Cubicles Were Once Awesome. So What Went Wrong?

June 30 (Bloomberg) --- When the cubicle was invented in 1968 it was actually pretty awesome. Nikhil Saval, author of "Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace," tells Bloomberg what went wrong with the cubicle, and why we failed to fix it. Video by: Alex Dean, Victoria Blackburn-Daniels. (Source: Bloomberg)

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[gast]

Then we got open plan offices which were even worse due to the noise, the visual distraction and lack of privacy in general.

[TheGreatslyfer]

Tbh I prefer the cubicle than open plan offices. You can have your own privacy and sort of have your own space to make yours and just be comfortable in. I would think it's easier to concentrate and focus on problems when you have nothing to distract visually and I guess even sound wise since the cubicle can change the sounds are heard.

[pimpinjc]

So basically, we are back to where we started.

[SpikedHairWarrior]

cubicle is fantastic. have your on private space in a company. It's sad to see some offices are going back to the old, cheap all in one desk.

[jamesbest]

This dude, "Cubicles are a way to cram people all together." Literally behind him with no cubicles are people even more crammed together.

[blakeada]

It sounds like the problem happens when people do work they don't feel good about. Both the OWS and the cubicle are just guilty by association with bad management and meaningless work. It's a mistake to think that new facades will solve the problem--that most companies have: they need to focus on what their work means to the lives of people. If people understood why their work was meaningful, they would keep it that way and expand on what matters. They might also recognize when it wasn't meaningful anymore, and then ask how it could be different.

[janwitkowsky]

High wall cubicle, with optional roof.
6’x6’x68”with L-shaped work surface. (ie, a table) with 2 BFF pedestals and an overhead bin, with light.

As an introvert, it'd be a dream place for me to work.

And I'd actually want that kind of cubicle in my bedroom and make it into a closed off gaming corner.

[Alex-wpoo]

Graduated in 2020 and started my first office job during the pandemic. I only spent 1 day in my cubical (the first day) and the rest work from home. I absolutely love work from home and hopefully it continues forever.

[staralley]

It’s common sense. No one wants to be treated as a “tool” to be used and then discarded. Skilled professionals didn’t want their office taken away for a cubicle. It’s why the cubicle is hated. These same professionals didn’t want their hated cubicle taken away for something even less. So companies have gone from individual offices, to shared offices, to cubicles, to open work spaces. It’s common sense... skilled professionals want an office.

[gregdolecki]

I work in a low-walled cubicle farm. There might as well be no walls at all.

[imnobodywhoareyouu]

as an introverted i wish i had a cubicle...

[johnflorio]

Cubicles got smaller and Americans got bigger.

[rohmaxy]

I am 28 male but i have a strange phobia of office cubicles.  I feel very choked in such environment. During lunch time, i usually dash out of office to spend some time in the garden and that is where i feel much more at ease. I wonder if there are other people who face this too.

[MH_Bikes]

I remember before the cubical, there were rooms called "offices" with things called doors. Yes, I know but it's true.

[McRocket]

Whom in their right mind would prefer open plan offices to a cubical (unless they have a form of claustrophobia or are hyper-social)?

[Hali]

The thing of of it is, the only people who like the open office concept are upper management types who have their own private offices far away from the floor. Open office really only works if you're on a small creative team like a writing or marketing staff working on a common project. Generally speaking, most people have their own assigned work to do even within teams. Open office is noisy, distracting...there's a lot more drama. Employee satisfaction goes down, productivity goes down...sick days go up...sickness goes up. This whole narrative that open office is modern, hip, leads to more creativity and collaboration, is better for "diversity"...it's all a crock. It's a way to save money by maximizing floor space and for lower and middle management to keep a close eye on the inmates. No one who has to put up it with likes it. Yet management does it anyway. I'll tell you a funny story. My last job was going to open office and almost everyone was against the idea but the new CEO was determined. We had a town hall meeting and everyone was there. A guy was given the mike during Q&A and he was actually leaving the company. So he's get the mike and goes, "how many people want open office, raise your hands..." NO ONE DID. Man, it was awkward. The CEO took a moment and then launched in to how open office gets a bad wrap through "misunderstanding" and not really "knowing the facts"...etc. and so on. The same old song and dance. The translation was, "well too damn bad, It's happening...". Clueless.

[someitguy]

What went wrong? Engineers stopped being managers...

[jrjubach]

lol the video ended, but i feel like the story wasn't over yet.

[KiloByte]

They complain about companies using cubicles to cram as many office workers into a space as possible. How are row after row of open desks any better?

[slippinslidewayz]

I hate my cubicle but the reason is because all of the noise of my surrounding coworkers. An open office is a nightmare. I would much rather work in a closet.