Member-only story
Why I Miss Working in Crappy Workplaces
I like my office like the Millennium Falcon: not much to look at, but has got it where it counts.
When the pandemic hit, I was working in a brand new office complex. The new place was far and above our previous digs, which we had escaped four months previous. Everything about them had whispered “decline”, from the carpeting featuring geometric purple triangles to the dull fluorescent lighting. The building was half empty, becoming an unoccupied sea of cubicles, and sat amongst a half-mile stretch of vacant properties.
The new place was part of a recently renovated complex that featured everything from a full-service cafeteria with an in-house Starbucks to a fitness center. Even our private space had many more perks to offer, including a trendy-looking break room, recreation room with Nintendo games and ping-pong table, and lots of varied, collaborative workspaces.
The company had convinced itself that it would attract young talent if we moved to a site comparable to what was available in other parts of the country. So they chose a large, modern multi-tenant complex in an area densely packed with tech companies, restaurants, retail stores, and apartment complexes.
