phone conversations, you handle them on your cell phone in a private area. I don't care if it's in your car at lunch or in a supply closet. If you conduct your private business at your desk people will hear you and it will be public knowledge. You may not control the crappy construction but you can control where and how you conduct yourself.

 

[missypie]

I have an office - attorneys in private practice pretty much need them for client confidentiality purposes. But I used to office next to a woman with a VERY LOUD VOICE. I unwilling heard every bit of her life...I knew she was pregnant before anyone else in the office because I heard her talking about it to her H on the phone...she THOUGHT she was talking softly...

 

[2binak]

I sit right outside of two 4-walled offices and can't hear a thing anyone inside them says if their door is shut. These are panel offices that can be taken apart in a matter of a couple of hours. OP - Maybe the people you work with don't know that the construction in your office is crappy. They would probably be grateful if you pointed it out to them so that they can find a more private room to have confidential conversations in.

 

[Stacerita]

At one facility I used to work at, the manager had a cubbie like a lot of us in the office. She was, shall I say, very gassey. Things would be quiet in the office, then we would hear the air freshener being sprayed. eww

 

[Inigo]

My supervisor has been known to go sit in the conference room next to my office to listen to a few of my appointments with clients when I give him a heads up that the conversation will be "interesting".

It's kinda nice to know he's listening just in case the person goes around the bend into total craziness!

 

[manning]

I am one of the "special" people you jokingly refer to. Would you rather have me along side of you in a cube, disciplining or firing one of your co-workers (or perhaps you) with no possibility of privacy? That is the exact point of supervisors/managers getting walls in the first place. Yes, we get that sometimes the consrtuction is crappy, but how is that our fault? Oh, and by the way, my bodily functions are left for the bathroom.

That is what conference rooms are for. I have a friend who works in an office were management is out there with them and he said surprisingly it works.

I worked in a building were the corners were indented...doing away with the corner office, and yes it was designed for that purpose.

 

[Aimeedyan]

The construction on our offices must be pretty good because you can't hear anything from outside the door except rumbling of voices. Thank goodness! I've had to have some pretty sensitive conversations in my office and am glad I don't have to worry about others hearing.

 

[golfgal]

We just moved into a new building and everyone could hear everything in neighboring offices. It was pretty bad. They sent out emails stating that people could hear you in their offices, etc. They are working on that but for now they have the fan on the furnace blowing during office hours for some background noise, which helps.

 

[blanq]

That is what conference rooms are for. I have a friend who works in an office were management is out there with them and he said surprisingly it works.

I worked in a building were the corners were indented...doing away with the corner office, and yes it was designed for that purpose.

Fortunately for me, my office is fairly well constructed, and I have a corner office that butts upgainst an office of another supervisor. I do have one employee adjacent to my office and I can rarely hear her. One in awhile I can hear muffled conversation. I have specifically talked to her and have asked her if I bother her with noise from my office and she has indicated I do not. I do not have a loud communication style, and I have never raised my voice to an employee (I personally believe there is no need to). You might hear me chortle it up once in awhile though as I do like a good laugh.

Our building is currently being renovated, so conference rooms are almost non-existent at this point. The few we do have, for all 250 employees, butt up against cubes and offices, so they are not necessarily any more private than an office.

I agree with the premise that supervisors/managers need to keep confidential conversations confidential.

 

[cocodog]

I realize that my 4 walls are made of rice paper, but still sometimes need to close the door in order to have private conversations with employees. I try to keep my voice down. However, just beacuse someone has an office, does not mean that there are bodily function noises going on in there!